Here is just another reason why readers of this blog should support our petition to Congress calling for public hearings on the systemic human rights violations occurring with Federal funding for the use of Tasers® against American citizens. It's time for the Federal government to investigate the wide spread tasering of Americans. We need to stop the taser madness.
The United Nation's Committee Against Torture has already declared that Taser use can constitute a form of torture. Now we learn about another city that have been using tasers on American citizens without justification.
Get this, Attorney General Edmund G. Brown Jr. today directed the Maywood City Council to reform its Police department in the wake of a 16-month investigation which exposed "gross misconduct and widespread abuse." Brown will immediately seek a stipulated court order to secure adoption of reforms and oversight by the Attorney General's office. "
Over a period of five years, the Maywood Police Department violated the trust of the community it was supposed to serve and protect," Attorney General Brown said. "This investigation has revealed gross misconduct and widespread abuse including unlawful use of force against civilians. It is imperative that the city council take immediate and concrete steps to rein in the department."
Brown today released a 30-page report that found that the City of Maywood Police Department routinely used excessive force, did not obtain probable cause to justify arrests and searches, and operated without adequate oversight by the Maywood City Council and the City's Chief Administrative Officer. Investigators examined some 30,000 pages of documents from January 2002 through April 2007. Sixty-four witness interviews were conducted with sworn officers, city council members, City of Maywood administrative personnel, city residents, and civil rights attorneys.
The investigation was launched in response to a 2007 request by then-Speaker of the Assembly Fabian N? The investigation was headed up by Senior Assistant Attorney General, Louis Verdugo, who was assisted by special agents from the Attorney General's office, and Joe Brann, former Hayward Police Chief and Director of the COPS Office under President Clinton. Over the course of the investigation, Brown's office has been in contact with the Los Angeles District Attorney.
The City Council has taken limited steps to reform the department, most notably by hiring a permanent Chief of Police. Nevertheless, reform efforts are just beginning and many of the underlying structural causes have not been remedied. Brown has sole legal authority under California Civil Code 52.3 to ensure that police departments do not deprive "any person of rights, privileges, or immunities secured or protected by the Constitution or laws of the United States or by the Constitution or laws of California."
Brown's investigation uncovered five major areas where the Department had violated the rights of community members, identified ten factors that allowed these violations to develop, and offered a 12-point plan of reform.
Findings Attorney General Brown's investigation found that: - Maywood police officers routinely used excessive force, and police department management did little or nothing to stop these abuses. In September 2006, for instance, officers, tased, assaulted and beat a father and son in front of their home after the son witnessed officers assaulting a man across the street. The son asked one of the officers for his badge number. As he wrote it down, he was assaulted by the officer. Other officers joined in. The young man was repeatedly shot with a Taser while he was handcuffed. At one point, the father yelled "what are you doing to my son." The father was then assaulted by several officers. Both men were taken to the hospital for medical treatment. They were charged with battery of a police officer, and resisting and obstructing an officer. The charges were later dismissed.
AAPP: You think this is outragious? There is More ----> More HERE
I will have thoughts on this situation later. What are your thoughts?
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Black Bloggers urge Congressional U.S. Taser Torture Hearings
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE -- Tuesday April 28, 2009
Black bloggers call for "Congressional Taser Torture Hearings"
CONTACT:
Wayne Hicks, Electronic Village, blog@elecvillage.com
LN Rock, African American Political Pundit, AfricanAmericanPoliticalPundit@gmail.com
Eddie Griffin, Eddie Griffin-BASG, eddiegriffin_basg@yahoo.com
A group of bloggers called the afrospear, a 2 year old coalition of black bloggers from across America (and around the world) held a day of Blogging for Justice standing up against pre-trial capital punishment by electrocution event on Friday. More Here
The Afrospear also established a p etition to Congress calling on Senator leader Harry Reid, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and members of the Congressional Black Caucus to speak out and organize public hearings on the systemic human rights violations occurring with Federal funding against black, Latino, Native American and other Americans.
Group member Eddie Griffin, of the blog, Eddie Griffin-BASG, said, "While there continues to be considerable media and congressional attention to torture in Guantanamo, there is comparatively little attention to the mounting evidence of human rights violations in the streets of America by a number of police departments across America, including torture and killings of black children, women and men through-out the United States through the use and abuse of Tasers."
