Mother of teen hit with Taser 16 times plans to sue

[struggle4progress]

Associated Press
Mar. 6, 2005 11:45 AM

PORTAGE, Ind. - A woman says police shocked her teenage son 16 times with a stun gun, causing him to temporarily lose his memory, and she plans to seek damages. <snip>

Davis said her son, Jim Wring, 18, still does not remember anything except blinding flashes of pain from the night of Nov. 2. She also said her son, who was hospitalized for three days, did not recognize her until the afternoon after his run-in with police. <snip>

Portage police went to the home of a friend of Wring's after a caller reported that he was choking. Police reports said Wring was acting strangely and would not cooperate with officers. <snip>

Hospital toxicology tests showed Wring had not taken drugs, and doctors later concluded that Wring's strange behavior was an episode of hypoxic encephalopathy caused by choking, the Post-Tribune of Merrillville reported. <snip>

http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/0306TaserSuit06-ON.html

[lenidog]

1. Rather curious

If the boy is 18 why isn't he filing the lawsuit and not the mother. He is legally an adult and well the bills should also be his problem to.

[Boomer]

2. Hello?

He had his bell rung, and is still recovering. Sounds like he's in no shape to do this himself.

[Warpy]

3. he may be incapacitated

If he'd been sufficiently anoxic from choking followed by the attack (no other word will do) by the cops, chances are he lacks the capacity to act on his own behalf right now.

It will be hard as hell to prove any damage resulted from the multiple tasering rather than the choking, but this still qualifies as excessive force by the cops.

The cops, wrongly assured that tasers are 100% safe, are overusing them in all sorts of cases when stepping back and assessing the situation a little more carefully will do.

Any discharge of any weapon, including tasers and pepper spray, by the cops should trigger an investigation. The pain in the ass caused by an IA investigation is what keeps them from being trigger happy regarding the use of deadly force now.

[TahitiNut]

8. When the only tool you have is a hammer ...

... people get nailed. :shrug: (Tool-less and clue-less describes the mental state of many when they put on a uniform.)

[struggle4progress]

7. Or perhaps he was a minor when attacked and has turned 18 since then?

[Deja Q]

4. Outsiders and repukes say America is land of frivolous lawsuits.

Maybe that's because the people running America happen to be frivolous opportunists? (not those who live by those who run it. I mean those who run it. The corporations and government.)

Make things a little more fair for the smaller man. And the smaller man won't find any little thing to sue with.

Until then, I hope every dunderheaded idea goes through the entry door and gets judged fairly on.

Note, I am not saying this mum's case is frivolous. But those who used the taser WERE frivolous. To the extreme.

[progressivebydesign]

5. Lack of oxygen will cause memory problems..

.. I'd have to hear the whole story. There has to be more to why this kid was out of control..

[proud2BlibKansan]

15. Click on the link and read the last sentence

He was charged with possession of paraphenalia. That might explain the bizarre behavior.

I still think it was wrong to taser the kid. But he would have a more solid case against the cops if he hadn't had a pipe in his pocket.

[Trillo]

6. Bush's new health care plan?

Strange behavior due to hypoxic encephalopathy? Police to mete out punishment for those displaying symptoms of illness!

Unable to comply with police order? Force continuum.

[LeighAnn]

9. Thank you I've been collecting these

here

http://www.newsfromreality.com/taser

[tblue37]

12. I have been collecting them, too.

I also collect stories of bizarre, extreme police abuse of vulnerable people who don't imemdiately comply, or even if they aren't not complying--like the blind, deaf old woman and her 94-year-old mother in Oregon.

[tsuki]

10. They tazered a guy for choking? I hope she gets a kzillion dollars. n/t

[Guaranteed]

11. For Christ's sake. This kid damn near suffocates,

and they top it off with a 16 taser shots.

Some cops are just pieces of shit.

[Rex]

13. Neural damage from the 16 tazer hits.

I hope there are no longer term effects.

[NYC]

14. Why 16 times?

The article makes no mention of why 16 times. That must seem excessive to anyone.

[proud2BlibKansan]

16. I don't understand

how he could be choking and resisting the cops at the same time. Seems like he wouldn't have the strength to resist the cops if he was struggling to breathe.

[NYC]

17. He may have been pulling away,

avoiding being handled. That's the only thing I can imagine a choking person doing.

[Kimber Scott]

18. You call the police because you're choking and they hit you with a stun

gun 16 times? Unbelievable. Un-fucking-believable.