Autistic Child Tasered By Police

KOIN News6 ^ | 12/23/2006 | KOIN

[MovementConservative]

PORTLAND - An autistic child was tasered by police in the early morning hours of Dec. 5, when he was found walking shirtless and shoeless down the Broadway Bridge.

According to his great-grandmother, Sir J. Millage has an extremely severe case of autism. He also has a disease where cannot feel extremes in temperature, which is why he was able to be out in cold weather without clothing. His head swerves from side to side and he has outbursts of profanity that can last from three hours to three days due to Tourettes syndrome. He has never been known to be physically violent.

When police saw the 5'10", 260 pound 15-year-old walking down the bridge, they say they were unaware of his illness. Police say it appeared he was holding a metal rod or stick. After Millage did not respond to commands, officers used tasers and struck him with a baton.

Millage lives with his great-grandmother Pastor Mary Overstreet Smith in Portland. She says he snuck out a window that night and the incident with police "tore her heart out." She says that because of his low intelligence level, he cannot respond to commands and that police should be able to tell the difference between a person who has autism and one that is high on drugs.

Smith says that her grandson now constantly thinks people want to shoot him and says he would like to return to his other home in Arizona.

Police are standing by their decision to use force, claming that Millage was acting aggressively. They say decisions must be made in a split second and they did the best they could.

[MovementConservative]

There was a time I can remember when police went out on the streets with the intention of serving and protecting the public. Now it seems the main goal of police is to come home uninjured.
I guess the old heros who knew how to handle difficult people and events have all retired and been replaced with the next generation of cop who have a different agenda.

[mhx]

A three day long outburst of profanity? I hope it's not just a single word.

[GOPyouth]

A 5'10 250 pound 15 year old is not a child. A 5 year old is a child.

[Jaysun]

It's not just the police that have changed, but the times as well. It's a bit more difficult when you have to face unrestrained youths who are willing and able to do any harm. And the mentally disabled were dealt with in a different way then too. To place the majority of the blame on the police is unfair and misguided.

[smonk]

indeed. that's a big "child".

[JustaDumbBlonde]

Personally, I hope they continue to come home uninjured. There was also a time when children didn't roam the streets at night, many of them with the intent to cause harm to something or someone. Times have changed much more than law enforcement officers.

[cripplecreek]

Couldn't have said it better.

[JustaDumbBlonde]

I was apparently still composing my post while you were posting your thoughts. Amazingly similar ...

[jazusamo]

I guess the old heros who knew how to handle difficult people and events have all retired and been replaced with the next generation of cop who have a different agenda.

You're painting with a pretty broad brush, MC.

[SoftballMominVA]

5'10 and 260!! That 'child' looked like an adult to the police. Not only that, he was shirtless and shoeless and cursing which could indicate possible drug use. In addition, the police thought he had some sort of weapon--Wow! I'm impressed they only tasered him. Just because he is autistic, that doesn't preclude him from a violent act.

Maybe the mom should make sure is window is secured in a way that he cannot climb out without notice. Even an alarm would work.

Another instance of someone wanting to put responsibility on another rather than making the proper precautions.

[riverrunner]

I guess you are a mind reader and a expert on telling the difference's in how a person acts to what his trouble is in just seconds.

I guess the next time you see some one half naked walking on a cold day you should just walk up to them and give them a friendly hug.

Then if they turn out to be a half or fully crazy and they beat the crap out of you. You can go on with our life if you can knowing you tried your best to help them out.

Or your could use the best tools available to you not only protect your self plus the person you are dealing without getting your self hurt in the process.

A 510 260 lb young man with Autism is fully capable of breaking your nose, jaw or some other parts of your body if he decides to hit you to grab your and twist one of your limbs.

I don't care what is making this person act out if he is going to be violent towards me he gets what is coming to him.

[KarinG1]

To be honest, I don't like cops in general and would normally take the other side if I could see a way to. In this case I cannot. I would have tasered him myself.

[sheana]

Maybe because of all the garbage the police face on the street each and everyday, they just don't want to be dead heroes.