LN Rock, a 2008 DNC Convention Blogger, who publishes the blogs, African American Political Pundit and Tasered While Black said, "We want Congress to stand up with us against the police pre-trial electrocution of black children, women and men - by taser. He went on to say, "We believe that few Americans support spending our tax dollars on torture, which violates our moral, religious and legal traditions. Most Americans expect an American policing policy that ensures the rights of all individuals regardless of race, greed, color, national origin, sex, disability or political or religious affiliation."
Wayne Hicks, publisher of the blog, Electronic Village, said, "We believe most Americans would favor Congressional hearings as to whether our own U.S. police, policing policies and actions violate Federal and International laws prohibiting human rights violators. Evidence of widespread police abuse of tasers is more than enough to warrant our concern and justify a congressional inquiry." He went on to say, " We propose that Congress undertake serious oversight into the extent to which our taxes are funding human rights violations and torture by tasing, and provide an alternative roadmap to the restoration of our democratic values. We want Congress to make sure that police pre-trial electrocution of black children, women and men by taser stops."
The bloggers are asking for:
1. The U.S. Attorney General and the Justice Department to aggressively fulfill its most basic mandate of enforcing the law. Torture by tasing is a crime, and the Justice Department is the right place to initiate an independent top-to-bottom investigation of the torturing of black children men, women and children by local police jurisdictions throughout the United States. It's important that the general public understand the 'use of force continuum' used by law enforcement officials, and how it is abused by many in the law enforcement community. (See the use-of-force-continuum provided by the blog Electronic Village) Note: Although there is a Justice Department Review of TASER-related Deaths the on-the-spot pre-trial electrocutions continues.
2. Congress should investigate whether US police tasing policies violate Federal or international civil and human right laws, including the U.N. Convention against Torture, and international covenants against cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment of citizens even in cases of so-called "state emergencies".
3. Congress should require the effective regulation of Taser use and require police/citizen review panels by Federal, state and local police and security agencies, including strict adherence to international human rights standards, or act to defund all such Federal, State and local police and security agencies who violate taser use regulations that would be established by Congress. No Federal stimulus dollars should be used to purchase tasers.
The bloggers point out UN's Committee against Torture has declared that Taser use can constitute a form of torture, while USA: Amnesty International has an on-going concern about the use of tasers on American citizens. With all the conversation about the Bush torture memos and torture in the United States, we the undersigned bring up the issue of torture of black Americans at the hands of police in the United States. We urge you to stand up against the police pre-trial electrocution of black children, women and men by taser.
Here is a sampling of what black bloggers are saying about the tasing of so many blacks in the United States.
2009/04/day-of-blogging-for-justice-ban-pre.html
April Davis - Around Harlem.com http://blog-aroundharlem.com/2009/04/24/blogging-for-justice-standing-up-against-the-use-of-police-tasers/
PaJoyner - PlezWorld - http://pajoyner.blogspot.com/2009/04/day-of-blogging-for-justice-death-by.html
Yobachi - Black Perspective.net - http://www.blackperspective.net/index.php/act-against-police-taser-abuse/
Ms. Lady Deborah - From my Brown Eyed View - http://msladydeborah.blogspot.com/2009/04/day-of-blogging-for-justicestanding-up.html
Eddie Griffin BASG - http://eddiegriffinbasg.blogspot.com/2009/04/gravest-injustice.html
Rev. Sequoyah Kofi bin-Tomas, Intelligent Aboriginal News Service (IANS) - The Angry Indian - Inteligentaindigena Novajoservo: When "Non-Lethal" Weapons Kill
Wayne Hicks - Villager, OxDown. Firedoglake - http://oxdown.firedoglake.com/diary/4927
Wayne Hicks - Villager - Electronic Village-.. http://tinyurl.com/59jet6 - Use of Force Continuum
SjP - Sojourners Place - http://sojournersplace.blogspot.com/2009/04/blogging-for-justice-stop-taser.html
LN Rock - Post Racial Blog - http://postracial.blogspot.com/2009/04/tasering-and-toturing-black-americans.html
The SuperSpade - http://www.thesuperspade.com/taser-torture/
