The story below broke November 24, 2011. There is absolutely no need for this to happen to ANYONE. Future incidents like this can be avoided simply by educating our police departments as well as all those that serve public duties. The simple solution is to have training at the academies and regularly on the job. A fine example of that would look like is shown in the video below the story. The officer involved in the incident had been on the job only one month. Had the officer had some kind of training with deaf awareness before the job started, Mr. Anthony would not have died at the hands of an agency that is to serve and protect.
Deaf, Disabled Senior Citizen on Bicycle Deemed Threat by Police, Tased to Death
If, in the euphemistic police state in which we currently live, pepper-spray is a taco condiment, that would make tasing...what? A joy-buzzing compliance aid? Sure, let's call it that. Now can someone explain to me why Officer John Turner of Scotland Neck, North Carolina's police department felt the need to use a joy-buzzing compliance aid on an 61-year-old, disabled man with a hearing impairment who was riding down the street on a bicycle? Because that man is now dead.
The call came on Monday night, and it made mention of a man who had fallen off his bicycle and injured himself in a parking lot. So Officer Turner pulled up to the scene, and found Roger Anthony — a local fixture who people call "Rabbit" because he had big ears — rolling down the street on his bicycle. Turner followed Anthony in his patrol vehicle, sirens blaring, and ordered him to pull over. Anthony didn't respond.
Williams said Turner then saw Anthony take something out his pocket and put it into his mouth. At that time, Turner got out of the car and yelled for Anthony to stop. When Anthony didn't stop, the officer used a stun gun on him, causing him to fall off of his bike.
Anthony was taken to a hospital, where he was declared brain dead. He was taken off life support on Tuesday. According to Anthony's sister, her brother was disabled, had frequent seizures and trouble hearing. He lived in an independent living community, and "used to smoke cigarettes, drink coffee and ride his bicycle around town." That's what Rabbit liked to do.
This was Turner's first month on the force. He's currently on administrative leave while the incident is investigated. [WRAL, Screengrab via WRAL] http://gawker.com/5862447/deaf-disabled-senior-citizen-on-bicycle-deemed-threat-by-police-tased-to-death
Look at what the Federick Police Department and the Maryland School for the Deaf are doing TOGETHER.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=AVewAHRu6Qc
The police training is great but the officer that tazed the deaf man should not be a police officer. That type of extreme bad judgment can not be fixed with a five hour training class.
ReplyDeleteIt's more like a young punk kid with a new tazer looking forward to zapping someone. Now a man is dead.