Questions when police kill children

GOOD MORNING FLINT!
3/24/09
By Terry Bankert
Posted first to Blogging for Michigan
http://bloggingformichigan.com/

Death by Taser: The Killer Alternative to Guns[5]

Already in the case of the Bay City killing we hear denunciation of the victim and blind support for the police. When there is a death at the hands of the police we have an obligation and right to ask questions.

How can the demand for governmental accountability be any greater than when the Bay City Police Department killed a child with a Taser?

Google Taser Death and numerous articles come up. My intent today is a brief review to begin to raise the right questions we should be asking Bay City Government and our own elected officals.
Since 2001, more than 150 people nationwide have died after they were shocked by Tasers, according to an Amnesty International [6]

TASER ASSOCIATED DEATHS & NEED TO MINIMIZE THE APPEARANCE OF BRUTALITY

Many Taser-associated deaths have been written up by coroners as being attributable to "excited delirium," a condition that includes frenzied or aggressive behavior, rapid heart rate and aggravating factors related to an acute mental state and/or drug-related psychosis. When such suspects are stunned, especially while already being held down or hogtied, deaths seem to occur after a period of "sudden tranquility," as Taser explains in its CD-ROM training material entitled, "Sudden Custody Death: Who's Right and Who's Wrong." In that same material, the company warns officers to "try to minimize the appearance of mishandling suspects."[5]

A CHILD DIES AT THE HANDS OF POLICE ,THE TASER PUBLIC RELATIONS REPRESENTATIVE WILL ARRIVE IN TOWN SOON. WHY?

Today, more than 9,500 law enforcement, correctional and military agencies in 43 countries use Taser weaponry. In the past eight years, more than 184,000 Tasers have been sold to law enforcement agencies, with another 115,000 to citizens in the 43 states where it is legal to possess a stun gun. [5]

IN AN ONGOING CANADIAN CASE LYING MOUNTIES GOT CAUGHT IN A VIDEO

A fuzzy video of four Mounties zapping Robert Dziekanski with a stun gun sparked international outrage, but it is unusual for police officers to be convicted of using excessive force in such cases, experts say.The reasons are varied. Police are given leeway to use a certain amount of force in their jobs. It's hard to prove the officers intended to kill or badly hurt the victims. And juries are often hesitant to convict officers if the victims had been acting violently. Among the highest-profile cases of police use of force was that of Rodney King, a black motorist beaten by four Los Angeles police officers in 1991. The police were charged but acquitted in court, sparking massive race riots.[4]

THE POLICE INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX WILL SAY TASERING IS HUMAN

Long touted as a safer alternative to handguns for law enforcement, tasers are potentially deadly weapons that have a growing history of abuse by police and security guards. [5]

HIT HIM AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN

A VANCOUVER, B.C. news article on a taser death raised the issue of how many time the victim was tasered on the ground collapsed and did the officer have the proper training.
Taser's stun guns are designed to shoot a maximum of 50,000 volts into a person's body through two compressed nitrogen-fueled probes, thereby disrupting the target's electromuscular system. The probes are connected to the Taser gun by insulated wires, and can deliver repeat shocks in quick succession. The probes can pierce clothing and skin from a distance or be directly applied to a person's body -- a process known as "dry stunning" -- for an ostensibly less-incapacitating, cattle-prod effect.[5]

A VICTIM WHO DID NOT UNDERSTAND ENGLISH GIVEN CONFLICTING ORDERS AND KILLED

The inquiry into the Taser-related death of a Polish immigrant at Vancouver International Airport will resume Monday with testimony from the senior officer involved.RCMP Cpl. Benjamin (Monty) Robinson was the officer in charge of a team of four when Robert Dziekanski was hit multiple times with a police stun gun and died on Oct. 14, 2007.Dziekanski family lawyer Walter Kosteckyj said the testimony from the three other Mounties involved has been full of errors and misrepresentations.[2]

THE POLICE INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX RUNS ON TASER

Taser International Inc. maintains that its stun-guns are "changing the world and saving lives everyday." There is no question that they changed Jack Wilson's life. On Aug. 4, in Lafayette, Colo., policemen on a stakeout approached Jack's son Ryan as he entered a field of a dozen young marijuana plants. When Ryan took off running, officer John Harris pursued the 22-year-old for a half-mile and then shot him once with an X-26 Taser. Ryan fell to the ground and began to convulse. The officer attempted cardiopulmonary resuscitation, but Ryan died.[5]

THE MOUNTIES ARE SORRY A MAN IS DEAD..HIT AGAIN AND AGAIN

"No one should have passed away," he said. "This never should have happened." "When he took the step forward, that's when I gave Const. Millington the command to deploy the Taser," said Robinson. "And at that point, the Taser was deployed."Robinson said when Dziekanski didn't immediately fall down, he asked for a second shock...On the video, one of the officers can be heard shouting, "Hit him again! Hit him again!" after the second stun, long after Dziekanski had fallen. The other officers have said that voice belongs to Robinson. Robinson said he didn't remember giving a third command, but didn't dispute that it was him. "I don't rule that out, it was me a third possible time," he said.A bystander's video played numerous times at the inquiry shows Dziekanski was on the floor for the second stun, and Robinson acknowledged Dziekanski had either already collapsed or was on his way down by the end of the first shock.Robinson completed Taser training in 2003, but that training expired three years later. He wasn't recertified until a month after Dziekanski's death.[1]

QUESTION How many times was the victim tasered.?