Anyway I Have To - http://underovr.blogspot.com/2009/04/day-of-blogging-for-justice-standing-up.html
Vanessa Byers- On The Black Hand Side - http://www.blackhandside.net/2009/04/day-of-blogging-for-justice.html
It All Goes Here - http://nateo.blogspot.com/2009/04/call-for-stopping-pre-trial.html
Independent Bloggers Alliance - http://independentbloggersalliance.blogspot.com/2009/04/day-of-blogging-for-justice-standing-up.html
Rover's Morning Glory - http://www.roverradio.com/index.php?option=com_myblog&show=Black-kids-women-and-children-are-being-tasered-to-death-while-black....html&Itemid=382
Assata Shukur Forum - http://www.assatashakur.org/forum/open-forum/37831-4-24-blog-against-pre-trial-electrocution.html
RiPPa - The Intersection between Maddness and Reality - http://rippdemup.blogspot.com/2009/04/day-of-blogging-for-justice-end-taser.html
Lola - Whatever Lola Wants - http://lolagetslife.blogspot.com/2009/04/day-of-blogging-for-justice-standing-up.html
African American Political Pundit Report - http://aappreport.blogspot.com/2009/04/day-of-blogging-for-justice-standing-up.html
African American Political Pundit Blog - http://aapoliticalpundit.blogspot.com/2009/04/blacks-tasers-and-torture-sign-online.html
Electrocuted While Black - http://electrocutedwhileblack.blogspot.com/2009/04/at-least-five-seventeen-year-olds.html
Scotty - Black Talk Radio - http://blacktalkradio.ning.com/profiles/blogs/a-day-of-blogging-for-justice?xgs=1
Proud Black Blogger - http://proudblackvoter.blogspot.com/2009/04/congressional-black-caucus-needs.html
Carmen D. - Black Voices - http://www.blackvoices.com/blogs/2009/04/27/lets-put-a-stop-to-taser-madness/
Chicago Cop Watch - http://chicagocopwatch.org/2009/04/at-least-five-seventeen-year-olds-suffer-police-pretrial-capital-punishment-by-electrocution-this-year/
Here is a link to the Afrospear Petition to request Congressional hearings on the Taser torture of Americans: http://www.petition2congress.com/2/1822/taser-torture-in-america-call-congressional-hearings/
Black bloggers call for "Congressional Taser Torture Hearings"
CONTACT:
Wayne Hicks, Electronic Village, blog@elecvillage.com
LN Rock, African American Political Pundit, AfricanAmericanPoliticalPundit
Eddie Griffin, Eddie Griffin-BASG, eddiegriffin_basg@yahoo.com
A group of bloggers called the afrospear, a 2 year old coalition of black bloggers from across America (and around the world) held a day of Blogging for Justice standing up against pre-trial capital punishment by electrocution event on Friday. More Here
The Afrospear also established a p etition to Congress calling on Senator leader Harry Reid, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and members of the Congressional Black Caucus to speak out and organize public hearings on the systemic human rights violations occurring with Federal funding against black, Latino, Native American and other Americans.
Group member Eddie Griffin, of the blog, Eddie Griffin-BASG, said, "While there continues to be considerable media and congressional attention to torture in Guantanamo, there is comparatively little attention to the mounting evidence of human rights violations in the streets of America by a number of police departments across America, including torture and killings of black children, women and men through-out the United States through the use and abuse of Tasers."
LN Rock, a 2008 DNC Convention Blogger, who publishes the blogs, African American Political Pundit and Tasered While Black said, "We want Congress to stand up with us against the police pre-trial electrocution of black children, women and men - by taser. He went on to say, "We believe that few Americans support spending our tax dollars on torture, which violates our moral, religious and legal traditions. Most Americans expect an American policing policy that ensures the rights of all individuals regardless of race, greed, color, national origin, sex, disability or political or religious affiliation."
Wayne Hicks, publisher of the blog, Electronic Village, said, "We believe most Americans would favor Congressional hearings as to whether our own U.S. police, policing policies and actions violate Federal and International laws prohibiting human rights violators. Evidence of widespread police abuse of tasers is more than enough to warrant our concern and justify a congressional inquiry." He went on to say, " We propose that Congress undertake serious oversight into the extent to which our taxes are funding human rights violations and torture by tasing, and provide an alternative roadmap to the restoration of our democratic values. We want Congress to make sure that police pre-trial electrocution of black children, women and men by taser stops."
