Tuesday, January 02, 2007

Use of Force

Okay so on December 15th I had a rather bad experience. I apparently had an icky reaction to some medication mixed with Sparks. Sparks is not appearing to be such a good idea anymore. In my opinion, the powers that be meant for you to pass out when you drink. Getting drunk and being full of energy can lead to bad bad things.

Such as Tasers. Yes I was tasered. And not by a good friend goofing off and desiring me to smash them in the face. By the PO LEECE. Near as I can recall I was pulled over in Vinton. That is where things get hazy. Wait, I am not going to lie, most of the night was hazy. But in the spirit of good luck, this was one of those nights it failed me. I was NOT drunk. I was on meds that you are not supposed to drink on. Apparently I had the 'mother of all bad reactions'.


Near as I can remember this is what went down.

Cut Scene

Riding in unidentified friends van.

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Riding in unidentified friends car.

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Riding to unidentified friends house.

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Police flinging me from unidentified friends vehicle telling me I smelled like a brewery. (I had one Sparks around noon that day, this was around 11pm)

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Police asking me if I would take a BAC and making comments assuming I wouldnt.

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Naked wrasslin with jail deputies.

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Taser lines comin' right for me!

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Locked down naked in the Hannibal chair.

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Waking up 2 days later, naked and cold in a cell.

Sorry NAACP but this entire incident proves that you can recieve unneccesary use of force without being

A) Black
B) Male
C) Underprivledged

I was covered in bruises from head to toe, and now instead of being forced to check with my doctor about having a bad reaction to medications, I am going to have to undergo Pre-Trial drug testing. No biggy seeing as how I wont fail those, but the point should be obvious. No one is immune to the royal shit treatment where our government is concerned.

11 comments:

Ĵōÿ said...

Dero

Feel free to use anything I have written on the blog into anything you would like. If you need further details please dont hestitate to ask.

And any American in their right mind would fear our government, people who dont fear our government... well we just call them Republicans.

Unknown said...

Come on Joy, you know i love you but would like to here an unbiased cops point of view?

Ĵōÿ said...

Of course Chris. But having said that, I also believe you to be one of the few 'good cops'. By that I mean, I dont FEEL like you became an officer to wield power over civilians. Considering I and every other civilian American owes you respect and acknowledgement for our freedom, then I have to say I'd always feel compelled to listen to anything you have to say, biased or not. That is just the person I am.

Unknown said...

First of all, your a redhead and i taz all redheads.... y'all fight way dirty! Just kidding.

Now bare in mind this is Texas law and might vary in your state.

DWI = Driving While Intoxicated
To earn the charge you need to meet the criteria. 1. Operate a motorvehicle 2. In a public place 3. While Intoxicated.

Having met the first 2 we'll go to the third. Intoxication is caused by the introduction of alcohol, drugs or a combination of both in such a manner that it causes the person to lose control of their mental and physical faculties.(sp)

So by deffinition (in the GREAT State of Texas) you have met all criteria for DWI :(

I wont comment on why you were stripped or chaired but I know in Texas it takes a propensity for violance, desire to cause ones self or others harm or threats of scuicide or homicide to get chaired. We didn't even chair the crazy guy for smearing poop on the windows.

You my love had a bad week with the cops, and I really don't know if the did wrong or just did their job. However I would contribute it all to mixing the drugs and alcohol.

I think your a wonderful beautiful woman who had a bad day that wouldn't stop. I'm guessing that you had a bad detox also and that is why you were stripped and strapped. I hope it never happens again. If you need me you know where to find me :)

Ĵōÿ said...

uzowhThat is where the curiosity starts. The issue is that not 2 full weeks before I was pulled over my cousin who DID get a DUI (Driving under the influence in VA) in that same vehicle was told in court by the arresting officer in front of the judge, 'if I ever see that vehicle again Im pulling it over'. Ok well I knew that but having only had the one sparks at 12pm and knowing I wasnt intoxicated I was a little pissed at being pulled over and accused of smelling like a brewery. He did BAC me and I passed the test with only trace amounts of alcohol in my system. I knew I was pulled over because of the vehicle and not my driving. When I questioned why I was pulled over he then turned to me and said I smelled strongly of beer. I had not even drank beer. I realize sparks is an alcoholic drink but there is no way I smelled like a brewery nearly 12 hours after ingestion.

Even the officer testified at my hearing that I did not get upset nor out of control until they took my medication from me (maintenance drugs I have taken for 4 years now) and that I would calm down but each time my medications were brought up I was again agitated. I only have knowledge of that fact because of his testimony. Although I wasnt intoxcated I was having a serious reaction to anti anxiety medications. So with that said I do have a question that perhaps only you could answer Chris.

