From The Hearing Review: Use of Force Underscores Breakdown Between Police and Deaf Community
-The organization reports that recent incidents involving police officers and individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing remind us that our commitment must be ongoing. For example, in November 2006, Douglas Bahl of Minnesota was pulled over by police for failing to stop at a red light. Bahl is deaf. Bahl tried to use gestures and paper and pen to communicate with the police officer. The police officer used physical force. Bahl was arrested. After being treated at a hospital for his injuries, Bahl was taken to a jail where he spent 4 days without access to a TTY to make a phone call and without interpreter services, despite repeated requests for these accommodations. On September 14, 2007, Bahl was convicted of obstructing the legal process without force.
Bahl is not the first deaf or hard-of-hearing person to encounter communication problems with law enforcement officers, according to NAD. The organization has represented deaf or hard-of-hearing individuals in disability discrimination complaints against law enforcement agencies when those individuals were arrested and held in jail without access to a TTY to make a phone call or interpreter services to communicate effectively with police. As a result of those complaints, the NAD has obtained favorable legal rulings and settlement agreements requiring law enforcement agencies to provide appropriate auxiliary aids and services, including qualified interpreter services and TTYs.-
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(No offense, Christian 
) From About.Com: Deafness
Police Mistreatment of Deaf
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From Hearing Loss: The deaf face challenges when interacting with law enforcement
Jerry Siders expected some miscommunication with the police officer who pulled him over for expired tags, but he didn't expect to be held at gunpoint.
"I decided to get out of the car, and the policeman put the gun right up to my face," Siders said. "I pointed to my ears and he knew I was not a dangerous person."
Siders is deaf and spoke through an operator for Sorenson Video Relay services.
"I pointed to a pad in a pocket that I had inside my coat and once he saw that we communicated by writing," said Siders. "Now I know to put paper beside me."
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From (blog): Say What? About Deafness and Connecting Communities
Thoughts on Deaf and Police Relations
A recent story that made the Modesto Bee news and was later picked up by Deaf News Network, is about a deaf pizza deliveryman who was mistaken for a wanted criminal. A friend of mine, who is reporter at Modesto Bee, forwarded the story to me when it appeared but I didn’t have a chance to use the story till now. The original article is here: deaf pizza deliveryman Tessien was pulled over and shot at with beanbags. Police officers say they did not hear him shout that he was deaf. Tessien is suing the officers in federal court for excessive force and violating the Americans With Disabilities Act for not providing an interpreter after he was taken into custody.
Personally, I have had a generally professional experience with police officers. I’ve been pulled over only twice although I’ve had other encounters over accidents or where I was merely the passenger. One was for a fix-it citation in Yuba City in 1994 or 1995. My rearview mirror had become unglued from my windshield due to extreme summer heat, and a police officer on motorcycle happened to be behind me when he noticed it was not there. The officer communicated with me via notepad.
The second one was near Wainscott, New York for speeding. There was a semi truck loaded with tires and at least 4 other vehicles with me. A team of police officers were nabbing speeders on this residential road that was popular for motorists to take to go around the morning traffic jam. The police officer that dealt with me was young and very polite. He communicated with me via notepad. I tried to give him gruff for ticketing me and informed him I was LATE to work. As it turns out, I shouldn’t have hurried to work. It was the day our CEO announced that they were laying everyone off temporarily. I learned my lesson that day. If I’m late, I’m late period. No amount of speeding is going to turn the clock back.
The only negative experience I had was with Los Angeles police officers when I was living in Northridge. I was involved in an accident with a hearing driver that was DUI, uninsured and not wearing a seatbelt. An emergency response personnel knew a few signs, but we did not use him as an interpreter. One of the police officers was an older officer. He was clearly displeased that he was dealing with two deaf women (my roommate and I). A younger officer intervened and took over. My roommate and I thought the older officer was extremely rude to act impatient with us.
My opinion is that law enforcers have a tough job. They must be hard on the real criminals yet sensitive when dealing with the various people they encounter on the job. And they’re still human beings.
(good and bad experiences also in comments)
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From (blog) Deaf Insights: Police Brutality AGainst the Deaf Needs To Stop Now! (sorry again, Christian)
We have seen so many physical and verbal abuse reports from the Deaf people all over the country. Majority of the abuse is related to lack of communication. Most law enforcement personnel have no patience in communicating with the Deaf ,even, writing down on paper, also hand gestures.