QUESTION What was the state of the victim when tasered?

QUESTION Did the officers doing the tasering have proper training or certification?

TEMPORARY OVERRIDE OF NERVOUS SYSTEM

According to Taser's promotional materials, its stun guns are designed to "temporarily override the nervous system [and take] over muscular control." People who have experienced the effect of a Taser typically liken it to a debilitating, full-body seizure, complete with mental disorientation and loss of control over bodily functions.[5]

POLICE DO LIE. ITS YET TO BE PROVEN IN BAY CITY. KEEP AN OPEN MIND BUT A CRITICAL ONE

In the Canadian case police officers were caught in a lie.
Robinson denied that he and his three Mountie colleagues had colluded in any way by discussing what happened that night.[2]After watching a video of the incident taken by a man at the airport, Robinson admitted his statement was wrong in that Dziekanski did fall after the first Taser and did not have to be wrestled to the ground. [2]

QUESTION What inconsistencies exist in officer statements showing the conspiracy to lie by officers.

HOW MANY STUNS TO A KILL?

He said he thought Dziekanski was only Tasered twice. He didn’t realize the Taser was deployed five times, the last three in stun mode, where the electrical device is held against a person to immobilize them. [2]

QUESTION What does deployed mean? What does stun mode mean? What other mode is there?

Robinson will be asked about his gestures to Dziekanski just before he was jolted, why he asked for another Taser shock even though Dziekanski was already on the floor and what efforts he made to revive the unconscious man.[3]

QUESTION What efforts were made to assist the victim.

BEFORE A COUPLE BIG COPS COULD HANDLE A KID

The Taser has made the debate around police use of force more complicated. The "conducted energy weapon" was introduced as a less-lethal alternative to handguns, but its usage has increased dramatically in recent years and it has been used in multiple incidents in Canada that have resulted in a death.That has sparked controversy internationally about whether the Taser should be considered the equivalent to a gun, or truly a more middle-of-the-road weapon if used appropriately.[4]

QUESTION How many deaths have been caused by taser?

QUESTION Should a Taser be considered a gun.

SOME TASER HITS OCCUR WHILE CUFFED. Or death occurs after cuffing.

In July, a Louisiana grand jury indicted former police officer Scott Nugent on a manslaughter charge in the death of a man who was Tasered nine times while handcuffed.[4]
QUESTION Why would a handcuffed prisoner need to be tasered?

TASER IS BIG BUSINESS AND THEIR PUBLIC RELATIONS PEOPLE WILL HIT TOWN SOON.

Over the same period, Taser has developed a near-monopoly in the market for non-lethal weaponry. Increasingly, law enforcement officials use such weapons to subdue society's most vulnerable members: prisoners, drug addicts and the mentally ill, along with "passive resisters," like the protesters demonstrating against Florida Governor Jeb Bush's attendance of a Rick Santorum fundraiser in Pittsburgh on Oct. 9.[5]

TASER OPERATES ON INFLUENCE PEDDLING

Taser has built this monopoly through influence peddling, savvy public relations and by hiring former law enforcement and military officers -- including one-time Homeland Security chief hopeful, Bernard Kerik. And now that questions are being raised about the safety of Taser weaponry, the company is fighting back with legal and marketing campaigns. [5]

Review with a critical eye what the police ,prosecutor and Taser PR people say. The police are our police protecting us.The individual officers did the best they could and feel truly saddened over the death of this child in Bay City. Its tough rough business. Focus on departmental procedure and office training. Put accountability on the police chain of command and the elected officials. They will try to run but they cannot hide.

Posted Here by Terry Bankert 3/23/09
You are invited to continue this discussion on my Face Book Page. http://www.facebook.com/people/Terry-Bankert/645845362
--
[1]
http://www.google.com/hostednews/canadianpress/article/ALeqM5i9_GH7741Z1l6bOKUDNtPdeVN_Hw


[2]
http://www.calgaryherald.com/news/Everything+happened+really+quick+final+officer+tells+Taser+inquiry/1419113/story.html

[3]
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/british-columbia/story/2009/03/22/bc-braidwood-inquiry-resumes.html

[4]
http://www.canada.com/news/Convictions+police+excessive+force+rare+experts/1071785/story.html

[5]
http://www.alternet.org/rights/44455/
[6]
http://tampabay.injuryboard.com/defective-and-dangerous-products/another-taser-death-in-clearwater.aspx?googleid=202670

Sphere: Related Content

BAY CITY POLICE KILL CHILD

GOOD MORNING FLINT! 3/23/09 By Terry Bankert
Posted first to Blogging for Michgian
http://attorneybankert.com/http://bloggingformichigan.com/
http://attorneybankert.com/

BAY CITY, A POLICE CALL AND A CHILD DIES AT THE HANDS OF THE POLICE
I heard that a child was tasered to death by the Bay City Michigan Police. Citizen compliance to police authority and the police reasonable use of force are two competing pressures, equally important that keep our community’s safe. The courts often are called upon to determine if a citizen properly complied with a police authority. The courts seldom are called upon to determine proper police use of force. We rely on the leadership of the department and or political jurisdiction to monitor police behavior.

