62 Year old grandfather on vacation dies in Florida police custody

The Daily Mail ^ | 01/12/2012 | Lee Moran

[Duke of Qin]

A mentally ill grandfather died after police officers strapped him naked to a chair, smothered him with a 'spit hood' and pepper-sprayed him 10 times during a 43-hour ordeal, it has been claimed.

Nick Christie, 62, was allegedly tortured in the 'Devil's Chair' at Lee County jail after being detained by Florida police officers in March 2009 following a 'mental breakdown'.

The hood, designed to stop him from spitting at officers, meant he could not escape the noxious spray's fumes - and he was never allowed to clean the residue from his body.

His family is now suing Lee County Sheriff's Department for 'wrongful death'.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2085628/Nick-Christie-Mentally-ill-prisoner-strapped-Devils-Chair-pepper-sprayed-death.html#ixzz1jSkweFsk

[Duke of Qin]

I like this part the best.

Deputy Medical Examiner Dr Robert Pfalzgraf later noted in his autopsy report that, two days after his death, brown-orange liquid pepper spray was still all over Christie's body.

Pfalzgraf ruled the death a homicide, as Christie's heart gave out due to stress from his exposure to pepper spray. An internal investigation concluded there no wrongdoing on the part of any Lee County deputy.

None of the deputies involved were disciplined in any way and Florida State Attorney Stephen Russell declined to press criminal charges.

[humblegunner]

Something must have happened to alter the title when you posted.

Actual title:

Strapped to the 'Devil's Chair' and 'pepper-sprayed to death': Horrific fate of mentally ill grandfather 'tortured by police until he died'

[ClearCase_guy]

Leon Panetta is outraged.

[Yashcheritsiy]

Wonder how the bootlicks will defend this one.

[org.whodat]

Seems to be murder by cop but as always the DA protects the law breakers. Local DA should never be allowed to investigate local cops. Investigation of cops should be out of the governors and state attorneys office.

[Lazamataz]

Why the hell do we need to go to the British press to get any news any more?

[paul51]

Hopefully the feds will step in and arrest some of these goons for murder. Give the coroner credit for finding murder while the prosecutor and the rest try to cover it up. Outrageous.

[vette6387]

For all of you here on FR who continually bray about “supporting law enforcement” I give you exhibit “A.” Local law enforcement has devolved into a bunch of low IQ union thugs who operate outside the very laws they are “sworn” to uphold. The “officers” involved in this killing need to be charged with this man’s murder, prosecuted, found guilty and sent to jail for a very long time.
Sadly, they will probably escape any punishment and feel that they can do it again.

[vette6387]

For all of you here on FR who continually bray about “supporting law enforcement” I give you exhibit “A.” Local law enforcement has devolved into a bunch of low IQ union thugs who operate outside the very laws they are “sworn” to uphold. The “officers” involved in this killing need to be charged with this man’s murder, prosecuted, found guilty and sent to jail for a very long time.
Sadly, they will probably escape any punishment and feel that they can do it again.

[swamprebel]

This story is hard to comprehend. Ruled a homicide, yet no one held accountable. I would Volunteer to sit as a juror on this civil case.

[Repeat Offender]

The only reprimand came when the chief learned the family dog got away unscathed.

[savagesusie]

This is what Leon Panetta stands for: No morality allowed.

All Natural Rights from God is eliminated in his sodomy “Rights’ world which ejects God and Christian Ethics—the very things which would have eliminated such a thing occuring.

He promotes evil——where evil is being forced BY LAW to become “good” in the worldview of children and forced on every adult, regardless of our freedom of Conscience and Religion stated in the Constitution. We have no Rights when God is kicked out-—Panetta. But then all Marxists know that-—that is why they are preventing the concept of God in our children and vilifying anyone with moral values as bigots and haters.

It is why the MSM hates Tim Tebow-—He represents American values as stated in our Constitution—can’t teach children Right and Wrong.....they might think people like Sandusky are evil.

[donna]

What are the proper procedures that police should follow in a case like this?

[Paradox]

I (cough) know someone who lives in Lee County, Florida. This “friend” (cough) also knows a few of the LEO types. All of them are good folks, but they will share stories of OTHER LEO types who are flat out crooked and bad.

