Police justify use of Taser on disabled man because he had umbrella!
MOBILE, Alabama (PNN) - July 28, 2009 - Alabama police are apparently prepared if Batman's nemesis, The Penguin, and his weapon-umbrella army ever attack.
Reportedly, officers used pepper spray and a Taser to remove a man from a store bathroom and opnly later found out he was deaf and mentally disabled, and didn't understand that they wanted him to open the door. A spokesman for the Mobile Police Department said the officers' actions were justified because the man was armed with a potential weapon - an umbrella.
After forcibly removing Antonio Love from the bathroom of the Azalea Road store, officers attempted to book the 37-year-old on charges of resisting arrest, disorderly conduct and failure to obey a police officer, but the magistrate on duty at the jail refused to accept any of those charges.
Christopher Levy, a Police Department spokesman, said the officers didn't find out that Love had a hearing impairment until after they got him out of the bathroom and found a card in his wallet indicating he was deaf.
He said the officers' decision to take Love to jail - even after they discovered his disability - as well as their conduct throughout the incident is still under investigation.
Levy said that the use of the Taser and pepper spray appear to be justified, according to the department's policy.
It alkso appears that no credentialed interpreter was ever made available, even though federal disabilities laws require law enforcement to seek a translator in such instances.
Levy said an interpreter was called for but later canceled when the officers learned that one of the responding ambulance workers knew sign language. Late Monday, Love said he was never told through an interpreter or shown on paper his Miranda rights - the right not to disclose information and the right to an attorney - which are required to be told to arrested persons.
“He didn't know it was a policeman until they busted the door in on him," said his mother. "He had a knot on his head from where it hit him."
The internal investigation will also include a review of Love's complaints that officers laughed at him after realizing he was deaf, said Levy.
Alabama's Fox10TV reports, "The incident happened around 11:00 a.m. and when he was returned home it was 4:00 in the afternoon. He was never arrested. Love's mom doesn't understand.”
Ed. Note: From the Department of You Can't Make this Stuff Up. "Oh my GAWD; he has an UMBRELLA! RUN!! RUN!! RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!!!!!!" Unflipping believable! Revolution Now! Independence Forever!
Reportedly, officers used pepper spray and a Taser to remove a man from a store bathroom and opnly later found out he was deaf and mentally disabled, and didn't understand that they wanted him to open the door. A spokesman for the Mobile Police Department said the officers' actions were justified because the man was armed with a potential weapon - an umbrella.
After forcibly removing Antonio Love from the bathroom of the Azalea Road store, officers attempted to book the 37-year-old on charges of resisting arrest, disorderly conduct and failure to obey a police officer, but the magistrate on duty at the jail refused to accept any of those charges.
Christopher Levy, a Police Department spokesman, said the officers didn't find out that Love had a hearing impairment until after they got him out of the bathroom and found a card in his wallet indicating he was deaf.
He said the officers' decision to take Love to jail - even after they discovered his disability - as well as their conduct throughout the incident is still under investigation.
Levy said that the use of the Taser and pepper spray appear to be justified, according to the department's policy.
It alkso appears that no credentialed interpreter was ever made available, even though federal disabilities laws require law enforcement to seek a translator in such instances.
Levy said an interpreter was called for but later canceled when the officers learned that one of the responding ambulance workers knew sign language. Late Monday, Love said he was never told through an interpreter or shown on paper his Miranda rights - the right not to disclose information and the right to an attorney - which are required to be told to arrested persons.
“He didn't know it was a policeman until they busted the door in on him," said his mother. "He had a knot on his head from where it hit him."
The internal investigation will also include a review of Love's complaints that officers laughed at him after realizing he was deaf, said Levy.
Alabama's Fox10TV reports, "The incident happened around 11:00 a.m. and when he was returned home it was 4:00 in the afternoon. He was never arrested. Love's mom doesn't understand.”
Ed. Note: From the Department of You Can't Make this Stuff Up. "Oh my GAWD; he has an UMBRELLA! RUN!! RUN!! RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!!!!!!" Unflipping believable! Revolution Now! Independence Forever!
