Cops taze deaf guy for not following their orders

Toggle sidebar Toggle sidebar
BrunoPuntzJones

BrunoPuntzJones

Lifer
Feb 24, 2001
14,513
4
81
http://www.kwch.com/global/story.asp?s=7446220

by Michael Schwanke

(Wichita, KS)

Donnell Williams had just gotten out of the bath tub, wearing only a towel around his waist, when he turned the corner to see guns pointing right at him.

"I ain't never been so scared," says Williams.

Police forced entry into Williams home while responding to a shooting, but it turned out to be a false call. They had no idea at the time the call wasn't real and that Williams is hearing impaired. Without his hearing aid he is basically deaf.

"I kept going to my ear yelling that I was scared. I can't hear! I can't hear!"

Officers were worried about their own safety because at the time it appeared Williams was refusing to obey their commands to show his hands. That's when they shot him with a Taser.

Deputy Chief Robert Lee of the Wichita Police Department says, "This one occurred on the worst of calls, that being a shooting. The first few minutes getting control of the scene are very, very important."

Once the facts were all sorted out, officers repeatedly apologized to Williams. Police wish it never happened, but with the information they had at the time, their choices were limited.

"Do I wish there would have been some way they were notified in advance this gentleman was hearing impaired? I certainly do. No one is happy with the way it worked out," says Lee.

Williams was not hurt in the incident. Police say the shooting call came from a cell phone but they still don't know who made it or why.

The case is being reviewed by the department.
Click to expand...

Poor bastard can't even hear someone breaking into his house, much less police orders. Of course they apologized so it's a ok.

Reminds me of an episode of TJ Hooker where he is chasing a guy and the guy sees the Shat and reaches into his pocket. Shat shoots and kills him, and when he walks up on him the guy was pulling out his "I am deaf" card.
 
BrunoPuntzJones

BrunoPuntzJones

Lifer
Feb 24, 2001
14,513
4
81
Originally posted by: TwiceOver
Originally posted by: michaelsslave
dont taze me bro!
Click to expand...

I was wondering how this would work in Sign Language.
Click to expand...

....................../´¯/)
....................,/¯../
.................../..../
............./´¯/'...'/´¯¯`·¸
........../'/.../..../......./¨¯
........('(...´...´.... ¯~/'...')
.........\.................'...../
..........''...\.......... _.·´
............\..............(
..............\.............\...

And cops feared for their safety from a naked guy in a towel?
 
L

loup garou

Lifer
Feb 17, 2000
35,132
1
81
They saw he was naked and must've thought he was that greased up naked deaf guy from Family Guy that's always causing trouble...
 
S

Sqube

Diamond Member
Dec 23, 2004
3,078
1
0
Uhh... isn't hitting a wet person with a taser even more dangerous, what with the electricity and all that?

More importantly, he was wearing a towel. Where'd they think he was hiding a weapon? Up his ass?
 
waggy

waggy

No Lifer
Dec 14, 2000
68,143
10
81
Originally posted by: BrunoPuntzJones
http://www.kwch.com/global/story.asp?s=7446220

by Michael Schwanke

(Wichita, KS)

Donnell Williams had just gotten out of the bath tub, wearing only a towel around his waist, when he turned the corner to see guns pointing right at him.

"I ain't never been so scared," says Williams.

Police forced entry into Williams home while responding to a shooting, but it turned out to be a false call. They had no idea at the time the call wasn't real and that Williams is hearing impaired. Without his hearing aid he is basically deaf.

"I kept going to my ear yelling that I was scared. I can't hear! I can't hear!"

Officers were worried about their own safety because at the time it appeared Williams was refusing to obey their commands to show his hands. That's when they shot him with a Taser.

Deputy Chief Robert Lee of the Wichita Police Department says, "This one occurred on the worst of calls, that being a shooting. The first few minutes getting control of the scene are very, very important."

Once the facts were all sorted out, officers repeatedly apologized to Williams. Police wish it never happened, but with the information they had at the time, their choices were limited.

"Do I wish there would have been some way they were notified in advance this gentleman was hearing impaired? I certainly do. No one is happy with the way it worked out," says Lee.

Williams was not hurt in the incident. Police say the shooting call came from a cell phone but they still don't know who made it or why.

The case is being reviewed by the department.
Click to expand...

Poor bastard can't even hear someone breaking into his house, much less police orders. Of course they apologized so it's a ok.

