Police "mistook" a mentally handicapped teenager's speech impediment for "disrespect"

yizuman

yizuman

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DAYTON, Ohio (CN) - Dayton police "mistook" a mentally handicapped teenager's speech impediment for "disrespect," so they Tasered, pepper-sprayed and beat him and called for backup from "upward of 20 police officers" after the boy rode his bicycle home to ask his mother for help, the boy's mom says.
Pamela Ford says her "mentally challenged/handicapped" son Jesse Kersey, 17, was riding his bike near his Dayton home when Officer Willie Hooper stopped him and tried to talk to him.
The mom says that "Prior to the incident described below, defendant Hooper knew Jesse and was aware that Jesse was mentally challenged/handicapped and a minor child."
Nonetheless, Ford says, Hooper "apparently took Jesse's speech impediment for disrespect ... [and] began yelling at Jesse and after Jesse attempted to communicate with him[.] Jesse, being a minor and mentally challenged/handicapped, turned and rode his bike back to his home in an attempt to ask his mother, Ford, to help him communicate with defendant Cooper," according to the complaint in Montgomery County Court.
On the way, the mom says, "A neighbor attempted to communicate with Officer Hooper about Jesse's disabilities and was told to go back into his home, or he would be arrested."
As Ford opened her front door, she says, Hooper and co-defendant Officer John Howard, "fired their Tasers, striking Jesse in the back with both probes."
"Once inside the house, defendant Hooper and defendant Howard began to struggle with Jesse, who was standing against the back door with his hands up in front of his face, saying 'Please quit, please quit.'
"On numerous occasions, Ford and a family friend, Christopher Peyton, informed Officer Hooper that Jesse was mentally challenged/handicapped, and that Jesse did not understand what was happening," the complaint states.
But the mom says the cops continued their assault: "Officer Howard utilized his Cap-Stun pepper spray and sprayed Jesse ... [and] struck Jesse with a closed fist in the upper chest area.
"Officer Howard utilized his ASP and repeatedly struck Jesse in the upper left side of his left thigh.
"Back-up units were requested to Jesse's house, wherein upward of 20 police officers from different jurisdictions were present.
"At no point, even after being advised of Jesse's mental challenge/handicap by Jesse's family and numerous bystanders, did defendant Hooper, defendant Howard, or any other police officer present, attempt to communicate with Jesse or explain in terms he could understand as to why Jesse was being chased.
"Jesse was handcuffed and hogtied before being placed in the back of a police cruiser.
"Jesse was charged with assault on a peace officer, resisting arrest, and obstructing official business."
However, "Jesse was declared incompetent by the Montgomery County Juvenile Court and the charges against Jesse were dismissed."
Jesse and his mom seek damages from the city and the two lead officers, for false imprisonment, false arrest, malicious prosecution, assault, battery, excessive use of force, infliction of emotional distress and civil conspiracy.
They are represented by Richard Boucher.

http://www.courthousenews.com/2011/06/29/Tasered.pdf
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Source: https://www.courthousenews.com/2011/06/29/37770.htm

Just what the hell is wrong with these cops???

Yiz
 
I don't blame 2343242 other cops involved in this but I sure would like to see Officer Hooper in jail
 
Sighhh...If this happened to my child, I would be going after someone, and it won't be with tasers, either.
 
I guess I better return to those speech classes so I wont have that happen to me. :roll:
 
shel90 said:
I guess I better return to those speech classes so I wont have that happen to me. :roll:
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That probably wouldn't do you any good. That same cop would probably say that you ignored him when he tried to tell you to do something... to which he tazed you thinking you were trying to run away. :(
 
It's only a matter of time before the population gets sick of seeing this widespread and out-of-control abuse of power and fights back.

The entire police force needs a complete overhaul and changes in the way it approaches its duty, and it needs to do it fast.
 
TheWriteAlex said:
It's only a matter of time before the population gets sick of seeing this widespread and out-of-control abuse of power and fights back.

The entire police force needs a complete overhaul and changes in the way it approaches its duty, and it needs to do it fast.
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I agree. This is one of the most awful things of police brutality that I've ever read. The cop(s) who let this happen even though the mother and neighbors all were stating that he was not comprehending and incapable of should get 20 years in prison in my opinion. I hope they go to state court and get a huge payout and the peace of mind that the cop(s) responsible are locked up for a long time. This is just truly awful.

I think there should be more training in police academy as to what to do with those who have trouble expressing oneself or understanding what is being said to them. I myself have had a cop pull his gun on me and thank god he never fired but, as soon as he did it scared the crap out of me. (Gun pulled on me while getting my drivers license out of my backpack and I pulled on a pen (I don't know why that mattered to pull out a gun) and it was one of the most traumatic things I ever experienced. I don't know if he though I was going to stay him with it or what but, I only pulled out while to dig deeper for my drivers license.
 
InfamousMacBook said:
I agree. This is one of the most awful things of police brutality that I've ever read. The cop(s) who let this happen even though the mother and neighbors all were stating that he was not comprehending and incapable of should get 20 years in prison in my opinion. I hope they go to state court and get a huge payout and the peace of mind that the cop(s) responsible are locked up for a long time. This is just truly awful.

