Deaths and Injuries in Police Custody

[*Anya*]

Police in six Southern California counties have shot more than 2,000 suspects since 2004. Only one officer was prosecuted and he was acquitted.

Complete story in LA Times dated February 19, 2016:

http://graphics.latimes.com/officer-involved/

[Andrea]

Florida police accused of racial profiling after stopping man 258 times, charging him with trespassing at work

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/police-stop-man-258-times-charge-trespassing-work-article-1.1526422?utm_content=bufferf0f3d&utm_medium=socia l&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=NYDailyNewsT w

In the last four years Earl Sampson, 28, has been questioned by police 258 times, searched more than 100 times, jailed 56 times, and arrested for trespassing 62 times. The majority of these citations occurred at his place of work, a Miami Gardens convenience store where the owner says police are racially profiling.

[Andrea]

Man who died in Box Elder jail was there for not paying a debt

http://www.standard.net/Courts/2016/02/14/Man-who-died-in-Box-Elder-jail-was-there-for-not-paying-a-debt?utm_content=buffereab32&utm_medium=social&utm _source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer

Rex Iverson died in a jail cell shortly after he was taken into custody, but he wasn’t there for a criminal act.

He was there on a civil judgment, for not paying a bill.

Jail and state court statistics and interviews with various officials in the justice system show that a debtor ending up behind bars is relatively rare, but Iverson’s case was instructive: Any Utahn who ignores a civil court judgment and subsequent court orders may end up incarcerated.

On Christmas Eve 2013, the Bear River City man incurred an ambulance bill. Tremonton City won a justice court small claims judgment against Iverson in September 2014 that compelled him to pay the city $2,376.92.

He never paid the bill and ignored repeated court orders to appear, court records show. That led to a county sheriff’s deputy, serving a $350 bench warrant issued by the justice court on Dec. 29, 2015, arresting him on the morning of Saturday, Jan. 23.

Iverson, 45, died in a Box Elder County Jail holding cell early that afternoon while jailers were elsewhere in the jail preparing for the booking process, the sheriff’s office said in a press release reporting the in-custody death. The death is under investigation by the Northern Utah Critical Incident Investigative Team, but foul play is not suspected.

[Andrea]

Lawyers say woman, 50, died after being ‘deprived of water’ at Charleston County jail

http://www.postandcourier.com/article/20160224/PC16/160229636

A woman who was arrested at a hospital over the summer for failing to pay court fines died the next day because she was deprived of water at the Charleston County jail, her family’s attorneys said Wednesday.

Joyce Curnell, 50, of Edisto Island was found dead in the jail shortly before 5 p.m. July 22, a day after being taken from Bon Secours St. Francis Hospital, where she had been treated for a stomach illness.

She spent the last 27 hours of her life behind bars. During that time she became too sick to eat or call for help, according to court documents filed this week. She vomited all night and couldn’t make it to a bathroom, so jailers gave her a trash bag. Some medical staffers ignored the jail officials’ requests to tend to her, the documents alleged.

Curnell’s family filed a notice Wednesday to sue the jail’s medical contractor, Carolina Center for Occupational Health, for malpractice. Unless a settlement is reached, a lawsuit likely will follow. The filing cited expert opinion from a local doctor, who said Curnell’s death “more likely than not” would have been prevented if she had been properly treated for gastroenteritis and dehydration.

The family attorney, James Moore III, said in a statement that her death resulted from a “deliberate failure.” While a suit in state court is planned, Moore said one in federal court could follow.

“Providing access to reasonable medical care to those under police custody is a necessity, not a privilege,” he said. “It is a constitutional right. We are committed to seeking justice for Joyce and for her family.”

Curnell’s death came at a time of increased scrutiny of how black women are handled behind bars. She was one of at least six such women nationwide to die in law enforcement custody that month. They included Sandra Bland, the inmate found hanged in a Texas jail days after a state trooper pulled her from her car during a traffic stop. Her death was ruled a suicide, but the trooper was indicted on a perjury charge for his handling of the arrest.

In Curnell’s death, the State Law Enforcement Division did an investigation and completed a report, SLED spokesman Thom Berry said. The Post and Courier filed a S.C. Freedom of Information Act request for the document, but SLED officials did not turn it over Wednesday.

