Posted on 12/03/2007 11:46:15 PM PST by LibWhacker
Donnell Williams had just gotten out of the bath tub, wearing only a towel around his waist, when he turned the corner to see guns pointing right at him.
"I ain't never been so scared," says Williams.
Police forced entry into Williams home while responding to a shooting, but it turned out to be a false call. They had no idea at the time the call wasn't real and that Williams is hearing impaired. Without his hearing aid he is basically deaf.
"I kept going to my ear yelling that I was scared. I can't hear! I can't hear!"
Officers were worried about their own safety because at the time it appeared Williams was refusing to obey their commands to show his hands. That's when they shot him with a Taser.
Deputy Chief Robert Lee says, "This one occurred on the worst of calls, that being a shooting. The first few minutes getting control of the scene are very, very important."
Once the facts were all sorted out, officers repeatedly apologized to Williams. Police wish it never happened, but with the information they had at the time, their choices were limited.
"Do I wish there would have been some way they were notified in advance this gentleman was hearing impaired? I certainly do. No one is happy with the way it worked out," says Lee.
Williams was not hurt in the incident. Police say the shooting call came from a cell phone but they still don't know who made it or why.
The case is being reviewed by the department.
The taser seems to be becoming a “fad” with police. That isn’t a good thing.
Don’t taze me in my towel, bro!
Geez, does this suck...
“Do I wish there would have been some way they were notified in advance this gentleman was hearing impaired? I certainly do.”
Stupidest Comment of the Year Award Nominee.
Unlike the various traffic stop tasing, the police in this case had reason to worry about a weapon. As you can see on other threads I have little sympathy for over use of the taser, but they say they were responding to a report of gun fire. And according to the article were very apolgetic in the aftermath.
If they legally broke into this house and if there really was a report of a gun shot, then I don’t have much of a problem. The biggest concern I have is if this guy only in a towel really had his hands out of sight? That is a bit hard to figure out.
What?
Whats with the cops suddenly using the Taser as the first line of defense instead of trying to discern the situation first.
Shotguns are much more effective.
The solution would seem to be to give the victim a free shot with a taser on the officer that nailed him and on the police chief and mayor. If everyone is then satisfied with the current taser policies, fine.
He’d be dead.
For nothing.
Did they have a warrant to break his door down?
Probable cause is an anonymous phone call?
He’s wearing nothing but a freaking TOWEL, after getting out of the bath! How were his hands out of sight when he’s holding the towel with one hand and pointing at his ear with the other while trying to communicate that he can’t hear?
We’ve got to take these thug’s new “tool” away until they learn that it’s a potentially LETHAL weapon, not a plaything to be used when the urge hits.
Who is going to repair the door the police broke down breaking into this man’s house? Lawsuit Lawsuit Lawsuit
I'm tired of hearing the taser referred to as a non-lethal tool. It is not. And neither are some of the tools using them. Anybody see the recent video of the motorist getting tased because he wouldn't sign the traffic ticket the cop had given him? All the "officer" had to do was write "refused to sign" on the ticket.
Man in a towel. Sure, he’s a threat. Drop him. /sarcasm/
Yes, and they should be naked and wet, like he was. Wet is always good with electricity, right?
Yep...
And televise it...
"Police say the shooting call came from a cell phone but they still don't know who made it or why."
Some anarchist, knowing Williams is deaf, made a cell phone call that would surely bring armed police to Williams' home.
(IIRC, Islamo-terrorists are very good with anonymous cell phones)
Relying on the propensity for police to use a TASER instead of a gun, the plan worked beautifully.
Note to cops ... they're trying to make bobbies out of you.
< / tin foil hat >
I fail to see the threat a man dressed in nothing but a towel, pointing at his ears, saying over and over; “I can’t hear!”, is a threat to a couple of cops.
Every cop involved should be fired, and bared from ever working as a cop again.
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