What criteria if any, are law enforcement given to assess a situation and decide the difference if any, in a violent subject or one with mental health issues, or even one having a serious medical reaction. I ask this because not only do I have a chemical imbalance which can cause SERIOUS problems and even strokes if treated improperly, but so does anyone who carrys the gene that I do. My uncle has this imbalance to a serious degree and has been homeless for quite sometime. He deals with the police often but I have never known them to treat him improperly considering his condition.

I am fully aware that the police had no knowledge of this condition, but once they retrieved my medications and could clearly see that there may be a mental health issue, what, if anything are they required to do that they wouldnt do for a normal out of control random person who was being arrested for being under the influence of anything.

I appreciate your time here though, I am ALWAYS willing to listen to both sides and of course I realize that your job puts you in danger, but I wonder where the line is drawn at dealing with cases individually to reduce the risks of lawsuits over issues like this.

Unknown said...

Hmmm... My first question would be what was the PC. Any good laywer would attack PC first bethat if there is not proper PC, then the rest of the arrest is null and void.

Here in Austin there was an incident about a year or so ago that kind of touches on a similar subject. Bare with me, the circumstances are hugely different but the principle is the same.

A mentally retarded person was upset and holding a knife. The person she was mad at was a few steps away. When the officer responding arrived that was the first thing he saw. While verbally trying get the mentally retarded person to drop the knife, she charged the person she was mad at. The officer shot and killed her.

I know this is an extream case, but we are not equipped with the schooling to handle all aspects of life and trama/drama that we come across. The people that are ofcourse are doctors who have had years and years of schooling.

When faced with a violent situation, our response must be immediate. So often are we critized and scrutinized for making decisions in a fast paced situation. After every tough situation i have been in, i catch myself second guessing myself sometimes for days. Most protocol is to get them to the jail asap so they can be treated by the jail medical staff simply because we dont have the training.

Why don't we you may ask? I don't know, maybe we should. But there is only so much you can stuff into a persons brain and expect them to genuinly retain. It's a lot just to remember the law and the proper execution of it as you come across each randon infraction or violation. Nothing is ever the same and the preasure is spine crushing. You do your best when the moment presents its self.

I don't want to sound like i'm on anyones side in this, i'm afraid you may think i'm attacking you but thats not my intension at all. I have seen extream cases that required the treatment you recieved but i don't know enough details to say you warrented it. I would never guess another officers actions when i wasn't there to witness them because i don't feel the way he felt or know the things he knew. However, his statement may be damaging in court. I know i have never smelled alcohol until i walked up to a person sitting in a car. I have never smelled it when they drove by and used it for my PC.

Ĵōÿ said...

PC?

He pulled me over stating that I had run over a sidewalk. If I took a photo of the area he said I ran over any judge would look at it and know with 100% certainty that this was a false statement. The curb he claimed I ran over is covered by tall shrubs and an approximately 25 foot tall convienience store sign. After being released I went by the location and found all the landscaping intact. It would not have been had it been run over by a 2 ton vehicle. My cousins girlfriend also worked at this store and denied the accusation that I had run over anything.

The treatment I recieved after incarceration is my biggest concern to be honest. Aside from the taser and being stuck in the chair the medics didnt speak to me until 2 days later and I have a hard time believing that I recieved proper treatment even for an officer or a deputy who was minimally trained. I have been in this situation before and recieved basic questioning, Whats your name? Do you know what month this is? I highly doubt I could have answered those questions accurately or at least without it becoming very apparent I was disoriented on more then an intoxication or under the influence level.

I have a condition known as fragile x. In 1/3 of its female carriers it is not something that is physically recognizable, although the syndrome itself is closest in relation to Downs which your example probably had. I say so because Downs syndrome is the one that is easiest to recognize by a quick physical assessment that an officer may have to do arriving on a scene.

Even though this wasnt a consideration during my arrest, I do recall 'coming to' about a day and a half later and the jail medic bringing me my anti anxiety medication telling me he was going to 'wean' me off of them. Even then they only gave them to me once per day the first two days and twice per day the last two days, ignoring the bottle itself which stated I should take it three times per day. They never brought me my other medication, known as Sertraline, which is actually the main medication used to treat and combat the effects of the Fragile X syndrome itself. In the medical world I am an enigma being a carrier of this chromosone and actually having an IQ that is above average. (146) My mother who was also afflicted had an IQ of around 80 which caused her to basically be mentally disabled for her entire life.