Attempts to reach the contractor through three telephone calls and an email Wednesday were not successful. Maj. Eric Watson of the Charleston County Sheriff’s Office, which oversees the jail, said he had just learned of the possible lawsuit and had no immediate comment.

State law requires officials to render medical care when inmates need it, said Shaundra Scott, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of South Carolina. The Bill of Rights, she said, also demands humane treatment of those incarcerated.

The ACLU plans to monitor the case closely, Scott said.

“It is very unfortunate to hear of another death of an African-American while in police custody,” she said. “If Ms. Curnell was denied medical treatment, then it is our position that her constitutional rights were violated.”

Around noon on July 21, Curnell was taken from Edisto Island by ambulance to the hospital as she complained of nausea and vomiting. She was diagnosed in the emergency room with gastroenteritis, an irritation of the stomach and intestines.

At some point at the hospital, it was discovered that she had a bench warrant in a 2011 shoplifting case. She had been put on a payment plan in April 2012 to cover $1,148.90 in fines related to the charge, according to court records, but she quit paying the following January. After she didn’t respond to a letter from the court, the warrant was issued in August 2014.

No one could tell The Post and Courier how law enforcement got word of the warrant as she lay in the hospital last summer.

The Charleston Police Department was first summoned there, but officers later called deputies from the Sheriff’s Office. Watson said he could not immediately find documentation about how the authorities learned of Curnell’s charge.

The family’s attorney also said he was looking for that explanation.

Curnell was hydrated at the hospital, given medications and told to seek prompt medical attention if she continued to experience pain and vomiting. On top of her illness, she had a history of sickle cell disease, high blood pressure and alcoholism.

Doctors discharged her from the hospital with instructions. The deputies then took her to the jail around 2:30 p.m. It was her only arrest in South Carolina, according to a SLED background check.

A nurse at the jail who examined Curnell when she got there later told SLED that she was complaining only of a headache, this week’s court filings stated. A doctor prescribed medication for the headache and nausea, but the documents alleged that the staffers didn’t follow the hospital doctor’s recommendations.

Instead of staying in the jail’s medical facility, Curnell was taken to a housing unit. Jail officers reported later that she vomited “through the night” and “couldn’t make it to the bathroom,” the documents stated. They gave her a trash bag.

The jailers said they informed the medical staff of Curnell’s condition, but the experts “refused to provide any medical attention to (her) whatsoever,” the court documents stated.

She couldn’t eat breakfast the next morning. No records indicated that she was given water or intravenous fluids to prevent dehydration, the filings added.

A sheriff’s incident report stated that the medical staff checked her around 2 p.m., but within three hours, she was dead.

Maria Gibson, the Medical University Hospital primary care doctor hired as an expert witness for the family, said in an affidavit that Curnell died of complications from her sickness. Coupled with her underlying conditions, Curnell was just too sick to overcome dehydration without aid, Gibson said.

Gibson blamed a “series of conscious violations.”

“Simply put,” the doctor said, “Ms. Curnell died because she was deprived of water.”

[Cin]

So apparently we do have debtor's prison. Even in cases of bills for medical emergencies, like Mr. Iverson who died while in jail for an ambulance bill. Not that I think prison is the place for people who owe money period, except maybe Wall Street and banks too big to fail who owe tons of money and should be jailed for cowboy moves and questionable tactics and of course just outright stealing the Public's money using complicated tricks and sleights of hand.

I just think it's particularly despicable when jail is inflicted on those who owe money for hospital bills. One of the ways it has been made legal for you to get jail time for owing money, aka debtor's prison, is if a judge decides the nonpayment is willful. This is extremely arbitrary as it is left to the judge's discretion. A judge can decide it because of the way you are dressed, or they can just consider all nonpayment willful unless you can show that you have exhausted all sources of possible income, such as quitting smoking, asking family and friends for loans, returning used soda cans and bottles and whatever hairbrained idea the particular judge you draw thinks is fair. It is so arbitrary it is ridiculous.