[Ben Mugged]

This is unfortunate but the police cannot reasonably be expected to discern the difference between drug induced rage and autism in a 5'10" 260 pound male. In addition to "serving and protecting" the public, they have a responsibility to protect themselves as well.

[Dallas59]

99% of 5'10, 250 pound, 15 year olds acting that way would be considered on some type of drug..

[Texas_shutterbug]

A fifteen year old severely autistic person is probably going to be a "child" for life. Having a special needs child myself who can be mistaken for a drug addict or drunk by the cops like that is one of my worse fears.

[Ben Mugged]

I don't like cops in general and would normally take the other side if I could see a way to.

You have a problem and need to seek help right away.

[Mr. Mojo]

A three day long outburst of profanity?

Not even Tommy Lasorda can do that.

[smonk]

my only point is that you can hardly blame the cops.

[LiberalBassTurds]

Maybe every squad car should be equipped with another less than lethal weapon...you know, a Liberal. Then when mentally ill people are encountered the Liberal can speak to them in their own language. They can use their outstanding negotiating skills to convincing irrational people to do the right thing.

If they implement this we wouldn't have to read all this cop bashing crap.

LBT
-=-=-

[HairOfTheDog]

260 pound 'child'? Anyone feel spun?

[bvw]

Given the size of the boy and his appearance, his inability to respond rationally to police command, and possibly his cursing -- some way of immobilizing him would have been required.

Tasering sounds like good police practise in this scenario.

[Shannon]

Bully's with guns (tasers included).

[JustaDumbBlonde]

I don't know much about autism, but it seems odd to me that this young man's intelligence is reported to be "too low" for him to obey commands from the police ... yet he is associative enough in his thoughts to now think everyone wants to shoot him and he wants to move to his other home in another state. Something smells a little rotten here.

[LasVegasMac]

What you said.

But something does not seem right here.....

Millage lives with his great-grandmother Pastor Mary Overstreet Smith in Portland. She says he snuck out a window that night and the incident with police "tore her heart out." She says that because of his low intelligence level, he cannot respond to commands and that police should be able to tell the difference between a person who has autism and one that is high on drugs.

Smith says that her grandson now constantly thinks people want to shoot him and says he would like to return to his other home in Arizona.

So he can't respond to "stop", yet he can articulate that now he wants to leave and go back to his home in AZ....???

Just me, or what?

[glaseatr]

Most officers today still go out there everyday to help those in need of help. However there is no way I'd put myself in a bad position where I could be hurt or killed in the name of "public safety"

Every time the cops pass a group of people all they get is looks that could kill. In some places dealing with the public is dealing with roaches. You turn the light on and they run.

[pfflier]

I remember a time when parents knew where their kids were and what they were doing. It was only a day ot two ago that a 15 YO kid killed an Oceanside Ca policeman.

[lawdude]

A 260 lb 15YO would hardly look like and cannot be described as a 'child'. At best a young adult, albeit autistic. Do autistics wear a label. My SIL's brother is autistic but casual sight reveals nothing out of the ordinary.

Someone point out my errors.

[diogenes ghost]

I am amazed they only tasered him. Most cops woulda Glock'ed him, up to 50 times if needed.

[MovementConservative]

Folks look at it with a critical eye. He "appeared" to have a stick or metal rod? He wasn't responding to their commands? Don't you think if he had any weapon or had made any dangerous or sudden moves toward them they would have put that in the report? The report is written to justify tasering someone who is mentally ill, someone who we are supposed to look out for because he can't do it himself.
For those of you who are thinking this guy looked like Apollo Creed, 5'10 260 lb 15 year olds are almost always rolly polly. The cops have learned to write reports in a way that justify a shoot first ask questions later mentality.

[ladyjane]

Maybe the mom should make sure is window is secured in a way that he cannot climb out without notice.

It's his great grandmother who takes care of him.

Apparently both his mother and his grandmother are too busy or unavailable.

Great Grannie is getting ready to sue the city and the police.

[JustaDumbBlonde]

Not just you ... see #24.

[cripplecreek]

I've known plenty of autistic people who were quite capable of functioning in the world. When I was a factory foreman my shop tried bringing a few from a local group home to work in the shop.