Ricky Taylor (ridorlive.com) has expressed his lack of trust for law enforcement officers. Taylor's reasons are valid and we have seen too many Rodney King scenarios against the Deaf people in general.
At the deafdc.com there is also a discussion related to law enforcement issues and one prominent writer has expressed his concerns and fears in case he gets pulled over by a law enforcement officer. One little misunderstanding will be impossible to rectify because dead people cannot talk.
A lot of police officers have killed Deaf people in the United States even most of them knew they were Deaf. Law enforcement officers assume that signing to them is a threat and they get into fight and flee mode. They have little or no training on how to communicate using gestures or sign language.
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From Hands and Voices: A Traffic Violation Can Be High Anxiety For Some Deaf/Hard of Hearing Citizens
You are driving along at night and one of your worst fears comes true. You look in your rear-view mirror and see there is a law enforcement officer behind you. His emergency lights are turned on and you are the one he wants to pull over. Now your anxiety level kicks into high gear. You wonder - how long has he been behind you trying to get you to pull over, will he be angry and how will I let him know that I am deaf/hard of hearing? - Over and over, this and similar scenarios have been described to me by many deaf/hard of hearing people. As a law enforcement officer for over thirty years, fifteen of which I have been the deaf/hard of hearing liaison for the Houston Police Department, I understand the anxiety a deaf/hard of hearing person has when being pulled over for a traffic violation. For this reason I developed a "Deaf/Hard of Hearing V isor Card" for deaf/hard of hearing citizens to carry in their vehicles. I am not the only law enforcement officer that has seen this need. The Michigan State Police and the Chicago Police Department also have visor cards for their deaf/hard of hearing citizens.
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Post about police by deaf in Deaf Forum
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News article about deaf and police in DeafSign Forum
Police treatment of Shaun Phurprate
'Obscenity' was sign language
By Hannah Hennessy
A DEAF and dumb man who was arrested for making an obscene gesture was actually using sign language to tell police that he could not hear.
Shaun Phurprate, 22, was out celebrating his birthday with his brother, Michael, 20. PC Steve Hawkins told Sunderland Magistrates’ Court that his patrol car was forced to stop by Mr Phurprate, who had mouthed an obscenity then raised his fingers in an obscene gesture. PC Hawkins told the court that Mr Phurprate had also sworn at him.
Willie Johnstone, for Mr Phurprate, said that his client had made the British sign language signal for “I am deaf”: lifting two fingers to his ear. Mr Phurprate has been deaf since birth with no speech, so could not have sworn, Mr Johnstone said.
The magistrates took just seconds to clear Shaun Phurprate, of Downhill in Sunderland, of being drunk and disorderly. A charge against Michael Phurprate of causing harassment, alarm or distress was also thrown out.
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From (blog I think) WhiteWolf: Police and Deaf People
Some of you have problem with the police departments and/or their officers. The only thing you should know and keep in mind that NOT all officers are considered bad. There are many GOOD and HELPFUL officers around us. Perhaps, some of you may be abused by them, if you were; before you talk to sergeants, chiefs, or internal affairs: dot down the officer's names, badge number, vehicle's number, time, and location and what happened. Thought, sergeants and/or chiefs are more than happy to assist you in solving the problem between you and an officer in their headquarters. Some of you choose not to report the misconduct of the officer(s), then you rave at anyone about the officer(s).
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From YouTube: My Deaf Mom, the Cop and the Law
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Off topic a bit but horrible: Police Forums and Law Enforcement Forums: Deaf driver?
(Post from a policeman!)
The other day I made a stop and found both the driver and passenger to be deaf. This surprised me, as I didn't think a deaf person could get a driver's license. But the driver presented a driver's license and it came back as valid.
I did a short search of our state statutes and could only come up with one the seemed to address this issue: 343.06(1)(f) The department shall not issue a license to any person who is required by this chapter to take an examination, unless such person takes and passes such examination. Deaf persons otherwise qualified under this chapter to receive a license shall be issued such license in the discretion of the secretary.
Does anyone else have any experience with deaf drivers? It would seem to me that being deaf could be a major disadvantage for a driver. Is it legal in your area?
Just curious, mostly.
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Depressing articles.......