Big banks willfully refuse to pay their debts and then they cause there own demise. They take trillions of dollars from the government, which means, technically, from us and still they continue to put us all in jeopardy by refusing to stop taking dangerous chances with the economy and with our money. The government is not a separate entity; it is owned, run and paid for by the people so they are hurting us and we have no recourse. But they have so much recourse that banks can have us jailed for losing our jobs and not being able to pay them. Corporations avoid their responsibilities as citizens by refusing to pay their fair share of taxes and not paying importing for all the products they make overseas and declare as American made. Are they not willfully refusing to pay?

This debtor's prison is really scary since it can easily with just a little bit of misfortune, make criminals of us all...well, I guess technically, not all of us, just 90% of us.

[Andrea]

Man, Woman Killed in Police Shooting Were Unconscious When Police Arrived: Mayor

http://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/couple-killed-inglewood-police-shooting-asleep-mayor-butts-369902981.html

Both the man and woman who were mortally wounded during an officer involved shooting were unconscious when Inglewood police first responded to where they were sitting in a car, said Inglewood Mayor James Butts Tuesday in response to questions about the incident.

For at least 45 minutes, police attempted "to rouse" them in an effort "to de-escalate the situation," said Butts. It is the first public explanation for what transpired early Sunday morning during the time between the initial call and the shooting. Police previously had stated responding officers saw the woman had a gun, retreated to behind cover, and then gave orders for the couple to exit the vehicle.

"Obviously at some point they were conscious because somebody felt threatened," said Butts, a retired law enforcement officer who previously had served as police chief in other cities. He said it is important for police to finish their investigation, and verify facts, before commenting further.

Andrea: Bolding mine

[Andrea]

Witness, family of victim speak about Montgomery officer-involved shooting

http://www.tucsonnewsnow.com/story/31311999/montgomery-man-killed-in-officer-involved-shooting

Family members of the Montgomery man who was killed in an officer-involved shooting Thursday have identified him as 59-year-old Gregory Gunn.

According to Montgomery Police Chief Ernest Finley, the shooting happened around 3:20 a.m. in the 3200 block of McElvy Street, which is in the Mobile Heights neighborhood. This is the first fatal police shooting in Montgomery in five years.

Finley said the officer was on routine patrol when he noticed what he believed to be a suspicious man walking down the street.

"At this point in time what we have is we had a suspicious person, and the officer engaged that individual. There was a slight struggle that continued for about a block or so at which time the officer fired and shot and killed the suspect," Finley said.

The investigation was turned over to the State Bureau of Investigations, which is common practice when an officer is involved in a shooting. The investigation could take months.

When asked if the man was armed, Finley said "there was some indication of some instrument." He later called it a stick, pole and painting pole.

Finley says the officer, who was identified as a young officer with under four years with the department, has been placed on administrative leave. The police chief said he doesn't know if the officer was injured. The officer will be "isolated" and interviewed.

The findings of the investigation will be turned over to the District Attorney's office. Montgomery County District Attorney Daryl Bailey released the following statement:

I assure our community that once the investigation into this matter has concluded that the Montgomery District Attorney's Office will review all the evidence in a thorough manner and will conduct any additional investigation if it is deemed appropriate or necessary. I also assure our community that once this investigation is concluded and I am satisfied that all evidence has been collected and reviewed that this case will be heard by a Montgomery County Grand Jury.

I encourage anyone with information regarding this incident to contact ALEA at (800) 392-8011 or the Montgomery County District Attorney's Investigation Unit at (334)-832-1642.

Gunn lived in the community, and the initial encounter was about a block or so from where he lived.

[Andrea]

It doesn't appear this incident was in the news so I am posting the court opinion. Also, I found no mention of when this happened but no matter, it is still ugly.

http://www.ca6.uscourts.gov/opinions.pdf/16a0112n-06.pdf?mc_cid=a28b9d18b8&mc_eid=bdf013911c