The bloggers are asking for:
1. The U.S. Attorney General and the Justice Department to aggressively fulfill its most basic mandate of enforcing the law. Torture by tasing is a crime, and the Justice Department is the right place to initiate an independent top-to-bottom investigation of the torturing of black children men, women and children by local police jurisdictions throughout the United States. It's important that the general public understand the 'use of force continuum' used by law enforcement officials, and how it is abused by many in the law enforcement community. (See the use-of-force-continuum provided by the blog Electronic Village) Note: Although there is a Justice Department Review of TASER-related Deaths the on-the-spot pre-trial electrocutions continues.
2. Congress should investigate whether US police tasing policies violate Federal or international civil and human right laws, including the U.N. Convention against Torture, and international covenants against cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment of citizens even in cases of so-called "state emergencies".
3. Congress should require the effective regulation of Taser use and require police/citizen review panels by Federal, state and local police and security agencies, including strict adherence to international human rights standards, or act to defund all such Federal, State and local police and security agencies who violate taser use regulations that would be established by Congress. No Federal stimulus dollars should be used to purchase tasers.
The bloggers point out UN's Committee against Torture has declared that Taser use can constitute a form of torture, while USA: Amnesty International has an on-going concern about the use of tasers on American citizens. With all the conversation about the Bush torture memos and torture in the United States, we the undersigned bring up the issue of torture of black Americans at the hands of police in the United States. We urge you to stand up against the police pre-trial electrocution of black children, women and men by taser.
Here is a sampling of what black bloggers are saying about the tasing of so many blacks in the United States.
“A day of blogging for Justice ... What bloggers are saying and thinking:
Asabagna - Afrospear Think Tank - http://afrospear.wordpress.com/2009/04/24/a-day-of-blogging-for-justice-standing-up-against-the-pre-trial-electrocution/
Wayne Hicks - Electronic Village - http://tinyurl.com/chedrx
Nate, Nateo Blog - http://nateo.blogspot.com/2009/04/call-for-stopping-pre-trial.html
LN Rock, African American Opinion - http://africanamericanopinion.ning.com
Francis Holland - Francis L. Holland Blog - http://francislholland.blogspot.com/2009/04/police-pre-trail-execution-pigs-on.html
Kathy - Daily Kos Blogger - Do White People Care About Tasing? http://www.dailykos.com/story/2009/4/24/724113/-Do-White-People-Care-About-Tasing
Zhana - Ancestral Energies - http://ancestralenergies.blogspot.com/2009/04/no-to-pre-trial-electrocutions.html
The Kid - Pirate satellite: A Day of Blogging for Justice - http://kid-kidfunkadelic.blogspot.com/
Wayne Bennett, The Field Negro, Major side bar and link highlighting the importance of this day.
Purple Zoe - UltraVioletUnderground - http://purplezoe.blogspot.com/April Davis - Around Harlem.com http://blog-aroundharlem.com/
PaJoyner - PlezWorld - http://pajoyner.blogspot.com/
Yobachi - Black Perspective.net - http://www.blackperspective.
Ms. Lady Deborah - From my Brown Eyed View - http://msladydeborah.blogspot.
Eddie Griffin BASG - http://eddiegriffinbasg.
Rev. Sequoyah Kofi bin-Tomas, Intelligent Aboriginal News Service (IANS) - The Angry Indian - Inteligentaindigena Novajoservo: When "Non-Lethal" Weapons Kill
Wayne Hicks - Villager, OxDown. Firedoglake - http://oxdown.firedoglake.com/
Wayne Hicks - Villager - Electronic Village-.. http://tinyurl.com/59jet6 - Use of Force Continuum
SjP - Sojourners Place - http://sojournersplace.
LN Rock - Post Racial Blog - http://postracial.blogspot.
The SuperSpade - http://www.thesuperspade.com/
Anyway I Have To - http://underovr.blogspot.com/
Vanessa Byers- On The Black Hand Side - http://www.blackhandside.net/
It All Goes Here - http://nateo.blogspot.com/
Independent Bloggers Alliance - http://
Rover's Morning Glory - http://www.roverradio.com/
Assata Shukur Forum - http://www.assatashakur.org/
RiPPa - The Intersection between Maddness and Reality - http://rippdemup.blogspot.com/
Lola - Whatever Lola Wants - http://lolagetslife.blogspot.