WE HAVE A RIGHT TO ASK QUESTIONS
But we have a right to demand answers and proof that when a child is killed by the police that it was reasonable. Reasonable is measured by law, departmental management , procedures and officer training. We have a right to know if the force used in this case was reasonable, a child was killed.

So far it , 5 am Monday 3/23/09,appears the Bay City issued a pres release the associated press picked it up and most media just repeated it. The blogosphere comments are that the child was repeatedly tasered. The State police are investigating. Next will come a statement by the Bay County Prosecutor. The Bay City Council should be asking hard questions. Yes police work is tough, we appreciate their service and the community should support their police department. But a child died, we have a right to know if the use of force was reasonable.
My first stop was at the internet site of the police department involved.
Welcome to the Bay City Police Department, Mission Statement ,"To provide the highest quality of police services for the community in a professional and caring manner." Vision Statement,"Excellence in Policing." [9]

They have defined the question. Was the police killing of the child by the Bay City police e representative of professional, caring police services of the highest quality and representative of excellence in policing.

Before the pro police jump on me, I was Flint Municipal Ombudsman for 7 years and have been trained to investigate police procedure and conducted over 300 investigations with a number of use of force cases. That was 15 years ago. I do not litigated ( represent victims) in this area and practice only in family law and will accept no involvement in this case, don’t call.

THE OFFICIAL WORD

A police news release says officers answered a report of a fight about 3:40 a.m. Sunday. The statement says two males were arguing in an apartment, and one of them "attempted to fight the officers."[8]

COMMUNITY REACTION BEGINS IN THE BLOGOSPHERE

THIS IS OUTRAGEOUS! once again, cops in bay city like the judges thinking they can do anything.how would any of you feel if it were your child. skinny 15 year old can`t be controlled by grown men? you people don’t know him? Brett was like any other kid. bay city police should hang their heads on this one .I hope it cost the city alot.put this murderer in prison. you all scream about donna,this guy tasered the kid MULTIPLE TIMES.HE IS A MURDERER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
[ Posted by BILLZIMMER on Reader comment Saginaw News [4]

Fact: You were not there and don't know exactly what happened.[Posted by audionautix on reader comment on Saginaw News[4]

A CHILD IS DEAD

Bay City police say a 15-year-old has died after being Tasered by officers who were trying to break up a fight.[1]

HOW TO CONTACT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT INVOLVED

Bay City Police Department501 3RD ST BAY CITY, MI 48708 989-892-8571[9]
DOMESTIC DISTURBANCE, WAS IT HANDLED PROPERLY

Police say two males were arguing in an apartment early yesterday and one of them "attempted to fight the officers." [6]

CHILD TASERED

The teen was Tasered after he "attempted to fight the officers" but his reaction prompted police to immediately call for medics.[8]

CHILD KILLED BY BAY CITY MI POLICE

A Bay City teenager is dead after being Tasered by a Bay City police officer. It happened around 3:40 am Sunday morning along the 200 block of South Catherine Street. Police got to the area and found at least two people fighting near an apartment.[3]

HOW JUST DID THE OFFICER ATTEMPT TO STOP THE FIGHT

Officers tried several times to stop the argument[3]

THERE SHOULD BE POLICE DISPATCH TAPES, WHAT WAS THE CALL?

Officers were sent to an apartment in the 200-block of South Catherine about 3:40-Sunday morning for a disturbance. A 15-year old boy was arguing with another man in the west side apartment and he tried to fight with the officers. One of the officers used a taser weapon to subdue the teen.[5]

HOW DID THE POLICE ATTEMPT TO DIFFUSE THE SITUATION

Police told TV5 that two men were arguing. Police said they attempted to diffuse the situation but the teen attempted to fight the officers. Police used a Taser in an effort to subdue him. [7]

DID THE POLICE OVERREACT? WHAT WAS THEIR TRAINING, DEPARTMENT POLICE AND RECORD OF THE OFFICERS INVOLVED

The police over reacted.[ Posted by flint4u on Reader comment Saginaw News [4]

WHAT IS THE HISTORY OF THE BAY CITY POLICE DEPARTMENT

The Bay City Police are known for being to violent and aggressive with adults let alone teens. Opie was a good boy and never did anything wrong.[Posted by flint4u on Reader comment Saginaw News [4]

THERE WILL BE A TAPE OF THE OFFICES CALL, WHAT WAS SAID.

