Another dies in police custody "resisting arrest" Columbia Tennessee

The Daily Herald ^ | September 28,2006 | JOHN HENSON

[DonBeto]

Columbia Police Chief Barry Crotzer talked about the death of a 30-year-old mentally-deficient man for the first time in six days on Wednesday with some details of the events leading to the man’s arrest and death in police custody.

Ashley George Benny, 30, affectionately known by his friends as “John,” died after police arrested him

[DonBeto]

Ashley Benny was one of the most harmless & gentle people on this planet. He was kindly regarded by all who knew him. He was mildly retarded but was affectionately taken care of by all in his neighborhood. His only crime was having the misfortune of crossing paths with the Columbia Tennessee police squad. The Columbia police have a long and infamous history. Going back decades many deaths have been reported in police custody as “suicides” and “resisting arrest” etc). Their corruption and criminality are possibly only superseded by the collusion of the Columbia town government and complicity of this small town newspaper.

[muawiyah]

Looking for "probable cause" in this one but it keeps looking like a cop jumping on a guy walking down the sidewalk.

Hmmm.

[TheCrusader]

"The Columbia police have a long and infamous history. Going back decades many deaths have been reported in police custody as “suicides” and “resisting arrest” etc)"

You'll hear all the typical police rhetoric on this thread now. "He shouldn't have resisted arrest".... "he threatened the cops with a weapon"....."He probably choked himself to death", whatever. What's up with the South anwyay, I thought they progressed from that stereotypical 'good old boy' lunacy? The police in Florida are just as bad in arresting little girls, first graders, and tough ol' six year olds. In New Orleans they ran away from their jobs by the hundreds in the face of Katrina. I hope I never have any business in that part of the U.S.

[Cagey]

If you think Police Abuse is limited to the South you don't read much news.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1710330/posts

[DonBeto]

Yes they probably shot him with a stun gun. The first reports of the police chief was that he suffered "cardiac arrest". Funny the guy lived 30 years with no heart problems - until he was subdued by the Columbia TN police - and now he is dead.

[DonBeto]

I don't think it is so much a "south" problem as just a "criminal" or "negligence" (or "criminal negligence") problem. Columbia TN had the infamous jail fire in 1977 which killed 42 people.

[muawiyah]

This is undoubtedly why the cops are engaged in killing law abiding innocent people ~ they done run out of criminals!

[TheCrusader]

"If you think Police Abuse is limited to the South you don't read much news."

I know very well that police abuse isn't limited to the South, it's just that in the South it's a way of life.

[mbumburu]

This is my hometown. My people. And my police department. Please document your claims that “Going back decades many deaths have been reported in police custody...”

Going back how many decades? To the 60s? Seventies? Thirties?

Who has died in Columbia, TN police custody and when? How did these people die?

And where are the reports?

Please provide some links and evidence to back up this slanderous claim.