I wasn't thrilled with it at first and wasn't sure I would have the patience for training but once they were trained they were some of the best employees I had.

[buffyt]

Seems to me that all the police care about these days is giving tickets that will bring in money. You call them for a 911 and thy don't come.

[Anti-Bubba182]

Excuse me! No way a "Child" like that should be kept under anything less than lock and key and not at Grandmas. The police have no way of knowing this person is disabled, as if that makes a practical difference.

[LiberalBassTurds]

LOL, I love these type threads. This one's particulalry rich since our resident Lbretariantards can so relate to the victim. :-)

LBT
-=-=-

[rawcatslyentist]

>"Maybe every squad car should be equipped with another less than lethal weapon...you know, a Liberal."

Actually that might be very effective. Put JOhnKErry on patroll, he'll put em to sleep in no time, or Bwarney Fwank, they'll run screaming!!

[AnAmericanMother]

Excuse me?

How were the police supposed to know that this very large person who was acting very strangely was not high on meth or crack or angel dust?

A couple I know has an autistic son who is nonverbal, and if I were a cop and met him in the middle of the night on a bridge while he was in one of his violent episodes, I would be afraid for my safety.

The police can't make snap diagnoses on behavioral disorders in the middle of the night -- if they stand there continuing to issue orders which he does not obey, and he turns out to be homicidal on angel dust -- they're dead.

The grandma needs to know where this young man is at night -- and needs to alert the police to his condition and that he's out wandering around, if she finds him missing despite her best efforts.

[lawdude]

"You have a problem and need to seek help right away."

Why? Because he doesn't like cops in general or because he must take the other side?

[JustaDumbBlonde]

"Don't you think if he had any weapon or had made any dangerous or sudden moves toward them they would have put that in the report?"

Maybe they did. This article was not written by a police officer and we certainly don't know exactly what the report says. I will give the police the benefit of the doubt. They really could have seriously hurt or killed this young man and they did not.

[Lokibob]

I'm 65 now, just as a point of reference.

When I was 7, my Mom tought me that if I was in trouble, I should look for a police man to help me. today, if a 7 year old is lost, and he contacts a police man, the best outcome you can hope for is that child services stops by and councels you. It could go all the way to foster care and criminal charges, not to mention tasering.

Yes, times have changed. Oh, BTW, the cop on the beat knew every kid on the block by his/her first name and where they lived.

[Moonman62]

When police saw the 5'10", 260 pound 15-year-old walking down the bridge,

The cop haters are getting desperate when they call that a child.

[Jaysun]

Just me, or what?

Something you said indicates that something is missing too. That is, "She (Grandmother) says that because of his low intelligence level, he cannot respond to commands and that police should be able to tell the difference between a person who has autism and one that is high on drugs."

First, what makes the Grandmother an authority on his ability to respond to commands? Second, what makes the Grandmother an authority on what the police should (and should not) be able to tell the difference from - retarded or otherwise?

Did she know he was retarded? According to her own statements the answer is YES. So why in the f**k was he where he was at, doing what he was doing? Who's negligent here? The cops or the Granny? I say the Granny.

[Clara Lou]

Really?? Bully's [sic]? Based on what facts do you make that judgement? Sounds more like a personal opinion.

[lawdude]

"The cops have learned to write reports in a way that justify a shoot first ask questions later mentality."

The point is they didn't shoot although they could have. Nice try but it doesn't wash. Got any other ideas?

[ozaukeemom]

That is how I feel also! I would like to take the other side against the cops and honestly cannot.

[GSlob]

"She says that because of his low intelligence level, he cannot respond to commands"
"persons with Tourette's have normal life expectancy and intelligence." [from unreliable wikipedia]

[ErnBatavia]

Not even Tommy Lasorda can do that.

He can if Kingman or Bevacqua hit four home runs in one game...

[ozaukeemom]

You must live in a town like I do.

[Clara Lou]

The report is written to justify tasering someone who is mentally ill,
That is a huge assumption on your part. Unless, of course, you were there?