Reminds me of an episode of TJ Hooker where he is chasing a guy and the guy sees the Shat and reaches into his pocket. Shat shoots and kills him, and when he walks up on him the guy was pulling out his "I am deaf" card.
Click to expand...

seems stuff like this happens around Deaf schools a lot. i remember reading about a kid at Gallaudet University (deaf college) was walking back to the dorm when a officer yelled at him to stop. the kid continued walking and the cop shot him.

was a big shit storm over it.
 
waggy

waggy

No Lifer
Dec 14, 2000
68,143
10
81
Originally posted by: Sqube
Uhh... isn't hitting a wet person with a taser even more dangerous, what with the electricity and all that?

More importantly, he was wearing a towel. Where'd they think he was hiding a weapon? Up his ass?
Click to expand...

hahahah damn good point.

 
A

alphatarget1

Diamond Member
Dec 9, 2001
5,710
0
76
How come cops get away with mistakes like these while civilians get the shaft?

Police power abuse + the lack of common sense. I don't expect anything more from the police.
 
frostedflakes

frostedflakes

Diamond Member
Mar 1, 2005
7,925
1
81
Originally posted by: Sqube
Uhh... isn't hitting a wet person with a taser even more dangerous, what with the electricity and all that?

More importantly, he was wearing a towel. Where'd they think he was hiding a weapon? Up his ass?
Click to expand...
If anything I'd think it would be safer, electricity would take the path of least resistance, i.e. around the body, not through it.

According to the article he wasn't showing his hands, so they may have suspected he was holding a weapon. I'm not saying the situation couldn't have been handled better, but going on the information they had I don't know if I would have reacted any differently. I can't even imagine what it would be like to put your life on the line every day, you couldn't pay me enough to be a cop.
 
Nebor

Nebor

Lifer
Jun 24, 2003
29,582
12
76
Story should read about a couple of dead cops. Breaking into an innocent man's house, and assaulting him. POLICE STATE.
 
A

Agentbolt

Diamond Member
Jul 9, 2004
3,340
1
0
Man, screw this. The next cop I see, I am making his life hell. Lord knows I have the free time to do it. Every single day there's a new thread in here about cops doing something horrible and stupid.
 
Nebor

Nebor

Lifer
Jun 24, 2003
29,582
12
76
Originally posted by: Agentbolt
Man, screw this. The next cop I see, I am making his life hell. Lord knows I have the free time to do it. Every single day there's a new thread in here about cops doing something horrible and stupid.
Click to expand...

There are a lot of good cops out there. So please don't harass one that isn't violating anyone's rights or furthering the police state.
 
waggy

waggy

No Lifer
Dec 14, 2000
68,143
10
81
Originally posted by: Agentbolt
Man, screw this. The next cop I see, I am making his life hell. Lord knows I have the free time to do it. Every single day there's a new thread in here about cops doing something horrible and stupid.
Click to expand...

go read the chicago tribunes page. heh


there are like 8 links of articles. Also one has a link to a blogg by a bunch of cops where they are planning to start ticketing tribune vehicles whenever they can.
 
R

rezinn

Platinum Member
Mar 30, 2004
2,418
0
0
If some cops are pointing weapons at you, do you:
a) scream at them and wave your arms
b) kneel or lay down and show them your hands

Cops still shouldn't have tazed him but usually both parties could prevent it. You don't want to be forced to rely on the police to know the exact situation, it's clear they don't.
 
waggy

waggy

No Lifer
Dec 14, 2000
68,143
10
81
Originally posted by: rezinn
If some cops are pointing weapons at you, do you:
a) scream at them and wave your arms
b) kneel or lay down and show them your hands

Cops still shouldn't have tazed him but usually both parties could prevent it. You don't want to be forced to rely on the police to know the exact situation, it's clear they don't.
Click to expand...

lets see. you are deaf so you cant hear them brake into the house or yelling. so you walk out after a nice shower.

you see someoen standing there what are you going to do? lay down and show them your hands or scream and jump?
 
BurnItDwn

BurnItDwn

Lifer
Oct 10, 1999
26,353
1,862
126
Meh, people overreact to all this tazing.
It may not be a pleasant thing, but it's very short, generally has no long term side effects, and it's quick.
About the deaf guy, it sucks to be him .... the cops could have, and perhaps should have, used their brains a bit more.

But ... I'd rather read about people getting tazed then people really getting hurt ...
 
Kadarin

Kadarin

Lifer
Nov 23, 2001
44,296
16
81
Originally posted by: Aharami
this just reaffirms my opinion that cops are getting too lazy.
Click to expand...

I agree. They are far too quick to use tasers in almost any situation these days.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

TRENDING THREADS

COMPANY
RESOURCES
FOLLOW
Top Bottom