African American Political Pundit Report - http://aappreport.blogspot.
African American Political Pundit Blog - http://aapoliticalpundit.
Electrocuted While Black - http://electrocutedwhileblack.
Scotty - Black Talk Radio - http://blacktalkradio.ning.
Proud Black Blogger - http://proudblackvoter.
Carmen D. - Black Voices - http://www.blackvoices.com/
Chicago Cop Watch - http://chicagocopwatch.org/
Here is a link to the Afrospear Petition to request Congressional hearings on the Taser torture of Americans: http://www.petition2congress.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Woman tasers Male Cop with his own Taser
Take That!
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah — Police have arrested a woman they said used a Utah Highway Patrol trooper's Taser on him. Lisa Parker, 41, was booked into the Salt Lake County jail for investigation of aggravated assault, interference with an arresting officer and unauthorized control of a motor vehicle. Authorities said a Utah Highway Patrol trooper pulled over a truck he thought was stolen on Saturday.
Utah Highway Patrol Sgt. Jeff Nigbur said the officer attempted to arrest the female passenger but she hit him with her shoe and bit him.
Nigbur said the trooper tried to use his Taser but it didn't fire, so he threw it aside. But authorities say Parker picked it up and fired a shock called a "dry stun" into the officer.
A K-9 unit and back-up officer arrived, and Parker eventually was Tasered. More HERE
No word on if Lisa is a black woman.
Monday, April 27, 2009
Cops Taser 'Suicidal' Former Basketball Star- Jayson Williams
Is this a case of being Tasered While Black?
TMZ reports former New Jersey Nets' star Jayson Williams is now under psychological evaluation after cops say he was acting "suicidal" and "violent" in a NY hotel room this morning.
According to the NY Post, cops were forced to remove Williams from his Manhattan hotel room at around 4 AM after he allegedly went ballistic and barricaded himself inside -- trashing the room in the process.
Cops were forced to use "an electrical device" on Williams -- aka a taser -- and then shipped him off to the St. Vincent's Hospital for evaluation. More HERE
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Who Stole the Stun Gun? Police Chief Wonders...
W.Va.Gazzette -- Police Chief Brent Webster has withdrawn all the department's Taser guns from service while he works out a better way to keep track of the weapons.
In February, Webster issued a memo ordering all officers to turn in their Taser guns for inventory.
Because the city has 183 police officers, Webster can't afford to supply every single one with a Taser gun. Instead, the Tasers owned by the department are checked out when needed.
City records show that the Police Department has bought 33 Tasers since 2004. However, when all the guns were turned in, the count came up two short.
"There are two that are missing from the 33," Webster confirmed Friday. "We're not going to reissue them until we have a better mechanism [for keeping track of them.]"
The chief isn't sure yet what happened to the two Tasers, but does not believe they're on the street somewhere.
"Is theft possible? Absolutely," he said, "but this very well could be an inventory-control problem. We can't say for sure we ever had them."
Webster said department policy is to download information about each Taser onto a computer immediately on delivery to make a record of the device. More HERE
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Day of Blogging for Justice: Standing Up Against the Police Pre-Trial Electrocution - April 24th 2009
Hat Tip and Shout Out to the Villager at the blog Electronic Village for his recent blog post. Check out how the afrospear is blogging about the issue of the tasing, beating and electrocution of Black folks in America. He writes about A Day of Blogging for Justice: Standing Up Against the Police Pre-Trial Electrocution
Related Blog Posts
The AfroSpear is calling on all bloggers to join us in a Day of Blogging for Justice: Standing Up Against the Police Pre-Trial Electrocution on Friday, April 24, 2009.
The rules are simple:
- Share a post on your blog focused on your concerns about the tasering of Blacks folks.
- Send an email to AfricanAmericanPoliticalPundit@gmail.com so that we may document everyone's participation.
- Afro-Netizen - Taser Death of Black man by White cop near Jean ...
- Black Voices - 21st Century Whips
- Diane Dimond - The 50-Thousand Volt Solution
- Electronic Village - Police Taser 16-Year Old Robert Mitchell to Death
- Electronic Village - Taser Policy Defined by 'Use of Force Continuum'
- Jack and Jill Politics - A Day of Blogging for Justice - Against Extra-Judicial ...