Officers at the scene called an ambulance after seeing the teen’s reaction to the Taser, police said. He was transported to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead.[7]

WHAT IS THE MEDICAL REACTION TO A TASERThe teen suffered a medical reaction after
being taken into custody. He was pronounced dead at Bay Regional Medical Center. His name is being withheld at this time. [5]

Tasers use electrical shocks to stun attackers and disrupt voluntary control of their muscles.[2]

WAS THE CHILD TASERED MORE THAN ONCE?

Being tased over and over again for not being quiet is uncalled for..Seriously what could he have done to hurt them when he was already handcuffed? That cop should be put under the jail...His job is to protect people not kill innocent, harmless teenagers...[ Posted by kimmy1776 on reader comment Saginaw News [4]

WHAT WAS THE CONDITION OF THE CHILD BEFORE THE TASER?

Then the 15-year-old reportedly tried to fight the officers, shortly before the Stun Gun was used on him.[3]

WHO WERE THE MEDICAL STAFF AND WHAT IS THEIR VERSION?

Medical staff arrived to treat the teen. He was taken to Bay Regional Medical Center where he was pronounced dead.[3]

WHO WERE THE NEIGHBORS, WHAT DID THEY SEE AND HOW LARGE WAS THE FIGHT, WAS IT MORE THAN TWO.

Neighbors summoned authorities to quell a large fight, police said.[4]

WERE THE OFFICERS SURROUNDED BY A NUMBER OF PEOPLE OR JUST TWO?

When officers arrived, neighbors directed them to an apartment where they found two people arguing.Officers' attempts to diffuse the situation failed, police said.[4]

WHAT IS THE HISTORY OF TASER USE IN BAY CITY AND MICHIGAN

Frankly, the expanding overuse of tasers in the United States is one of the most egregious abuses of police power I have ever seen. They're used for crowd control against non-violent people, they are used to subdue those who may be unarmed but resist arrest, and they're used when people are perceived as upset or out-of-line. [Boston Globe reader comment[2]

WHAT IS THE TRAINING AN OFFICER RECEIVES TO MAKE THE DECISION TO USE A TASER?

What were the police supposed to do if he was so uncooperative, shoot him? People call the police to do something, and when they do, they are the bad guys. What would you have done??? I support the police in this case.[Posted by nowayjean Saginaw news reader comment [4]

PUBLIC OPINION IS FORMING WITHOUT ALL THE FACTS.

I, for one, will not stand for this. Weapons this dangerous should not be in the hands of trigger-happy police officers who don't know if their little toy weapon is going to kill someone.They're just waiting to try it, and when the first person steps out of line and says, "Don't taze me, bro!," BAM! You've just been electrocuted to death. [Boston Globe reader comment[2]

This sounds more like a 1984 or Fascist nightmare than a Representative Democracy of the people.Let's reconsider out taser policies across the country. We keep seeing these articles, because it's human nature to go trigger happy with these violent and deadly weapons they perceive as the next best thing to pepper spray. by flowingfire March 23, 3:49 AM [Boston Globe reader comment[2]

HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE KILLED ANNUALLY BY TASERS?

For a supposedly nonfatal law enforcement tool, it sure ends up killing a lot of people. Of course, that's because it's rampantly overused and abused in situations where a cop would never pull a gun. Large amounts of electricity are used to kill people...what a surprise that slightly small amounts do too! by Wasabiturtleboston-1 March 23, 2:50 AM [Boston Globe reader comment[2]

OBEYING THE POLICE AND REASONABLE USE OF FORCE ARE EQUALLY IMPORTANT

When the cop points the TASER at you.....stop what you are doing....and live. by powhitetrash March 23, 2:22 AM [Boston Globe reader comment[2]

THE EARLY MEDIA ACCOUNTS ANF BLOGOSPHERE COMMENTS


The death occurred after Bay City officers answered a report of an early morning fight early yesterday.[2]

Two males were arguing in an apartment, and one of them "attempted to fight the officers," a police statement said.[2]

Police didn’t release his name and say state police are investigating.[1]
A police news release says officers answered a report of a fight about 3:40 a.m. Sunday. The statement says two males were arguing in an apartment, and one of them "attempted to fight the officers."[1]
Fact: According to a study by Amnesty International, a small percentage of those who have tasers used on them each year die as a direct result of getting tased, and deaths during arrests increase in police departments where tasers are introduced.[Posted by audionautix on Saginaw reader comment [4]
Fact: being belligerent and disrespectful to the police will increase your chances of having your @ss tased.[Posted by audionautix on Saginaw reader comment [4]

Police say police Tasered him, and his reaction led them to immediately call for emergency medical help. He was pronounced dead at Bay Regional Medical Center.[1]


The whole reason for the taser is to control anyone without coming in direct contact with an aggressive subject. No matter the age, sex or size. They should now go and Taze the parents for not teaching their child how to respect the police. Unacceptable ...? No...it’s the standard. Have to wait and see how intoxicated or how high the youth was.[ Posted by simonsidol on Saginaw News Reader comment[4]

Police say officers used the Taser to subdue the teenager, and his reaction led them to immediately call for emergency medical help. He was pronounced dead at Bay Regional Medical Center.[2]


