OK, subdue this 16 year old. I'll watch.
Posted on 07/25/2008 1:43:02 PM PDT by LibWhacker
OZARK, Mo. -- A family wants answers about what happened to their son that left him hospitalized. Early Saturday morning, police found Mace Hutchinson, 16, underneath the Highway F overpass over U.S. 65.
Mace ended up in intensive care at a hospital. His parents believe the actions of Ozark police officers contributed to his injuries and slowed doctors’ abilities to speed his recovery.
“We called the police. My wife was afraid he was going to get ran over or hit,” said witness Doug Messersmith.
Messersmith and his wife were the last known people to see 16-year-old boy walking, shortly before their phone call to 911.
“He looked a little agitated but, other than that, he didn't look to be falling down drunk or anything like that,” he said.
By the time officers arrived, the teen was off the 30-foot overpass, lying on the shoulder below along U.S. 65, with no good explanation as to how he got there.
“According to the doctors, all injuries are consistent with a fall,” said his aunt, Samantha.
Mace's dad believes it was just that, a fall, not a jump. The question is why.
“They tested his system. He was clean of drugs and alcohol. We don't know why unless just being in shock and the whole thing in itself caused him to forget everything,” said Hutchinson.
His aunt says he is undergoing major surgery for a broken back and broken heel. While he was lying on the ground, she wonders why Ozark police used an electric stun gun on him up to 19 times.
“I'm not an officer, but i don't see the reason for ‘Tasering’ somebody laying there with a broken back. I don't consider that a threat,”
His dad says the use of the stun gun delayed what would have been immediate surgery by two days.
“The ‘Tasering’ increased his white blood cell count and caused him to have a temperature so they could not go into the operation.”
“He refused to comply with the officers and so the officers had to deploy their Tasers in order to subdue him. He is making incoherent statements; he's also making statements such as, ‘Shoot cops, kill cops,’ things like that. So there was cause for concern to the officers,” said Ozark Police Capt. Thomas Rousset.
Police say although there are several unanswered questions; the reason for the use of a stun gun is not one of them.
“It's a big concern for the officers to keep this guy out of traffic, to keep him from getting hurt,” said Rousset.
Mace was still in intensive care on Wednesday night, listed in fair condition. He was scheduled for surgery again on Thursday. The family, along with the Ozark Police Department, hopes someone will see this report and come forward with some information. You can call (417) 699-4789 with information or call the Ozark Police Department.
I have never met a 16 year old I do not think any local cop could subdue. These men should be in shape, they should be able to handle this situation. I have seen it first hand, they reach for their tasers at the drop of a hat. I would say somebody is going to get killed, but people already have. Should be ashamed of themselves.
Sheesh.
OK, subdue this 16 year old. I'll watch.
Non-lethal weapons seem like a good idea, but lately the Tasers are being misused. If this pattern of misuse continues, they will be removed. That would be unfortunate because it could be an effective tool if used properly.
Great food...and unbelievably reasonably priced. It's in an old Prohibition-era roadhouse, and the decor is, uh, shall we say, ''eclectic''.
Note to self... If incapacitated with broken back decline PD help from hurting self worse...lol
i’ll hold judgement because this is too weird. was he walking around? i have seen people tasered simply because of what they said but not while they were laying on the ground with a busted back.
“‘Shoot cops, kill cops,’ things like that.”
I call BS.
[... These men should be in shape...]
Those “men” could have been FEmen officers.
So I’m thinking, it would be interesting if
doctors discover the tasering actually
provided some kind of medical benefit to
Mace’s spinal chord.
Would that be fortuitous providential
serendipity?
Don’t know... I don’t think a person can walk if his back is broken. What I’m imagining here, because the article is short on facts, is that he was writhing around in agony, the cops come along and tell him to hold still so they can cuff him, but he is unable to comply because he was in too much pain, so they tased him??? I hope that’s not the case, but ...
We are only hearing one side on this. We have no idea what happened. All we are hearing are comments from the television news interviewing the family.
I would wait until some more information comes out. Sure, there are idiot cops out there, just like there are idiots in every field.
Until we accuse them of just sadistically tasering the guy 19 times (who said 19 times...the kid? His family? The news?)
This just sounds too weird to me.
Broken heel, talus, is a ball like bone and requires a lot of energy to ‘break’, actually crush. I know because I had to jump down two stories to concrete while being chased and robbed. You can sort of walk on it, but it's tender for a while. Not much to do but let the calcium repair it.
Overpass. My guess the kid jumped, crushed his heal, compressed fractured his back and basically knocked the hell out of himself.
“Oh my God, he’s coming right at us”
I want answers as to why these parents named their son “Mace”.
Im sure that's what they had in mind! They did say they were trying to help. What a great bunch of guys ;)
Specifically, from his parents, who we know little about, beyond the fact that they named their son "Mace". I'll wait for info from other sources too.
“He was a crazed madman!”
Assuming the accuracy of the story for the sake of this post:
1. If he was making incoherent statements, why assume coherency in the words ‘Shoot cops, kill cops’, unless he had a means of carrying out an intent.
2. Did the words ‘Shoot cops, kill cops’ come before or after they tasered him as he lay with a broken back? If after, many would sympathize with the sentiment.
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