Posted on 04/09/2009 1:07:13 PM PDT by Dallas59
The city of Fort Worth has reached a $50,000 settlement with a deaf man who claims his nose was broken during a November 2007 traffic stop as he tried to explain to an officer he could not hear.
Fort Worth police Sgt. Pedro Criado said settlement Wednesday did not include any admission of wrongdoing on the city's part. The city also released the police dash camera video of the traffic stop. On Nov. 30, Christopher Ferrell, 43, was pulled over for speeding, police said. Criado said Thursday he did not know where the traffic stop occurred. Ferrells attorney said his client reached for his identification to inform the officer he was deaf. "He was trying to show his identification to the officer so that the officer would know that he was simply unable to communicate with him on a normal basis," said attorney Paul Goetz.
(Excerpt) Read more at dallasnews.com ...
Will they test the officer for steroid or caffine abuse?
How sad.
Just a short temper.
Cop was a Jerk.
I guess the officer has to assume that the man could hear and assume he was reaching for something. These stories still make me a bit angry though.
$50,000??? That’s all? Chump change for gestapo tactics.
I don’t have volume. Did the cop ever realize in this film clip here the guy was deaf?
If not, I’d pay money to see that “Aw shit” moment.
This is a problem with police and deaf people, from what I’ve heard...
He was deaf.
Some cops have a tough beat. 1:48AM might have been too much for the cop. I don’t know if cops are rotated or ordered to work the grave shift.
Yep, I can believe it...
There’s a lot of deaf people around in that area (i.e., Dallas...)...
Piss-poor performance by that officer. Should be retired to the rubber gun squad so he doesn’t hurt anyone else.
The way things are going, sounds like their numbers are steadily decreasing.
If cops have a tough beat and can’t handle it, they need to quit.........LE was created by society to protect society; therefore, LE is responsible to society........
LE did not create itself or spring independent of the rest of the world.....
If he “tought” the guy was reaching for a gun (or it could be that was his excuse for the treatment after the fact)...when it got him out of the car, the guy had no gun and did not need to be banged against his car with his face......
Again, LE works for Society and is accountable to society for what ever it does..it does not operate in a self crated vacuum (even tho most LE don’t understand this)...
Fire the COP...
If cops have a tough beat and can’t handle it, they need to quit.........LE was created by society to protect society; therefore, LE is responsible to society........
LE did not create itself or spring independent of the rest of the world.....
If he “thought” the guy was reaching for a gun (or it could be that was his excuse for the treatment after the fact)...when it got him out of the car, the guy had no gun and did not need to be banged against his car with his face......
Again, LE works for Society and is accountable to society for what ever it does..it does not operate in a self created vacuum (even tho most LE don’t understand this)...
Fire the COP...
The last time I ran a red light, I used the ASL “deaf” sign. The cop had no idea what it was.
I believe all US cops should get specific training on this one sign and all deafies should be aware to use it for all police interaction.
This could have been avoided.
If the cop worked for a hospital, it would be $50million. The government only takes that much. They don’t pay that much.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.