Posted on 02/18/2014 5:14:01 PM PST by MeshugeMikey
Jonathan Meister was retrieving some stuff he was storing at an ex-roommate’s home when he looked up to find several members of the Hawthorne Police Department approaching. The South Bay man claims officers didn’t give him a chance to explain what he was doing before placing him in handcuffs, beating him and using a stun gun to shock him into submission. The problem began when police reportedly misunderstood Meister’s attempts to speak in sign language as threatening gestures.
(Excerpt) Read more at losangeles.cbslocal.com ...
You got to be kidding!
civil rights violation. Americans with disabilities act. Sue their asses. End their careers.
Kidding about what?
Cops aren’t good at dealing with deaf people, or even recognizing when they are dealing with a deaf person AND deaf people aren’t good at dealing with police. Seems like something solvable if people would just figure it out.
Surely you meant to say that those whose duty it is to protect and serve should also be somewhat cognizant of American Sign Language. And, they shouldn't go into a situation so hot that they can't communicate with the suspect, right? Or is this another case of "if they don't speak English, they deserve it?"
Really, that's what you meant, right?
cops need to understand when i use sign language i am a free bird
Cops aren’t good at dealing with humans or animals the past 20-30 years.They have serious overreaction issues and can’t control themselves very well and many have no business being LEO’s.
When I attended the police academy 42 years ago much time was spent teaching recruits how to recognize people with disabilities (that was proper terminology back then). Particular attention was paid to the deaf, mentally ill, and diabetics with films depicting different scenarios played to “stop points” followed by “what happens next” discussions between the students and instructor. It took up class time that might have been spent on other subjects, but I absorbed plenty of info and insight which enabled me to navigate a 23 year career without ever embarrassing myself or my department with a train-wreck like the one described in this article.
How f’ing threatening can sign language hand movements be to an armed police officer???
How about police officers assume some risk in a high risk job instead of demanding everyone else’s safety come after their own. Don’t like the risk, don’t apply for the job. Somewhere along the way the mission to “serve and protect” has been lost.
Just another day, servin’ and protectin’.
Have a sign printed up (very slowly as public servants read slowly) for use in emergency situations. Example: I’m deaf, don’t shoot.
One would think a woman being frisked by a MALE officer would be a civil rights violation; yet that seems to happen ALL the time.
Cops need to calm down.
Does that make me a cop hater?
You better keep him far, far away from the cops then.
“Cops aren’t good at dealing with deaf people, “
Cops have a built in institutional resort to violence. Immediately. With very little warning. At least with a dog you can see his hears lay back and it will show teeth.
The cops sometimes don’t even show badge. They just start kicking in doors and shooting people.
Defending modern Police is like defending Stalin. Aw hell. Joseph was just a farm boy.
Ping
Now that all you cop bashers have had your say, a comment from someone who has a deaf aunt, a son with a deaf girlfriend, deaf friends, and has studied ASL (American Sign Language):
In the good old days (I’m approaching 70, and studied ASL 40 years ago) the sign for “I’m deaf” was “Ear + Closed”. Point to your ear, then make the “closed” sign. Pretty clear. If one was “core deaf” (i.e. born deaf as opposed to loosing their hearing later in life), a spoken word or two after that was signed once or twice is so different from what we normally hear is enough to drive the point home to even the dimmest among us.
The PC movement has affected the deaf community, too. See: http://www.handspeak.com/word/search.php?wordID=deaf&submitword=Find
That old sign is now #3 on the list, and, although it was widely recognizable by hearing people, is frowned upon by ASL teachers.
The core deaf have a great deal of trepidation about driving at night and being in an accident or being stopped by the police - for good reason. I tell them the same thing we tell the concealed carry class students. If stopped:
1/ Pull way off the road, turn on your flashers and turn off your engine
2/ All interior lights on, and, weather permitting, all windows down.
3/ Hands at 10 and 2 on the steering wheel
4/ Don’t reach down under the seat; don’t lean over to reach into the glove box.
AND/ Don’t use that dumba$$ politically correct sign for “Deaf”. Have a sign, or a small note pad with “I am deaf; can you please write me a note?” pre-written on it easily accessible. (My son’s girlfriend uses one of those electronic pads that you can write on without a pen).
... apparently, he did not have an assistance dog to shoot. What choice did they have?
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