According to Cheryl McCarty, she was driving her three young grandchildren to school when Officer Birberick pulled her over and accused her of illegally passing a stopped school bus. She argued with him, claimed there had been no school bus, accused him of racism, and refused to accept the ticket, letting it instead drop on the ground. Officer Birberick returned to his patrol car—a large SUV—and drove away. But McCarty, who had turned off her ignition but not her headlights, had accidentally drained her car battery and could not restart her car. Stranded on the side of a very busy city street, she turned on her emergency lights and attempted, unsuccessfully, to phone a friend for assistance. Approximately 20 minutes later, Officer Birberick returned, as part of his routine patrol, and pulled up behind her. When he approached McCarty’s driver-side window, she rolled her eyes in disgust and looked away. They did not speak. Officer Birberick returned to his SUV, which he then rammed into McCarty’s sedan from behind, purportedly to move her car off the busy street into the adjacent gas station lot. He did not forewarn McCarty of his intention to ram her car and the collision took her and the children by surprise, throwing them from their seats.

Rather than moving the car to the gas station, however, this collision actually forced the car further into traffic. McCarty and the children were wailing in panic. Officer Birberick got out of his car and began screaming at McCarty that she could have been killed, though he did not specify what she had done wrong or should have done differently. He then waited for traffic to clear and rammed her car again, this time so hard that he knocked the rear end of the car up off the ground, causing it to lurch into the gas station, just missing the gas pumps. At this point, McCarty was dazed, the children were on the floor with one bleeding from the head, and the car was severely damaged. Officer Birberick drove off without any further interaction.

A service station attendant jump started the car and McCarty drove the damaged car and children away. She filed a police complaint and, eventually, this lawsuit. Officer Birberick moved for summary judgment on qualified immunity which the district court denied upon concluding that, taking these facts in the light most favorable to McCarty, a jury question remained as to whether Officer Birberick’s ramming of her car, without warning and with three young children in it, was so outrageous as to shock the conscience and violate McCarty’s clearly established, substantive due process rights. Officer Birberick appeals.

[Andrea]

Witness says 16-year-old boy shot by police in downtown Salt Lake City

http://www.sltrib.com/news/3591149-155/shooting-involving-police-creates-chaotic-scene

Police on Saturday were investigating the shooting of a teenager by Salt Lake City police.

Few details were available late Saturday. The shooting occurred about 8 p.m. near 250 S. Rio Grande St. Selam Mohammad told The Salt Lake Tribune a police officer shot a friend, a teenage boy.

Salt Lake City police late Saturday confirmed one officer, and possibly a second officer, were involved in the shooting, but did not provide more details. The victim was taken to the hospital, but no information about his condition was provided. There was conflicting information about the boy's age.

Detective Greg Wilking would only confirm that "shots were fired," but not how many.

Salt Lake City police later said in a tweet that officers were responding to a call in area when they were alerted to assault in progress.

The officers "tried to engage altercation," the tweet added.

After the shooting, Salt Lake Tribune journalists saw and heard onlookers yelling obscenities at police and throwing rocks.

There were "a lot of hostile people upset about what had taken place," Wilking said.

Police detained multiple people, but Wilking could not elaborate on why.

According to Mohammad, the victim and a man were in a confrontation, and the victim was holding part of a broomstick at his side when officers ran up.

"They told him to put it down, once," Mohammad said, and "started shooting him as soon as he turned around."

Mohammad said that the teenager was hit in the chest and stomach.

Neighboring departments, including Unified Police Department, West Valley City, Sandy and University of Utah police, deployed to assist Salt Lake City officers. In all, almost 100 officers, come carrying riot shields, arrived.

At 8:40 p.m., a line of officers moved people down the sidewalk on the south side of 200 South, from Rio Grande to 400 West.

Police closed the Trax Blue Line before the Old Greektown stop, providing difficulties for some fans leaving the Utah Jazz game. The TRAX trains resumed about 11 p.m.

The Unified Police Department will be investigating the shooting. Wilking could not say whether the incident was captured on officers' body cameras.

Wilking encouraged anyone with information about the shooting to contact the police.

[*Anya*]

Delaware officer who kicked black suspect in head resigns, gets $230,000

DOVER, Del. — To Kentrell Sewell, it was barely worth notice that Thomas Webster IV had resignedfrom the Dover Police Department.

Webster, a Dover police corporal, was acquitted of a felony assault charge late last year after a police dashcam captured him kicking a black man in the head during a 2013 arrest.

