Missouri cops beat 80-year-old hearing impaired veteran for not getting off of his tractor

[UglyGreed]

n 80-year-old Missouri veteran and his family accused local police of pulling him off of his tractor, attacking him and then charging him with assault, KCTV-TV reported.

Photographs show that Bill Swan was left with blood and bruises on his face and jacket after his encounter with authorities late last week. His wife, Libby Swan, said he also suffered a bruised hip and two broken ribs, and that she is fearful of another run-in with Lone Jack police.

“I’m afraid for us to even drive out of our driveway or to get on the street,” she told KCTV. “I don’t know what they will do.”

Police Chief William Forbes said in a statement that officers were called his home after Bill Swan got into a dispute with public works employees repairing utility lines. Forbes said Swan, who was sitting on the tractor, threatened to sue the workers and accused them of being on his property.

“He first tried to back into their police car,” Forbes said of Swan. “Then, he tried to leave the scene. The officers gave him verbal and hand signs to stop. He refused to do so, turned his tractor around, and tried to run over the officers. One of the officers was able to get on the tractor and shut it off.”


http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2014/11/missouri-cops-beat-80-year-old-hearing-impaired-veteran-for-not-getting-off-of-his-tractor/

[DrDan]

1. a little more from the link

"Swan then allegedly swung at police and reached for one officer’s gun, Forbes said, prompting a “scuffle” that left Swan with a cut on his head. After refusing medical treatment, Swan was arrested and charged with assaulting a police officer, disorderly conduct and resisting arrest."

I have a hard time feeling sympathy for him. It wasn't simply not getting off the tractor that got him arrested.

[UglyGreed]

2. Yes I saw that

but I could not post the entire article.

[Sherman A1]

3. ......

[UglyGreed]

5. So we should only post

stories that put the police in a bad position, and not what they may have to deal with at times? Is that what you are trying to relay to me with this shrug?

[lame54]

20. We always have the milk jugs

[UglyGreed]

21. I''m just being thin

skinned once again. I can't even take my own advice at times.

[malaise]

16. Are you serious?

He is 80 years old and may well be suffering from some form of dementia. Do you actually believe that their only option was beating an old man and breaking his ribs? This was subdue by any means not protect and serve.

[DrDan]

22. your use of the word "beating" may overstate what actually happened

and yes - I am serious.

If he went for a gun, then perhaps physically subduing him may have been absolutely appropriate.

The claim that he was beaten because he would not get off the tractor was VERY misleading.

[UglyGreed]

23. Sorry I got confused

I thought your reply was to me, my bad.

[UglyGreed]

4. Uh this was

in the OP.

He first tried to back into their police car,” Forbes said of Swan. “Then, he tried to leave the scene. The officers gave him verbal and hand signs to stop. He refused to do so, turned his tractor around, and tried to run over the officers. One of the officers was able to get on the tractor and shut it off.”


I think that covered how this man was acting towards the police.

[avebury]

6. "officers were called his home after Bill Swan got into a dispute with public works employees...

threatened to sue the workers and accused them of being on his property."

I would like to know when it became illegal to threaten a lawsuit?

[UglyGreed]

8. See it works

both ways doesn't it. That's why it deserves being posted yet people choose to see what they want to see. There is always two sides to a story.

[avebury]

11. If the guy "threatened" to run over the police

car it is hard to feel sympathy for him. Based upon his age however, I would wonder if there might be some age related issues in his reaction to the utility workers and the cops. Cops do have a tendency to over react in some situations (for example shooting family pets even with a pet is secured in its own home or yard) and my first thought is what type of training they have in dealing with the elderly, handicapped, and so on. Was there a way to deal with the man and is wife that might have been less physical and resulting in less harm to an elderly couple.

If he did not physically threaten the utility workers, the utility workers might have over reacted in calling the cops. My biggest problem with utility companies is the lack of courtesy in communicating with property owners. A little advance notice can go a long way to eliminating problems when the workers show up.

I have utility lines running through my back yard. One of my neighbors decided that he wanted his cable line to be buried. Unfortunately that meant entering my backyard (when I had 3 dogs outside because the weather was perfect) and digging up part of my backyard (and failing to actually cover up the line leaving me concerned about the dogs messing with the line). In order to do the work they took off a part of my fence to get the equipment into my backyard thereby risking the possibility of the dogs getting loose on a really busy street). Had I been given a heads up, I would have been able to keep my dogs in that day. I have made companies send workers back out for fixing sloppy work in my backyard so I do have some sympathy for the couple.

Another house I lived in had the sewer line running through the backyard. The lady behind us was on a septic system. Under the code, if the septic system went bad you were required to hook to the sewer. The first we knew that she was being forced to hook to the sewer was on a holiday when we say the equipment head towards our backyard. We refused to allow them onto our property until we could find out what were our rights (as to what the company was required to do to fix the trench they were prepared to dig. Fortunately we have lawyers in our family and I got a hold of my cousin and he told us what our rights were. We then allowed them access (after about a 4 hour delay). I don't think that they made much of a profit on that job. They didn't finish up until about 11PM that night.

[UglyGreed]

12. Great post

I myself have had a on going problem with my neighbor and their barking dogs, property damage so on and so forth for many years. Being disabled most people see me as a loser or an easy target. One day I was outside and their very aggressive dog was left out there barking and jump at the fence trying to get to me. The owner came out and an argument ensued. They went into the house and called the police claiming I was trying to break into their home. Four cop cars came within minutes. I came out of my house and I was fed up with the abuse and told them what was really happening. Thank god they did not shoot me. People lie plain and simple. We were not there and who know what workers told the police or if the police are lying also. We need to discuss these thing not fight among ourselves, attacking the source or whatever.

[HereSince1628]

7. Another scuffle for a gun...is this like the 'quit resisting!' scheme?

Something the police learn enables them to escape accountability when they abuse people?

[UglyGreed]

9. See post

6 who knows what truly happened.

[HereSince1628]

10. Yes, I got that...I've owned farmland, I've told utility workers who parked off their easement

to get their vehicles off planted ground. Out in the country side protecting property is mostly a do-it-yourself project.

From the article it's hard to know what really happened. And the 'scuffle for a gun' language caught my attention because it is almost word for word a description of the police account of what happened to Brown in Ferguson.

Odd how language would be that identical...unless it was part of a practiced meme.

[UglyGreed]

13. Thank you for your

reply, sometime we all need to take deep breath and read an article and not nitpick. I'm guilty of this also, and I learned not to respond to posts that make me very upset since I may make a fool of myself. But still it does happen for time to time and I realize I made a mistake, go back and try to correct the situation.

[damnedifIknow]

14. "I’m afraid for us to even drive out of our driveway or to get on the street,”

That's sad but I think quite a few people feel this way now.

[Vinca]

15. I suppose the "officers" weren't wearing cameras.

[UglyGreed]

18. They may of turned them

off. I don't know I was not there. And let me add why did Raw Story need to say he is a Veteran??? If he was not a Veteran it would not be so bad or are they trying to pit veterans VS cops? BTW Many cops are Veterans these days. Propaganda is a very useful tool.