I think there should be more training in police academy as to what to do with those who have trouble expressing oneself or understanding what is being said to them. I myself have had a cop pull his gun on me and thank god he never fired but, as soon as he did it scared the crap out of me. (Gun pulled on me while getting my drivers license out of my backpack and I pulled on a pen (I don't know why that mattered to pull out a gun) and it was one of the most traumatic things I ever experienced. I don't know if he though I was going to stay him with it or what but, I only pulled out while to dig deeper for my drivers license.
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I agree with you on this. This is terrible of why cops are abusing handicapped and disabled people plus the d/Deaf people like the Deaf Native American in Seattle, Washington. They need training. pronto, to learn how to communicate with them without harming them. The police force in the police department were the worst way to treat good citizens who are handicapped plus blind and deaf. I do hope he and another officer goes to jail for what they have done to the young man. Tsk. Tsk. Tsk. :nono:
 
Wow, what a nightmare story. A lot of cops are assholes. Im glad charges against Jesse were dismissed. Piss off to those sorry ass cops.
 
InfamousMacBook said:
... I myself have had a cop pull his gun on me and thank god he never fired but, as soon as he did it scared the crap out of me. (Gun pulled on me while getting my drivers license out of my backpack and I pulled on a pen (I don't know why that mattered to pull out a gun) and it was one of the most traumatic things I ever experienced. I don't know if he though I was going to stay him with it or what but, I only pulled out while to dig deeper for my drivers license.
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You're digging deeper in a backpack, and you wonder why the cop pulled his gun on you? How would he know what you're pulling out of that backpack until it's too late? Next time, let him know that it's buried in your backpack, and offer to dump it out on the hood of your car.
 
Reba said:
You're digging deeper in a backpack, and you wonder why the cop pulled his gun on you? How would he know what you're pulling out of that backpack until it's too late? Next time, let him know that it's buried in your backpack, and offer to dump it out on the hood of your car.
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That is the big problem with the police officers who have no training to work with us. It was not InfamousMacBook's fault. How else would she know if she does not understand or can not hear him when he pulled out his gun on her, eh? The officer was not using his notepad or papers to communicate with her. I noticed that many officers never used papers or notepads to communicate with the deaf people. They think we can either hear them or lipread them. Duh! Yeah, right. :roll: As Deaf people, we are not sure how we can best use our judgement to make the right thing to obey the officers, but often time the police officers just ignored us including the handicapped in wheelchair or the blind. They don't care about us as good citizens. They only care about themselves, period. That is my concern about the police brutality against us being different than normal. I am very serious about this. So Reba, don't blame on InfamousMacBook. Okay? :(
 
Bebonang said:
That is the big problem with the police officers who have no training to work with us. It was not InfamousMacBook's fault. How else would she know if she does not understand or can not hear him when he pulled out his gun on her, eh? The officer was not using his notepad or papers to communicate with her. I noticed that many officers never used papers or notepads to communicate with the deaf people. They think we can either hear them or lipread them. Duh! Yeah, right. :roll: As Deaf people, we are not sure how we can best use our judgement to make the right thing to obey the officers
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There is a way, and it is gesturing that you need a pen and paper. You can point to your bag so the cop would understand that the pen/paper is in the bag. We can also keep a pen and paper within reach (i.e. in the slot below the CD player or wherever there is space) so we don't need to reach into a bag at all. You have to understand that cops have been shot right there at the window so they are trying to be cautious. One guy from my high school (he graduated with my brother) was such an officer who was shot and killed when he pulled someone over.

Honestly, it goes both ways. We need to know how to act when in a situation with an officer and the officers need to know how to act when there are people with disabilities.
 
Bebonang said:
That is the big problem with the police officers who have no training to work with us. It was not InfamousMacBook's fault. How else would she know if she does not understand or can not hear him when he pulled out his gun on her, eh? The officer was not using his notepad or papers to communicate with her. I noticed that many officers never used papers or notepads to communicate with the deaf people. They think we can either hear them or lipread them. Duh! Yeah, right. :roll: As Deaf people, we are not sure how we can best use our judgement to make the right thing to obey the officers, but often time the police officers just ignored us including the handicapped in wheelchair or the blind. They don't care about us as good citizens. They only care about themselves, period. That is my concern about the police brutality against us being different than normal. I am very serious about this. So Reba, don't blame on InfamousMacBook. Okay? :(
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I'm not "blaming" InfamousMacBook. I'm explaining why the cop would pull a gun on her when she's rummaging thru her book bag. How is the cop supposed to know what she's reaching for? How is the cop supposed to know she's not reaching for a gun? Should he wait until he's shot at?

I'm very serious, too. Cops have been shot and killed by people reaching into bags and pulling out guns instead of pens.

Yes, cops do care about themselves; they don't want to be shot.
 
Bebonang said:
That is the big problem with the police officers who have no training to work with us. It was not InfamousMacBook's fault. How else would she know if she does not understand or can not hear him when he pulled out his gun on her, eh? The officer was not using his notepad or papers to communicate with her. I noticed that many officers never used papers or notepads to communicate with the deaf people. They think we can either hear them or lipread them. Duh! Yeah, right. :roll: As Deaf people, we are not sure how we can best use our judgement to make the right thing to obey the officers, but often time the police officers just ignored us including the handicapped in wheelchair or the blind. They don't care about us as good citizens. They only care about themselves, period. That is my concern about the police brutality against us being different than normal. I am very serious about this. So Reba, don't blame on InfamousMacBook. Okay? :(
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Bebonang - since you know how police officers would react, don't you think it's good idea for us to be educated on it so that we can make their jobs easier?
 
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