"He didn't take responsibility. No jail, no nothing," Sewell said Wednesday while seated for a trim at a downtown Dover barbershop. "Now, if it's not going to happen in Dover, he's just gonna kick somebody somewhere else."

Sewell's reaction to Webster's resignation signifies the lingering distrust still simmering in Dover after the August 2013 encounter between Webster and Lateef Dickerson, whose jaw was fractured by the kick.

Webster, indicted by a second grand jury after a first declined to issue charges, faced trial in late 2015. After being found not guilty of felony assault, he returned to the department's payroll while on administrative leave, even as community activists and African-American leaders urged the city to fire him.

Late Tuesday, Dover announced Webster would separate from the force by June 30. His day-to-day work for the department is over immediately and a settlement agreement between Webster and the city says he "shall not enter the Dover Police Department building or communicate with the City of Dover or its representatives."

He remains on administrative leave until his separation.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/n...ion-topstories

[Andrea]

Police-involved shooting in southeast Raleigh

http://abc11.com/1223954/

A Raleigh police officer shot and killed a man wanted on felony drug charges during a foot chase Monday.

It happened at Bragg Street and S. East Street in southeast Raleigh around noon close to a business called PJ's Grill and Groceries.

Raleigh Police Chief Cassandra Deck Brown told reporters Monday afternoon that a gun was found near the man.

Brown promised a thorough investigation which will "follow the available facts and evidence wherever they may lead."

Brown said the State Bureau of Investigation as well as Internal Affairs are working on the case. The findings will be presented to the Wake County District Attorney.

"This is a sad day, and our thoughts and prayers go out to all involved," said Brown.

In a statement, the Wake County District Attorney, Lorrin Freeman, said they will release information as it becomes verified and available. Freeman asked for "people's patience as we work to ensure that this investigation is thorough and complete."

Shortly before 5 p.m., the crime tape was taken down and authorities began leaving the scene.

While police have not identified the dead man, shortly after the shooting, a woman on the scene told ABC11 that officers shot her son, Akiel Denkins, who was wanted on a warrant.

"He was running away," said Rolanda Byrd. "They couldn't catch him so they shot at him seven times."

"Everybody seen it," said Byrd. "They ain't going down with this one. They ain't gonna get away with this one, there's at least 40 eyewitnesses out here."

Byrd said several people told her that her 24-year-old son was unarmed and was shot by a white officer.

As word of the shooting spread, a small group of demonstrators arrived at the scene and started chanting "Black lives matter."

The ACLU of North Carolina said in a statement, "Along with many community members in Raleigh, we are alarmed by these reports, trying to learn more details about what happened, and express our deepest condolences to Akiel's family. What we do know is that far too many people of color are victims of wrongful targeting and excessive use of force by law enforcement officers across the country, and North Carolina is not immune to that reality."

Raleigh's city council was supposed to hold a meeting on the use of body cameras on police officers Monday but the event was cancelled because of the shooting.

"This is obviously a sad, terrible situation," Mayor Nancy McFarlane told reporters. "We are all very saddened by the news."

Denkins was the father of two sons and turned 24 on February 8th.

[Andrea]

Baltimore School Police Officer Seen Slapping Young Man In Video

http://baltimore.cbslocal.com/2016/03/01/baltimore-school-police-officer-seen-slapping-young-man-in-video/#.VtZetBpBMlc.twitter

A shocking video recorded at a city school. Now the head of the Baltimore school police force is on administrative leave–and two of his officers reassigned–for what was caught on tape.

Ava-joye Burnett explains what happened.

The school system didn’t even know about the video until WJZ brought it to their attention. They are appalled at what they saw–an officer hitting and kicking a young man.

Profanity laced and slap after slap–even a kick–video recorded at Reach Partnership High has people outraged.

“He’s lucky that wasn’t my little brother because I would be in jail right now. He had no right doing that,” said David Lucas.

WJZ has now learned the chief of Baltimore City school police, Marshall Goodwin, has been placed on administrative leave.

Baltimore City schools says it didn’t even know about the video until WJZ called them asking for an explanation.

“I was totally appalled at what I saw today,” said Karl Perry, chief officer of school supports.