[A_perfect_lady]

It’s always Florida.

[RegulatorCountry]

I would Volunteer to sit as a juror on this civil case.

Therefore you would most likely be weeded out of the jury pool by defense attorneys.

[pingman]

Good thing they didn’t piss on him; they’d be on death row by now.

[caveat emptor]

From the article:

His wife Joyce was so worried about his trip that she contacted Lee County police to ask them to keep an eye out for him.

She also asked a captain from the Girard, Ohio, police to urge his Florida counterparts to take him to hospital if they found him.

The outcome sounds more like Baghdad under Saddam Hussein than the U.S. Or does it?

[Duke of Qin]

I’m sorry, but the original title was too long and would not post, so I had to reword it slightly.

[MichaelP]

Good God! How does this kind of thing still happen? You’d think it was 1940s Florida.

[Peter from Rutland]

FL cops are notorious. I remember years ago they would stop people on 95 and if they had a lot of cash on them, and nothing else, they would confiscate it with no stated reason. Thus began my boycott of the state. My son hates Disney with a passion anyway (I did something right!).

[swamprebel]

My sentiments are the least of concerns for the ilk who would defend murder of the “least amoung us” and children.
The civil trial will pale in comparison to their fate.

[bigbob]

This is just wrong in every possible way. That PD better have a good insurance company. The people there deserve better than this lot.

[Blue Ink]

“It’s always Florida.”

Uh-uh. Southern California. The LAPD, for example, used to be the best-trained, most courteous and professional police force in the world.

Then they started letting hiring requirements slide, enlisting ex-gangbangers and other types with shady pasts.

Now we’ve got two Orange County cops awaiting trial for beating a mentally ill homeless guy to death on a public street.

At least they’ve been removed from the force and charged with murder.

[combat_boots]

British or Asian.

Not the US’

You’ve got that right.

[Gaffer]

I recently viewed all three Netflix movies: Red Riding 74, 80 and 83 and I was so disillusioned that I can NEVER, EVER believe that any police force will tell the truth of what they do. Power corrupts absolutely.

We as citizens should do more to ensure we don’t install maniacs in positions of power. Police develop an “Us against ‘them’ mentality” and will lie, cheat, steal and murder to protect themselves and theirs.

[hinckley buzzard]

Considering the victim was confused, disoriented and already couldn't breathe due to advanced COPD, they might have considered taking him to an ER before giving him the rubber hose treatment.

[humblegunner]

I had to reword it slightly

Yeah, slightly.

And what "slight" legal ramifications might there be in such an act?

What might hat do to the search function here? Slightly?

[Respond Code Three]

So far, this has not been ruled as a "murder." It may happen down the road. For the moment it has been ruled as a homicide, not a murder.

If a homeowner shoots and kills an intruder, the Coroner will rule it as a homicide, even if it justifiable. Almost everyday, citizens or sworn officers are shooting and killing someone who is committing a felony. In each case, the Coroner will rule it as a homicide.

Of course now, some will read this and accuse me of defending the actions of the officers in this incident. I am not.

[savedbygrace]

Does Florida Governor Scott have the authority to order a State investigation into this case?

http://www.flgov.com/contact-gov-scott/

[freeangel]

“Hopefully the feds will step in and arrest some of these goons for murder”

Only if the grandfather was a “person of color”.

[Gaffer]

A point of order....not ‘ruled’ a homicide. Just opined by a coroner. DA is the one to prosecute for homicide. That said, the entire police force there should be imprisoned without parole.

[Jeff Chandler]

The LAPD, for example, used to be the best-trained, most courteous and professional police force in the world.

Then they started letting hiring requirements slide, enlisting ex-gangbangers and other types with shady pasts.

Now we’ve got two Orange County cops awaiting trial for beating a mentally ill homeless guy to death on a public street.

You switched forces in mid story.

[heartwood]

An elderly, disoriented man with a slew of medications (locked up in a police truck according to the article) and they never once had him medically screened?

It would still be possible to bring charges, if the prosecutor had any integrity or balls.

[Jeff Chandler]

So...

the Los Angeles Police Department was good,
then they lowered their standards,
and the result was two officers in the Fullerton Police Department beat a guy to death.

[donna]

How do they get him into the ambulance?