Having any reaction to these type of medications causes pronounced physical reactions such as drooping eyelids and slurred speech. I am fully aware that initially this could be mistaken for intoxication, but after a BAC was done, then what? I passed the BAC and was still visibly impaired. I also realize that my behavior was extremely erratic but in my opinion those should have sent up red flags and in the very least caused at least one officer involved (there were 5) to at MINIMAL request that I be given some type of evaluation upon reaching the jail that night.

I do not feel like you are attacking me. Just the opposite, I rather appreciate the time you have taken to explain some things. Do not mistake my comments here for ignorance, I am not your average, Fuck the police redneck. I realize that you have an extremely stressful job and wouldnt want the responsibility and concern that I know comes along with it. I knew I wasnt wrong about you when you openly stated that you question and double check yourself after some incidents. That was exactly my point. A GOOD officer likely always does so. An egotistical officer likely feels justified no matter the situation if the subject acts out of line and recieves some of the treatment that I did. I consider most any officer to be a soldier on the streets of our nation. It is likely easier to fight in another country where most people you come in contact with are the actual enemy and look the part, whereas on the streets of your own country the enemy can look just like you and I.

Believe me since this incident I have spent a lot of hours laughing with friends when I have sat and pondered what this situation LOOKED like. But in all honesty, looks can be and are almost always decieving. I know that statement alone is likely a BIG part of the training that any officer recieves.

Although I told the medics several times that there were several medications I should be taking, I went 24 hours most of the time before even seeing a medic to discuss this with them. I was also put in seclusion and only checked on every 15 minutes or so. It takes seconds to have a stroke or another life threatening or debilitating reaction to being taken off a medication that maintains chemical levels in the body.

Trust me, I realize that in the moment that the taser or the chair MAY have seemed neccesary. We were in a small cell and other things such as pepper spray could not have been used without affecting the officers surrounding me. My main concern is that there didnt seem to be any concern about what may have been a serious mental health issue. There was very little questioning that could have deducted that there may be a serious underlying matter involved. It seems to me that an assumption was made and a lot of others followed suit. In other words, I feel like the arresting officer was my personal judge, jury and executioner long before I ever made it to jail and got tasered and chaired. Had the arresting officer voiced some concern that there may be another issue behind my disorientation then perhaps the deputies at the jail would have handled the situation differently.

So if you have a subject who you pulled over today who you intially percieved as being intoxicated, that person passed the BAC and was still very agitated and disoriented what would your next move be? You search the person and find several medications, LEGAL narcotics on them. It is obvious to you that this person at least appears to be having some type of reaction. I guess what I am getting at is where is the line drawn that says .. Ok, well this person is out of hand but SOMETHING is wrong. Perhaps calling an abulance and even strapping the person to a gurney if needed to get them medical treatment before incarcerating them. Also consider that the 5 days I was incarcerated I slept 22 of 24 of those hours each day. I also ate less then an ounce of food that entire time. I drank 2 cartons of milk in 5 days and was put on a suicide watch because of it. Isnt there some type of protocol that REQUIRES that a person be given serious medical treatment at some point with these symptoms?

I guess my body was detoxing, but I was not detoxing off of alcohol nor any illegal drugs. I seriously believe my body was shutting down from being denied the drugs that are SUPPOSED to be slowing introduced or slowly removed from my system. Extreme changes in medications can cause exactly the allergic reaction I suffered in the first place. The first reaction was a rather violent one, while the second reaction seemed something near to death in my experience.

I know you also know one of the underlying causes for my arrest that I havent mentioned here. Honestly I feel like that was a big part of it as well. Like I said, I feel like some assumptions were made that although may have seemed normal to make, should have sent up some red flags or questioning that would have led them to understand that I needed medical attention immediately, possible incarceration to follow.

Kuan said...

Did you know that the percentage of attractive women who get traffic tickets is far lower then those who are heavy and catagorized as unatractive. That if you are speaking in public and you are easy on the eye you are more listened to then some one who isn't no matter how qualified you are. There is so much pre prejudices against people that our society has created by the media, socialization, ethnic and gender labeling. Its pretty laughable.
Wouldn't life be so much better without labels, stereo types, gender biases or hate...
And I for one am scared to death of our government because they are the ones that decide what rights I am entitled to as a human being.
Pretty shitty deal imo.

K

Ĵōÿ said...

Cant disagree with that either lol

Ĵōÿ said...

You are always welcome to comment here my hot canadian companion in drunken madness. Bad language doesnt offend me. Most days I try to think up new foul words, so any help is appreciated.

And yes I am all good mr hot. Cant wait to read your blog after I cook dinner.

Unknown said...

Sorry its taken me so long to get back. I have been really busy lately... arresting drunks believe it or not. At any rate, I hope things begin to look up for you and if you ever need anything from me just let me know. Also i have reserved the name Soulhavoc on Vanguard if you ever was to come and play :)