School leaders told WJZ that the police officer seen landing hit after hit will not be in the building Wednesday morning. He’s been reassigned until the investigation is complete.

“I’m a parent, and I’m totally appalled at what I saw in that video. No matter what the circumstances are, I am totally appalled,” said Perry.

Reach Partnership is one of only seven high schools in the city that has a school police officer dedicated to the building. School officials say it’s not because of violence in the facility; it’s because of the sheer size of the building.

It’s not clear what led up to the very first slap or what happened after the camera stopped rolling, but the video–just seconds long–is making people ask: how could this happen at a school?

“If it was my son, I would be highly upset, asking questions, wanting to know what happened prior to it,” said Gary Payne, “But still, nobody deserves to get their hands put on them like that.”

The school system doesn’t know if the young man seen getting slapped is a student at the school, but the person who recorded the video told WJZ the victim does, in fact, go there.

Baltimore City schools also did not identify the school police officer because it’s a personnel matter.

[Kätzchen]

Andrea, have you already posted about Sandra Bland? I just came across a news story about her. Apparently the Texas Dept. Of Public Safety has fired the Texas State Trooper who wrongfully arrested Sandra. Video evidence captured showed that the opposite was true: That the officer escalated the event and he physically assaulted Sandra, then wrongfully arrested her. Sandra died in jail for something she didn't do. : (

https://photographyisnotacrime.com/2...-traffic-stop/

[Andrea]

Originally Posted by Kätzchen

Andrea, have you already posted about Sandra Bland? I just came across a news story about her. Apparently the Texas Dept. Of Public Safety has fired the Texas State Trooper who wrongfully arrested Sandra. Video evidence captured showed that the opposite was true: That the officer escalated the event and he physically assaulted Sandra, then wrongfully arrested her. Sandra died in jail for something she didn't do. : (

https://photographyisnotacrime.com/2...-traffic-stop/

I believe I posted something pages ago but her story is very important. She did nothing wrong and should never have been arrested. The video of her arrest is the only reason any justice can be achieved in her death.

[*Anya*]

Originally Posted by Andrea

Grand jury decides against indictments in Sandra Bland case

http://www.cnn.com/2015/12/21/us/sandra-bland-no-indictments/index.html

A grand jury in the case of Sandra Bland has decided not to return any indictments, according to Darrell Jordan, a special prosecutor handling the case.

Bland, an African-American woman, was found dead in her cell three days after she was arrested for allegedly failing to use her turn signal on July 10. She was 28.

Officials in Waller County, Texas, have said she hanged herself with a plastic bag. Her family and others have questioned that account.

Her case attracted widespread attention amid national discussions about excessive force and the role of race in policing.

Originally Posted by Kätzchen

Andrea, have you already posted about Sandra Bland? I just came across a news story about her. Apparently the Texas Dept. Of Public Safety has fired the Texas State Trooper who wrongfully arrested Sandra. Video evidence captured showed that the opposite was true: That the officer escalated the event and he physically assaulted Sandra, then wrongfully arrested her. Sandra died in jail for something she didn't do. : (

https://photographyisnotacrime.com/2...-traffic-stop/

Kätzchen, I did not know that they fired the Trooper that arrested and assaulted her. Everything about that traffic stop was wrong and that it ultimately resulted in her death (as so many others have) is a tragedy.

[Andrea]

Ala. Officer Charged With Murder in Death of Unarmed Black Man

http://www.theroot.com/articles/news/2016/03/ala_officer_charged_with_murder_in_death_of_unarme d_black_man.html


Montgomery County District Attorney Daryl Bailey charged Montgomery, Ala., Police Officer Aaron Smith with murder Wednesday in the fatal shooting of an unarmed black man outside his mother’s house.

“I will do everything in my power to protect a police officer who is operating within the law,” Bailey said Wednesday, CBS News reports. “I will also use every ounce of my power to prosecute a police officer who is acting outside of the law.”

Bailey added that Smith, 23, was in custody, with bond set at $150,000.

On Feb. 25 around 3:20 a.m., 58-year-old Greg Gunn was walking to his mother’s house, where he lived, after playing cards at a neighbor’s home. Officer Smith stopped Gunn, reportedly for looking “suspicious.” Within minutes, Smith had shot Gunn dead.