I don't recall the article stating the teen died as a result of the taser...I have personally tazed 50+ subjects and yes-none of them have died...the purpose of the taser is so that neither the officer nor arrestee get injured...so we should all patiently await the autopsy report...and ... you would also be the first to complain if the officers had to become physical, not beat him, to detain him...not all teens are 5'08" 130lbs![ Posted by mezcal084 on Saginaw News reader comment[4]


Well I find it interesting that officers could not take control of a 15 year old kid they are trained police officers and they had to use a stungun on him that is unacceptable for law enforcement
[ Posted by repo0225 on Saginaw News reader comment [4]

Deputy Chief Thomas Pletzke tells WNEM-TV police placed one officer on administrative leave.[1]
Deputy Police Chief Thomas Pletzke told WNEM-TV that the department has placed one officer on administrative leave in connection with the episode.[2]

I find it interesting that this is being reported on mlives saginaw site but not on the bay city site.It seems that when a teen dies after being tasered by a member of law enforcement it should deserve at least a cursory mention in the local press. Maybe the bay city times hasn't figured out a way to put the proper spin on it yet?[Posted by heresthis on Saginaw News reader comment[4]

Michigan State police are investigating the case. The names of the officer and the teen have not been released.[3]

Most teen age KIDS!! are cocky. The teenage kid was in the wrong to go after the cops.However is a 15 year BOY that much of a danger to two full grown men? Police officers TRAINEDin self defense. Did the boy have a gun,Knife? I didnt see where they stated he did. Where thecops in that much danger? A BOY is going to kick both cops A**? I dought it. What about the nakedman they tasered last month. Did he have hidden weapons? Yea Right!! I think the cops are outof control on there use of tasers and should be held accountable for thier actions. Nakedmen and BOYS can be taken down and hand cuffed the old fashion way. Do your jobs right andnut just taser people and children because you THINK you can. I bet the Bay City copslose this lawsuit BIG TIME. We will see, and thier just might be murder charges drop this.THIS IS GOING TO FAR!! OUT LAW TASERS FOR THELAW OFFICERS ALSO. [ Posted by Saddman47 on Saginaw News reader comment [4]

Well To the people that think the Taser is no good think of this. Let's say they don't use the taser and fight with the kid and in the strugle he breaks a arm or leg, Are they at fault now? Or lets say the kid is 6 foot 2 and 240 pounds (note any size person could get lucky here) and puts up a good fight and gets one of there guns somehow then what?. The Tasers job is to stop the fight before it ever happens and save injury of the person or the officer. It seems to me in this case by some of the comments the police would have been wrong no matter what had happen. Remember That fighting with the police in the first place is a crime. Let's wait and see how the kis died before we go all crazy and want to hang anyone out to dry.[Posted by smooth781 on reader comment Saginaw News [4]

In Bay City start my supporting your police but demand answers in ths short run. In the long run use this opportunity to review your policies.

You the public have a right to know and a right to demand a department that kills a child is held accountable and must publicly and fully report.


Why not use this as an opportunity to work with your local police department and elected leadership and review your departments polices on use of force and tasers. Why wait for a child death?

Posted Here by Terry Bankert 3/23/09 You are invited to continue this discussion on my Face Book Page. http://www.facebook.com/people/Terry-Bankert/645845362
-
[1]
http://www.freep.com/article/20090323/NEWS06/90323003/1001/NEWS/Bay+City+teen+dies+after+police+Taser+him

[2]
http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2009/03/23/teen_dies_when_police_use_taser_on_him/

[3]
http://www.connectmidmichigan.com/news/news_story.aspx?id=276821

[4]
http://www.mlive.com/news/saginaw/index.ssf/2009/03/teed_dies_after_police_use_tas.html

[5]
http://wsgw.com/Tasered-Teen-Dies/4063076

[6]
http://www.torontosun.com/news/world/2009/03/23/8848571-sun.html

[7]
http://www.wnem.com/news/18987196/detail.html

[8]
http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,25227299-663,00.html

[9]
http://www.cityofbaycity.org/index.asp?ID=8http://www.baycitymi.org/police/police.htm

[10]

I'm gonna let you folks in on facts that are missing. Noone inn the family is saying brett was a perfect kid you are right he had a rough life and was srinking that night. The family dont have a problem with the police using a taser. The famioly does have a problem with the half truths coming out on the news. Brett was HANDCUFFED while being tased. Does that make a diffrence to anyone it does to us. He was not fighting or swinging or throwing punches or kicks he stood up thats all he did he got dropped with no warning for standing up. he fell over and screamed as most people would do so they tased him again, this is where the family has problems but wait it gets better for all you who stick up for the police no matter what they do. The tasing caused brett to vomit so now he is laying face down in his own vomit and his heart stops. 1 of the 3 officers that were there said the victim is unresponsive. The family that was there now started to yell at the cops he's not breathing he's not breathing. this we have on audio recording. a family member wo has been in health care for most of her adult life told the police she was cpr certified and ask to try to revive him SHE WAS DENIED!!!! nor would the police try to perform cpr they refused to roll him on his side as you are supposed to do to someone who vomits whilr unconcious. So the family is not angry at the use of a taser, they are angry at the actions the cops would not let happen to save his life. This was cold and negligent. oh by the way they started taking state ments from people, bretts family and friends before the paramedics got there while he was laying on the floor dying WAY COOL BAY CITY POLICE YOU GO!!!! I HOPE THIS MAKES YOU FEEL BIG AND BAD TOUGH GUYS!!!![Posted by str8fan on reader comment from Saginaw News
[10]

http://www.mlive.com/news/saginaw/index.ssf/2009/03/teed_dies_after_police_use_tas.html