- Mondoglobo - Lousiana Police Electrocute Handcuffed Man in Grocery Store
- Pam's House Blend - NC: More Freestyle Law Enforcement Death-by-Taser
- Problem Chylde - Tasing as Deadly Force
- Race Wire - Black Teenager Killed by Cop’s Taser
- Tasered While Black - Black Man Pepper Sprayed, Batoned, Tased ...
- Tasered While Black - Police Taser and Kill Black Man and Laugh About It
- Tasered While Black - Black Man Tased and Beaten in Peoria, IL.
- The Super Spade - Tasered While Black
- Ultraviolet Underground - Electrocuted While Black
Related Blog Posts
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Police Taser and Kill Black Man and Laugh About It
What happens when you taser and kill a black man in America? Nothing! H/T to the blog, Your Black World. See the video: Cop Jokes about Killing a Black Man.
How come President Obama is open to having an independent commission investigate the use of torture during the Bush years, yet torture is happening everyday against black America.
President Obama should be open to having an independent commission investigate the use of torture against black folks on the streets of America. Black kids, women and children are being tasered to death, while black.
How come President Obama is open to having an independent commission investigate the use of torture during the Bush years, yet torture is happening everyday against black America.
President Obama should be open to having an independent commission investigate the use of torture against black folks on the streets of America. Black kids, women and children are being tasered to death, while black.
The fact is the UN's Committee Against Torture has declared that taser use can constitute a form of torture, while USA: Amnesty International has a on-going concern about the use of tasers. With all the conversation about the Bush torture memos and torture in the United States, It may be the best time to bring up the issue of torture of black folks by Taser. With so many deaths at the hands of police by taser use and abuse.
Cross Posted on Tasered While Black
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Police Chief's Tased Girlfriend and Wife - Leadership You Can Trust
What the hell is going on in Texas? First its a former Leon County police chief accused of shocking his girlfriend with a taser, who is now expected to be released from jail Friday afternoon.
A judge lowered Oly Ivy's bond Friday morning from $100,000 to $20,000 after Ivy underwent a psychological evaluation in Huntsville earlier this week, according to Ivy's attorney.
Ivy, 30, was arrested in Anderson County earlier this month and charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
Last week, Ivy's attorney unsuccessfully tried to have his bond amount lowered, but a judge ruled Ivy would have to undergo psychological testing first.
Ivy has been stripped of his badge and title as Oakwood Police Chief. He was sworn in as the city's first police chief nearly two months ago. More HERE
Now get this, there is more another Police Chief,
A central Texas police chief is accused of shocking his wife with a Taser gun.
Oly Ivy, the now former Oakwood police chief, was jailed in Leon County Wednesday after being charged with aggravated assault for allegedly using the weapon on his wife. Ivy's bond was set at $100,000.
Ivy, 30, was arrested near Palestine on Monday and was fired by the Oakwood City Council before sunrise Tuesday.
Ivy was the lone, full-time peace officer to the town of 500 residents -- though he did have two reserve officers. He had been on the job since February.
Ivy's attorney, Charley Johnson, said that his client "is taking these allegations very seriously." Johnson said he intends for Ivy to "be treated the same as anybody in this situation."
Oakwood is located about 100 miles southeast of Dallas-Fort Worth. More HERE
Fort Worth Police Tasered a Mentally Ill Black Man To Death
Family members said police officers used excessive force to subdue black man , who had been diagnosed with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.
As if the recent tasing murders of Gary A. Decker and the recent murder of a 15 Year old Detroit boy is not enough. Here comes another tasing. This time as reported by Villager at the blog Electronic Village, who reports the Fort Worth Police tasered Michael Jacobs to death in front of his parents.
According to Mitch Mitchell of The Fort Worth Star-Telegram, relatives are questioning the actions of Fort Worth police officers after a 24-year-old mentally ill man died Saturday shortly after being subdued with a Taser stun gun.
Police were called to a house in the 6200 block of Ava Court Drive in east Fort Worth about 10:30 a.m. by the parents of Michael Jacobs Jr., who said their son was causing problems, according to a statement from police.
When they arrived, Jacobs was in the front yard and uncooperative. When he became combative, an officer stunned him with a Taser, police said.