“I want to be crystal clear that the arrest that is being made today is in no way an indictment on the Montgomery Police Department,” Bailey said. “In fact, 99.9 percent of the Montgomery police officers do an exceptional job on a daily basis protecting us and our community. They are, in fact, the thin blue line between order and chaos.”

Civil rights activist Jamel Brown told WAKA that black men can’t be afraid to walk in their own neighborhoods without feeling threatened by police.

“You were telling 17-, 18-, and 15-year-old black boys that they can’t walk in their neighborhood at three and four o’clock in the morning without having to be charged with a looks suspicious,” he said. “No, we’ve got to change that type of dominion—we want to bridge the gap between the police agency and the black community in Montgomery.”

[*Anya*]

Julie Wolfe and Ryan Kruger , WMAZ 8:59 AM. EST March 11, 2016

ATLANTA -- Days before he died, Chase Sherman was in his brother's wedding. Laughing, joking, loving the sea and making a living boating. Even as his family made their way through customs on the return trip from the Dominican Republic, he joked about his passport photo with the customs agent. Hours later, he was in the throes of a mental breakdown. He thought he was being kidnapped by his own parents. And then, he was dead.

"His parents did what everybody is supposed to do, you call 911, because 911 brings help. But in the case of Chase, 911 brought death," attorney L. Chris Stewart said.

Chase's parents stood beside the attorney, calling for charged to be filed against the Coweta County deputies involved in the confrontation

In November 2015, less than a month before his 33rd birthday, as they were traveling home, Chase told his mother he had taken Spice earlier, but not on the trip.

Spice, also known as K2, synthetic marijuana, and potpourri, was officially banned by the DEA as a Class I drug in 2013. Incidents of extreme agitation, psychotic episodes, hallucinations, and even heart attacks have been documented in users.

After going through customs at Hartsfield-Jackson airport, Chase's parents say he became agitated and did not want to get back on the plane to continue their trip home to Destin, Florida. Instead, the family decided to rent a car and drive. Worried about his condition, they called 911 in Atlanta. Atlanta police responded to the call, and according to the family "they were a great help." They helped calm him down, spoke with his parents about the plan to get home, and helped them to the car.

As the family was driving home and passing through Coweta County, Chase had another episode. Kevin Sherman told his wife Mary Ann to call 911. "It was a terrible scene," Kevin said. "He told the 911 operator he didn't know anybody in the car, he was being kidnapped, help him."

"They got one handcuff on, then tased him again, and got the other handcuff on," Mary Ann said. "I told them, 'Don't shoot him!' At that time, they told us to get out of the car."

"Homicide," Attorney Stewart said. "And those aren't my words, these are the official words of the death certificate." A copy of that death certificate provided to 11Alive News by the Sherman family listed the cause of death as, "sudden death during an altercation with law enforcement with several trigger pulls of an electronic control device, prone positioning on the floor of a motor vehicle and compression of the torso by the body weight if another individual."

The family says the real blow came after Chase stopped breathing. They say the EMT on scene did little to help "just 20 chest compressions, or so", and then the deputies high-fived each other in front of his parents. "Like he was a trophy they got off the street," Kevin said.

"They both told me they had to protect themselves, I mean, what were they protecting themselves from? He was already handcuffed. He was unarmed. What did they have to protect themselves from?" Mary Ann asked.

"Is this how we treat those who are having a mental breakdown? Is this how we treat those that are mentally ill?" their attorney asked.

The GBI told 11Alive's Ryan Kruger their investigation is complete and has been turned over to the Coweta County D.A. 11Alive has contacted the Coweta County Sheriff's Office for a comment, but have not yet heard back. Sheriff Mike Yeager has previously publicly stated the deputies were acting to defend themselves.

http://www.13wmaz.com/news/family-at...fived/77499428

[Andrea]

No Charges For Cop Who Killed Unarmed Black Man Despite Grand Jury Recommendation

http://filmthecops.news/news/no-charges-cop-killed-unarmed-black-man-despite-grand-jury-recommendation/

This week, DeKalb County District Attorney Robert James declined to press any charges against Avondale Estates Police Sgt. Lynn Thomas for fatally shooting unarmed Jayvis Benjamin, despite the recommendation of a grand jury.

