US / Carol Gotbaum Family Sues for $8M in NY Mom's Airport Death Accidentally strangled trying to escape cuffs in Phoenix holding cell By Rob Quinn, Newser Staff Posted Mar 27, 2008 5:14 AM CDT Copied Noah Gotbaum and his children Ella, 7, Tobias, 3, and Nathaniel, 5, right, leave a memorial service for his wife and the children's mother Carol Gotbaum, Sunday, Oct. 7, 2007, in New York. (AP Photo/Diane Bondareff) The family of a New York woman who died in a holding cell at a Phoenix airport is suing the police department and city for $8 million, CNN reports. Carol Gotbaum became agitated after missing a flight last September and cops put her alone in a cell where she accidentally strangled herself as she tried to escape her handcuffs. Gotbaum, the stepdaughter-in-law of a New York City official, had been traveling alone to Tucson to enter an alcohol rehabilitation center. story continues belowShoe CEO Drops Business Sneakers Taking The NFL By Storm Finally, A Comfortable Shoe Thats Fit For The Office. With Comfort, Luxury, & Versatility Engineered Into Every Step, Wolf & Shepherd Shoes Are Specifically Designed For Those Who Want To Lead The Pack.Wolf & ShepherdShop NowUndoAverage IQ is 100. What's Yours? Answer 20 multiple choice questions to find out.Avg IQ is 100. Find our your score in less than 10 minutes! Taken by over 1M users so far. 76,162 users tested today.Free IQ TestClick HereUndoOne of Time Magazine's Best Inventions of 2018 Can Save You Hundreds in Plumber FeesTubShroom on AmazonUndo The lawsuit on behalf of her husband and three young children accuses police of using unreasonable force and treating Gotbaum like "a dangerous criminal, rather than as a sick, intoxicated and vulnerable person." It notes that Gotbaum "had no weapon and never threatened anyone." Police reports say she resisted arrest, and Phoenix officials said officers acted properly and responsibly in restraining her. Gotbaum's death has been ruled accidental. (More Carol Gotbaum stories.) Report an error