The officers planned to take Jacobs to John Peter Smith Hospital for a mental detention. He was handcuffed but began to have difficulty breathing, police said. He was taken to JPS, where he was pronounced dead about noon, according to the police statement.
Police are investigating the incident, and the Tarrant County medical examiner’s office will determine what caused Jacobs’ death.
Family members said police officers used excessive force to subdue Jacobs, who had been diagnosed with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.
Charlotte Jacobs, Michael’s mother, says that her son was writhing on the ground and foaming at the mouth while he was being stunned and that she begged the officers to stop. Charlotte Jacobs also told police that her son was taking medications for his mental illness, relatives said.
"They have been to the house many times before, and they know Charlotte," said Helena Wigfall, 37, a cousin of Michael Jacobs. "That’s why we don’t understand why today was so different." More HERE
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Gary A. Decker of Kentucky Tasered To Death By Tuscon Police
UPDATE: More tasering, not confirmed if it is a tasering of a black man - will update.
As reported by the Examiner.com and blogger Villager, Officers were called to the 50-year-old's downtown Tucson hotel room early Thursday because staff heard loud banging and music coming from his room. Sgt. Mark Robinson says they used a pass key to get inside after he wouldn't open the door.
As reported by the Examiner.com and blogger Villager, Officers were called to the 50-year-old's downtown Tucson hotel room early Thursday because staff heard loud banging and music coming from his room. Sgt. Mark Robinson says they used a pass key to get inside after he wouldn't open the door.
They found the room ransacked, furniture broken and a nude Decker holding a toilet seat he had ripped from the commode. They used a Taser but it had no apparent affect and they eventually wrestled him to the ground.
H/T to blogger, Villager from the blog, Electonic Village who is reporting ... it looks like the police killed another person with their non-lethal weapon. More HERE
Get this, Police Spokesman are saying the police investigation continues and asks that anyone who may have known Decker and have information about what led up to the incident to call the TPD homicide unit at 791-4487. More HERE
Cross Posted on the blog Tasered While Black
Friday, April 17, 2009
15 Year old Detroit boy with asthma dies after being Tasered While Black
Francis Holland at the blog Electrocuted While Black is reporting on how a 15-year-old Detroit boy died after being Tasered by police.
There is more about this story. As reported by Mitch Hotts, a staff writer with the Macomb Daily, The mother of the teenager who died last week after he was struck by a Taser said on Monday she is trying to find forgiveness in her heart for the Warren officers involved.
Cora Mitchell said her 16-year-old son, Robert Mitchell, was a special education student who probably panicked when police pulled over a car driven by his friend Friday and he jumped out of the car and ran.
"These police officers have just flipped the tables on not only me and my family, but their wives and children as well," she said while standing on the porch of her home in northeast Detroit as a steady stream of friends and relatives stopped by.
"I am a Christian" woman and in my heart I'm trying to find forgiveness for them because they're going to have to live with this for the rest of their lives — forever," she said.
Robert Mitchell was a front-seat passenger in a 1996 Dodge Stratus that was stopped by police Friday morning on Eight Mile, near Schoenherr, for an expired license plate.
When the driver pulled over, Mitchell bolted from the vehicle and ran across all four lanes of Eight Mile into Detroit. He was eventually confronted at a vacant house on Pelkey in Detroit where pursuing Warren officers fired a Taser at him once.
Mitchell fell to the ground and became unconscious. He was treated at the scene by emergency personnel and later died at Henry Ford Hospital, Warren Campus.
It's not known why Mitchell ran from the officers. He did not have a warrant out for his arrest and was not carrying any contraband, according to investigators.