[LucyT]

A mentally ill grandfather died after police officers strapped him naked to a chair, smothered him with a 'spit hood' and pepper-sprayed him 10 times during a 43-hour ordeal, it has been claimed.

Nick Christie, 62, was allegedly tortured in the 'Devil's Chair' at Lee County jail after being detained by Florida police officers in March 2009 following a 'mental breakdown'.

More from the article:

An internal investigation concluded there no wrongdoing on the part of any Lee County deputy.

None of the deputies involved were disciplined in any way and Florida State Attorney Stephen Russell declined to press criminal charges.

. . . . Article, then see # 6.

[DTogo]

The final 30 minutes of John Rambo’s “activities” in First Blood come to mind...

[dsc]

Another FR poster said about another case, “Now we have thousands of roided-up paramilitary goons who think they’re living an episode of “The Shield,” treating us all like we’re MS-13 gangbangers on a three-day meth high.”

I support good cops and proper, constitutional procedures. I don’t ask that cops take unnecessary risks. However, this appears to be completely over the top.

[JustaDumbBlonde]

For all of you here on FR who continually bray about “supporting law enforcement” I give you exhibit “A.”

Police are no different than any other group on the face of the earth. There are bad ones amongst them.

Your broad-brush painting is ridiculous. Do you think the same thing about our military protecting you?

[heartwood]

And even if he was a young healthy-looking man, we’re not supposed to treat people like that in America.

[jocon307]

“Why the hell do we need to go to the British press to get any news any more?”

Good question. And I’m very leery of clicking the link because I’ve realized that all the bad viruses I’ve gotten have been after I’ve been to some brit paper site.

[bobby.223]

Same way those idiot jackboot sucking toadies always do.

[wolficatZ]

This happened 2 1/2 years ago..

Except for Monshay Gibbs, who testified, none have been identified.

Who else was involved.

[SuzyQue]

Well, for one thing, if he’s restrained and has a spit hood on, it’s hard to understand why pepper-spray would even come into the picture. What were they trying to accomplish by spraying him? Yeah, that’s a tough one to answer.

[rockinqsranch]

Thanks for the ping LucyT. I’m shocked, and confused as to what could possibly been their motive for such treatment of a man such as Mr. Christie. I can’t comment as I wasn’t there, but I did notice in the article that Mr. Christie went to Florida to visit his brother, and there was never again any mention of his brother in the article after he arrived in Florida. Only that he was in some Hotel, and his condition was unacceptable behavior, thus the police were called.

Wondering about his brother, and what happened that he wasn’t with him.

I’m certain we shall learn more in the future on this one. It seems the treatment was quite unnecessary, and vile to say the least. This man shouldn’t be dead at the hands of anyone much less trusted police officers serving a community.

[Respond Code Three]

"What are the proper procedures that police should follow in a case like this?"

There is no definitive answer here. I can only generalize about how we would handled it.

It is possible that we would have initially arrested him for being drunk in public. After a few hours he would have been released with no charges being filed. Our jurisdiction simply won't waste time going to court on drunk in public cases.

If he had gone back to the hotel, and had been arrested for trespassing, we would have cited him and told him not to go back. If he went back, we might have arrested him, and then the jail would have cited him right out again. And this could have happened several times. (Note here that our jurisdiction wouldn't have considered "trespassing" as something to incarcerate someone for a lengthy period of time without a court order.) Hopefully, at some point, and hopefully early, someone who had been told that he had mental health problems would have directed patrol or detention personnel to take him to the hospital and turned over to mental health personnel.

What was lacking in this case was compassion and common sense. And no amount of proper procedures training can be counted upon when common sense is lacking.

[AnAmericanAbroad]

Good God! How does this kind of thing still happen? You’d think it was 1940s Florida.
__________________________________________________________-

1940s Florida? I was thinking more along the lines of the 1930s Lubyanka in Moscow, or perhaps the Prinz-Albrecht-Straße in Berlin during the same time period.

This is insane, and the fact that apparently the DA thinks nothing is amiss tells me one must tread carefully when visiting Florida.

[TASMANIANRED]

Puts abu graib in perspective doesn’t it.

[DJ MacWoW]

Americas Government Is Preying On Her People

Click The Pic To Donate

Support The Resistance