The fatal shooting occurred on January 18, 2013, after Benjamin, a 20-year-old college student with no criminal record, was involved in a car crash. As can be seen in the dashcam video below, Benjamin exited the car with his hands up and walked away from Thomas before the fatal shooting later occurred, off camera.

Benjamin’s family and community called for Thomas to be criminally charged almost immediately after the incident. However, District Attorney James failed to take any action for a full two years. By comparison, the arduously long investigation into the fatal police shooting of Laquan MacDonald in Chicago, which received nationwide criticism, lasted approximately 400 days.

After 800 days, James finally took action, but he took the highly unusual action of convening a “civil grand jury” to review Benjamin’s case, as well as six other police-involved shootings. The civil grand jury was charged with deciding which cases, if any, should be recommended to a criminal grand jury, to face criminal charges.

Of the seven police-involved shootings, the civil grand jury recommended only one case be heard by a criminal grand jury: Benjamin’s. According to James, the civil grand jury “strongly recommended the case move forward for indictment.”

Benjamin’s family expressed vindication that a grand jury agreed with them that the officer’s actions leading to the death of their loved one were criminal. And in May of last year, James confirmed that he would convene a criminal grand jury in the case.

Another 10 full months went by without James taking any action, and his inaction began to garner nationwide attention.

Now, James has reneged on his promise to convene a criminal grand jury, going against the findings of the civil grand jury, and has closed the case. Barring a federal investigation, Officer Lynn will never face criminal charges for the fatal shooting of unarmed, 20-year-old Jayvis Benjamin.

Officer Lynn continues to be on active duty with the Avondale Estates police department.

[*Anya*]

FWPD investigating video showing officer allegedly spraying bikers

Lauren Zakalik, WFAA 7:02 PM. CDT March 14, 2016

FORT WORTH -- A Facebook video apparently depicting a Fort Worth officer spraying pepper spray into a group of oncoming motorcyclists has received more than 200,000 views in 15 hours.

Fort Worth police confirmed Monday morning they started investigating the video as soon as they received it. FWPD Corporal Tracey Knight says macing drivers is not a department-endorsed tactic.

News 8 spoke Monday to Jack Kinney, the man who recorded the video with his helmet camera, and Chase Stone, who edited the video and posted it to Facebook.

They say a group of about 200 motorcyclists were traveling up northbound U.S. 287 in Fort Worth Sunday afternoon when a Fort Worth police officer pulled over one of the motorcycle group's "safety vehicles," which is a vehicle that follows behind bikers in case of an incident.

In the edited video, which slows down and zooms in at one point, so viewers can see more clearly, the officer appears to spray something directly into oncoming traffic as he exits his vehicle. The bikers say it was pepper spray. "It's the last thing I would expect to see," Kinney said.

"His intent was to hit the bikers for sure, there’s no doubt about it," Stone says. The men spoke to News 8 via Skype from Longview, Texas, where they live.

"His intent was to send somebody down, if not to cause a major accident with that spray," Stone said.

As the story spread online Monday, viewers shared pictures and videos with us. Two videos show bikers driving "foolishly," the viewer said, on another area highway, poping wheelies and weaving in and out of traffic. Fort Worth police say they had multiple calls about reckless motorcycle drivers on area highways, including 287.

We asked Stone and Kinney if it was possible the officer felt threatened. "If you're worried about safety, why would you pepper spray a large group of bikers like that?" Kinney said.

They say nothing justifies spraying blinding material into traffic. They say people could've died. "When you put other people’s life in danger, it's just uncalled for," Stone said.

Late Monday afternoon, Fort Worth police announced the officer in the video has been taken off patrol and put on administrative duties until the culmination of the investigation. The officer is a six-year veteran with the force.

Police also say three of the people in the truck the officer pulled over were cited; the driver, for not having a license, and two others, for riding in the bed of a pickup truck.

http://www.wfaa.com/news/local/tarra...ikers/82200692

[FireSignFemme]

" Investigating video showing officer allegedly spraying bikers..."

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