[11]

http://www.mlive.com/news/bay-city/index.ssf/2009/03/update_bay_city_teen_dies_afte.html#comments

Michigan State Police will investigate the death of a 15-year-old boy who died Sunday morning after a Bay City Police Department officer user a Taser weapon to subdue him.
Police identified the teen as Brett Elder.
Bay City Police Department officers said they responded to a fight in the 200 block of South Catherine Street at 3:40 a.m. Sunday. Officers said they were led to an apartment and found two males arguing, and tried to defuse the situation several times.

City police said one of the males, however, then tried to go after other occupants of the apartment and tried to fight the officers.
Police said they then Tasered the youth and took him into custody. Officers summoned medical personnel immediately due to the reactions of the subject.
Rescuers took Elder to Bay Regional Medical Center where he was pronounced dead.
Police said they arrested the boy's 35-year-old uncle at the hospital for assaulting a police officer there, and for resisting and obstructing police.
Prosecutors expect to arraign the uncle, of Bay City, in court today on the criminal charges.
Bay City Police Chief Michael Cecchini said the officer who used the stun gun has been placed on administrative leave for several days.
"This is a very tragic event," said Cecchini, noting the Bay City Police Department will conduct an internal investigation to determine whether the officer followed department policy when using the Taser.
Cecchini would not identify the officer.
Brett Elder attended Wenona High School, an alternative high school at 201 Woodside Lane operated by the Bay City Public Schools. Elder attended Bay City Central High School earlier this school year.
"He was a pleasant enough young man," said Jerry Lombardo, principal at Wenona High School, though Lombardo noted Elder had attended the alternative school for only about three weeks.
Police said an autopsy will take place today, but it will take weeks for final results - including toxicology tests to check for levels of drugs and alcohol.

Sphere: Related Content

We have Circus they have 3 million protesters!

ARTICLE SUMMARY
1.AN ANGRY MIDDLE CLASS ERUPTS!
2.WOULD A MILLION WORKERS PROTEST ECONOMICS IN U.S.?
3.US MIDDLE CLASS OUTRAGED ABOUT THE BAILOUT BONUS, ARE THERE PROTESTS? 4.MIDDLE CLASS SAYS DEFEND US FROM ECONOMIC HARM
5.PROFESSIONALS AND TEACHERS JOIN IN...
6.RAISE THE MINIMUM WAGE AND BENEFITS
7.WHY IS OUR GOVERNMENT NOT DOING MORE?
8.WE CANNOT FEED OUR CHILDREN
9.UNEMPLOYMENT IN PRIVATE SECTOR GOING UP...FAST
10.FRENCH GOVERNMENT BAILS OUT THE WORKER LESS THAN THE BUSINESSPERSON
11.US STUNNED BY THE GREED OF WALL STREET
12.LEADERS DEMAND MORE FOR THE MIDDLE CLASS LESS FOR THE ECONOMIC RULING CLASS
13.THREE MILLION PEOPLE DEMONSTRATE
14.THE PROTEST COULD WIDEN
15.FRANCE IS DIFFERENT
16.FRENCH CITIZENS COMMENTS
17.WHAT IS HAPPENING IS WRONG
18.WHY IS A CITIZEN STRIKE NECESSARY?
19.HAPPY PROTESTING
20.IT’S THE MONEYED PEOPLE
21.PEOPLE RIOT WHEN THEY HAVE NO BREAD
22.AMERICANS UPSET OVER A PARAGRAPH ALLOWING THE BAILOUT BONUS
23.IT’S THE FAULT OF BIG GOVERNMENT
24.ENOUGH IS ENOUGH WE ARE MAD AS...AND NOT GOING TO TAKE IT ANY LONGER 25.UNITED STATES SHOULD LOOK TO THE FUTURE
26.AMERICAN TAXPAYER WANTS HEADS TO ROLL POLITICALLY FOR THE BAILOUT BONUS?..WHO ...WHO.....WHO IS AT FAULT? IS IT DODD?
27.DODD ON DEFENSIVE "This political circus that's going on here today with this bill is not getting to the bottom of the questions of who knew what and when did they know it,"


GOOD MORNING FLINT! 3/19/09 By Terry Bankert

AN ANGRY MIDDLE CLASS ERUPTS! More than a million French workers staged a general strike and marched in demonstrations across the country Thursday in a second round of protests against the government's response to the world economic crisis.[1]