"We spoke with the driver and he said Robert admitted he was going to exit and flee," said Detective Lt. Michael Torey of the Warren police. "The driver inquired why he was going to run and there was no response." Mother of Teen Boy Wants Answers
As reported by sky.com the 15-year-old boy died in America after being Tasered by police trying to break up a fight. Over 300 people have died in US after being Tasered The teenager from Bay City, Michigan, was involved in an argument at an apartment in the city in the early hours of Sunday morning. After police arrived the boy allegedly tried to fight the officers before the Taser gun was used on him. Police immediately called for emergency medical help after the boy's violent reaction to being Tasered. He was pronounced dead in hospital shortly after. One officer involved in the incident has been placed on administrative leave as a result of the boy's death. An Amnesty International report claims that more than 300 people have been killed after being Tasered since 2001 in the US. The report claims many of the deaths involved... [read full story]
UPDATE: The Michigan State Police will probe Taser death of boy, 15 - Examiner.com
Note, Afrospear bloggers, African American Political Pundit through the blog, Tasered While Black, Villager at Electronic Village, Francis Holland at the blog Electrocuted While Black, Sylvia at Problem Chylde, Pam Spaulding at Pam's House Blend, Kevin at Slant Truth, Brandon Q at SuperSpade, along with Jack and Jill Politics have been following the Tasering of black folks over the past few years. Afrospear members like The Black Snob and many others have been involved in a number of educational efforts, including A Day of Blogging For Justice - Blogging Against Extra-Judicial Electrocution (Tasers).
The U.S. police's electrocution spree continues unabated, with a child shocked to death after driving with expired license plates, says the Washington Post.
The Associated Press
Friday, April 10, 2009; 6:06 PMDETROIT -- A 15-year-old has died after he was Tasered by police following a traffic stop and short foot chase that began just north of Detroit.
Warren Deputy Police Commissioner Jere Green says the teen was Tasered Friday while struggling with officers inside an abandoned Detroit house. He later was pronounced dead at a local hospital.
The house was about a half-mile from where Warren police stopped a vehicle for having an expired license plate. The teen was one of three people in the vehicle. The other two were taken into custody.
The death is under investigation. An autopsy is scheduled Saturday.
Cora Mitchell said her 16-year-old son, Robert Mitchell, was a special education student who probably panicked when police pulled over a car driven by his friend Friday and he jumped out of the car and ran.
"These police officers have just flipped the tables on not only me and my family, but their wives and children as well," she said while standing on the porch of her home in northeast Detroit as a steady stream of friends and relatives stopped by.
"I am a Christian" woman and in my heart I'm trying to find forgiveness for them because they're going to have to live with this for the rest of their lives — forever," she said.
Robert Mitchell was a front-seat passenger in a 1996 Dodge Stratus that was stopped by police Friday morning on Eight Mile, near Schoenherr, for an expired license plate.
When the driver pulled over, Mitchell bolted from the vehicle and ran across all four lanes of Eight Mile into Detroit. He was eventually confronted at a vacant house on Pelkey in Detroit where pursuing Warren officers fired a Taser at him once.
Mitchell fell to the ground and became unconscious. He was treated at the scene by emergency personnel and later died at Henry Ford Hospital, Warren Campus.
It's not known why Mitchell ran from the officers. He did not have a warrant out for his arrest and was not carrying any contraband, according to investigators.
"We spoke with the driver and he said Robert admitted he was going to exit and flee," said Detective Lt. Michael Torey of the Warren police. "The driver inquired why he was going to run and there was no response." Mother of Teen Boy Wants Answers
As reported by sky.com the 15-year-old boy died in America after being Tasered by police trying to break up a fight. Over 300 people have died in US after being Tasered The teenager from Bay City, Michigan, was involved in an argument at an apartment in the city in the early hours of Sunday morning. After police arrived the boy allegedly tried to fight the officers before the Taser gun was used on him. Police immediately called for emergency medical help after the boy's violent reaction to being Tasered. He was pronounced dead in hospital shortly after. One officer involved in the incident has been placed on administrative leave as a result of the boy's death. An Amnesty International report claims that more than 300 people have been killed after being Tasered since 2001 in the US. The report claims many of the deaths involved... [read full story]
UPDATE: The Michigan State Police will probe Taser death of boy, 15 - Examiner.com
Note, Afrospear bloggers, African American Political Pundit through the blog, Tasered While Black, Villager at Electronic Village, Francis Holland at the blog Electrocuted While Black, Sylvia at Problem Chylde, Pam Spaulding at Pam's House Blend, Kevin at Slant Truth, Brandon Q at SuperSpade, along with Jack and Jill Politics have been following the Tasering of black folks over the past few years. Afrospear members like The Black Snob and many others have been involved in a number of educational efforts, including A Day of Blogging For Justice - Blogging Against Extra-Judicial Electrocution (Tasers).
Cross posted on African American Political Pundit and Tasered While Black
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