WOULD A MILLION WORKERS PROTEST ECONOMICS IN U.S.? The rallies, which, according to polls, are backed by three quarters of the French population, reflect growing disillusion with Sarkozy’s...[FRENCH PRESIDENT]... reforms as tens of thousands of jobs are lost to the downturn.[4]

US MIDDLE CLASS OUTRAGED ABOUT THE BAILOUT BONUS, ARE THERE PROTESTS? Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner confirmed yesterday that his department urged Sen. Chris Dodd to water down the executive-bonus limits included in last month's stimulus bill, a move that allowed the payment of $165 million in bonuses to American International Group employees.[6]

MIDDLE CLASS SAYS DEFEND US FROM ECONOMIC HARM The protests, which drew substantially more people into the streets than a similar outpouring Jan. 29, were depicted by union leaders as part of a sustained campaign to pressure President Nicolas Sarkozy to do more to defend French people against the economic upheaval that has unfurled across the planet since the fall. [1]

PROFESSIONALS AND TEACHERS JOIN IN... Teachers and doctors protested against his long-standing reform plan, saying public-sector job cuts would kill schools and hospitals. University staff are continuing their seven-week strike against higher education reform with sit-ins and occupations. [2]

RAISE THE MINIMUM WAGE AND BENEFITS In particular, they called on him to raise low-end wages and unemployment benefits and to make it harder for business leaders to fire employees when profits sink. [1]

WHY IS OUR GOVERNMENT NOT DOING MORE? "I cannot believe the government will stay immobile in the face of a phenomenon of this size," Bernard Thibault of the General Labor Confederation said on the government's France 2 television. [1]

WE CANNOT FEED OUR CHILDREN More than 90,000 French workers joined the ranks of the unemployed in January, pushing the total to 2.2 million and leading economists to estimate the unemployment rate at 8 percent. In addition, an increasing number of factories have put workers on part-time schedules, drastically reducing their pay and increasing fears of more layoffs. [1]

UNEMPLOYMENT IN PRIVATE SECTOR GOING UP...FAST Private-sector employees, including supermarket cashiers, bank clerks and car workers, took to the street over poor pay, factory closures and the return of a traditional French scourge: unemployment, now rising at its fastest rate in 10 years. [2]

FRENCH GOVERNMENT BAILS OUT THE WORKER LESS THAN THE BUSINESSPERSON In reaction, Sarkozy's government last month announced $3.2 billion worth of aid, including extended unemployment benefits, tax breaks for the poor and a one-time payment of $650 to unemployed youths who were not on the job long enough to qualify for unemployment checks. But the bulk of his $33 billion in anti-crisis spending has gone to buttress the finances of threatened banks and stimulate the flow of credit to needy businesses.[1]

US STUNNED BY THE GREED OF WALL STREET Obama told host Jay Leno that the payments raised moral and ethical problems — and that the administration was going to do everything it could to get the money back.But Obama added that the bigger problem is the culture that allowed traders to claim them.He said that has to change if the economy is to recover.[5]

LEADERS DEMAND MORE FOR THE MIDDLE CLASS LESS FOR THE ECONOMIC RULING CLASS Union leaders have denounced Sarkozy's aid to workers as half-measures that betray an inability to understand the feelings of insecurity and unfairness spreading through the working-class population. Prime Minister François Fillon, in a television appearance after the protests, acknowledged workers' concerns as legitimate but noted that the crisis was worldwide and said the French government would be irresponsible if it promised more spending now. [1] "Certainly not a new stimulus plan," he added. [1]

THREE MILLION PEOPLE DEMONSTRATE Unions said 3 million people participated in the demonstrations; police put the number at 1.2 million. In Paris, where the largest protest took place, marchers seemed enraged by what they said was Sarkozy's political bias toward the rich. France's bankers and businessmen have been granted expensive government subsidies to avoid bankruptcy, they said, while workers have been asked to make do with less money in their pay envelopes.[1]

THE PROTEST COULD WIDEN The government is concerned about the increasingly radical nature of protesters, with Sony factory workers holding a chief executive hostage over redundancies last week. Some French protesters are looking to the French Caribbean island of Guadeloupe, where a six-week general strike and one death eventually forced the government to back down and raise wages. [2]

FRANCE IS DIFFERENT With its large public sector, generous welfare system and rigid banking system, France has not yet suffered as acutely as Britain or Spain from the financial crisis. But a wave of mass redundancies sparked the protests. [2]

FRENCH CITIZENS COMMENTS I am not happy about the crooks in the banks who receive lots of money. I oppose the government of President Nicolas Sarkozy. I don't like him, he is very right-wing. He is part of a gang of rich people and he doesn't care about the poor people. [3] I always strike when I have the opportunity. It's the law of democracy to oppose. It's a good thing. Here in France, we are doing what others, like those in the US and the UK don't want to do. We want to stop this kind of capitalism. [3]

WHAT IS HAPPENING IS WRONG "There is a feeling of injustice," said Jean-Jacques Abekassi, 49, an employee of the Paris Chamber of Commerce and union activist who marched down the Rue du Temple under a warm sun. "We need a general rise in salaries and a better distribution of wealth in this country." [1]

WHY IS A CITIZEN STRIKE NECESSARY? I do feel that this strike is necessary. The number of poor people in our city is increasing in a crazy way. People on low income can hardly afford to pay the rent. [3] Those working in the arts and culture have so many reasons to strike. I personally plan to leave France to find better opportunities as a musician abroad. [3] Our research and educational system is falling into pieces and it's a shame. Researchers and university lecturers work in appalling conditions. [3]

HAPPY PROTESTING Despite the rancor on their banners, most marchers seemed cheerful in the spring weather as they marched and shouted anti-capitalist slogans. They moved past the house where Gustave Flaubert, author of "Madame Bovary," lived in the 19th century; they walked by the Kunga Tibetan restaurant, from where three Tibetans peered out at a raucous phenomenon that their countrymen left behind under Chinese rule were unlikely to witness any time soon; and they spilled into the Place de la Bastille, where street protesters kicked off the French Revolution in 1789 by tearing open a royal prison tower. [1]

IT’S THE MONEYED PEOPLE Claudine Chettab, 54, who was just laid off after 28 years as a purchasing agent, came from the Paris suburbs to join the show of outrage. Her firm was laying off people, she said, "because the financiers stuffed their pockets and never invested anything in the company when times were good." [1]

PEOPLE RIOT WHEN THEY HAVE NO BREAD To drive home her complaint, Chettab carried a handwritten banner paraphrasing Marie Antoinette, the insouciant queen of Louis XVI who was told the Paris poor were rioting because they had no bread. "When we have no more bread, we will eat cake," it read. [1] After the last general strike in January, Sarkozy moved to defuse tension by introducing certain tax cuts and welfare payments for the poorest families. Unions said it was not enough, but the president's advisers this week said there would be no more immediate measures. [2] "Sarkozy says there's no money for the public sector, that state coffers are dry, then he miraculously finds money to bail out the car industry," said Olivier Langillier, a nurse at the Paris march.[2]

AMERICANS UPSET OVER A PARAGRAPH ALLOWING THE BAILOUT BONUS A clause in the $787-billion economic stimulus plan approved by Congress last month capped bonuses for executives at companies getting federal bailout aid. But a one-paragraph provision tucked into the thick bill modified the cap to apply it only to future bonuses, not those already legally contracted.[6]

IT’S THE FAULT OF BIG GOVERNMENT It's the public sector, which lives off the back of the fantastic, competent and diligent workers in the private sector, that is on strike. In other words, the government is striking against the government, as absurd as it may sound. [3] France is run by civil servants and all they think of is their salaries, holidays, weekends and who's going to pay for lunch. [3] This country will never improve until power is taken from the parasitic civil service and put back into the hands of the people and their elected officials. [3] But François Fillon, the French Prime Minister, ruled out any further stimulus packages. [4]

ENOUGH IS ENOUGH WE ARE MAD AS...AND NOT GOING TO TAKE IT ANY LONGER "It was the measures taken to aid recovery that have doubled the budget deficit this year," he said. "I think the French people understand we cannot go any further. Not only would it be a big mistake for future generations, but it would also prevent the recovery." [4]

UNITED STATES SHOULD LOOK TO THE FUTURE But he said too many in Washington were trying to figure out whom to blame for things — when they should be focused on fixing them.[5]

AMERICAN TAXPAYER WANTS HEADS TO ROLL POLITICALLY FOR THE BAILOUT BONUS?..WHO ...WHO.....WHO IS AT FAULT? IS IT DODD? As the House readied legislation to crack down on the outrage-inspiring bonuses, Dodd, a Connecticut Democrat who chairs the Banking Committee, and Geithner appeared at odds over who was really responsible for Congress' failure to prevent them in the first place.[6]

DODD ON DEFENSIVE Dodd, on the defensive over a loophole that enabled the bonuses to go forward, claimed the Obama administration insisted he modify his proposal to rein in bonuses at companies getting billions of dollars in financial bailouts so that it would only apply to payments agreed to in the future - thus clearing the way for the AIG payouts.[6] Dodd told reporters he agreed to the changes "in order to preserve the amendment."[6] "This political circus that's going on here today with this bill is not getting to the bottom of the questions of who knew what and when did they know it," said House Republican LeaderJohn Boehner of Ohio.[6]

Posted Here by Terry Bankert 3/19/09

You are invited to continue this discussion on my Face Book Page. http://www.facebook.com/people/Terry-Bankert/645845362

Update: Mayoral Debate Hosted by Genesee County Democratic Party 4/30/09 http://gcdpdebate.wordpress.com/


-sources [1] http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/19/AR2009031900804.html?hpid=sec-world [2] http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/mar/20/nicolas-sarkozy-france-protests [3] http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7953429.stm [4] http://www.euronews.net/2009/03/20/sarkozy-under-pressure-after-french-protests/ [5] http://www.kansascity.com/news/nation/story/1096658.html [6] http://www.newsday.com/business/ny-bzbonu206076078mar20,0,5660097.story

Sphere: Related Content