Update on Chad Gibson’s Condition - Gay man bashed by Police last Saturday in Ft. Worth gay bar

[FreeState]

http://www.boxturtlebulletin.com/2009/06/30/12739

Dallas Voice editor Tammye Nash spoke with Kristy Morgan, Chad Gibson’s sister:

Kristy said the most recent CAT scans have shown that the blood clot on Chad’s brain has stopped growing, which is good news, but he is not out of the woods yet. She said doctors told the family that as long as the clot remains — whether it is growing or not — there is the chance that all or some of it could break loose and cause severe damage or death, or that the bleeding could start up again.

Right now, doctors do not want to remove the clot surgically. Instead, they hope to be able to allow the clot to be reabsorbed back into the body, a pricess that could take six months to two years. Plans are underway to set up a fund to help defray medical costs.

Gibson was thrown against a wall and to the ground during a raid by Ft. Worth police and Texas Alcoholic Beverages Commission agents on the Rainbow Lounge. Gibson suffered severe head trauma as a result of that assault by police. They then accused him of being “over-intoxicated” to the point of “alcohol poisoning” based on his confusion, unsteadiness and vomiting — all of which, according to the Merck Manual, are signs of severe head trauma.

[myrna minx]

1. Oh my god.

:cry:

[tavalon]

2. I believe the fund that will be tapped will be the Ft. Worth police

[Xipe Totec]

3. I can only hope... n/t

[Occulus]

15. They deserve to be sued for their budget for fiscal 2009 and 2010 n/t

[FreeState]

4. I hope so

the police are claiming it was caused by him being overly drunk - Im just disgusted by the whole thing.

http://joemygod.blogspot.com/

One bar patron remains in intensive care with a brain injury. The cops claims he fell and hit his head because he was so drunk. On the Dallas Voice, one of the club's dancers saw one of the arrests go down this way:

I was still standing near the entrance to the VIP lounge with a friend when an officer approached a man standing there. The man had water in his hand. The officer asked him how much he had had to drink and the man said that he didn’t have to answer that. The officer then said that he was going to arrest him for public intoxication. The man said,”You can’t do that I am just standing here right now drinking water.” At the time the officer shoved the man over towards the wall near the dressing room and then back to the rear wall near the men’s restroom, then down onto the floor. Several other officers, made their way back there to hold that ONE MAN down on the ground as they placed restraints on him. At the time I noticed that all of them did not have FWPD uniforms on. Some of them were actually State Police.

[donco6]

18. Do they have a state cap on lawsuits in TX?

They do here in CO. $150,000 max.

[donco6]

5. Somehow I knew this story stunk.

And gosh, guess I was right.

Have cops always been thugs, or is this getting worse?

[Occulus]

7. It's getting worse.

It's always been bad, but it's getting worse.

I have very little respect for cops. They stck together and protect their own, and they almost never expose the really bad ones. This, of course, makes the "good" ones bad.

They're a lot like Christians in that respect.

[backscatter712]

8. Damn fucking straight.

I won't have an ounce of respect for the "good" cops until they start policing themselves and putting the corrupt violent thugs in their ranks in prison where they belong.

Zero respect.

Because I'm damned sick of the American people being terrorized by skinheaded, roid-raging, fascist, bigoted thugs with badges and guns.

[Occulus]

11. This is why we need citizens' review boards

WITH non-negotiable termination power that is not subject to appeal. Police departments are opposed to that concept for very good reason: they know they'll lose a good bit of their force if that ever happened.

Most police are corrupt. SOME are decent. State police are usually the best- because they're well-paid and well-trained.

That said, FUCK the police AND their unions. And I say this as a proud and longstanding member of the American Postal Workers Union.

[paulsby]

17. utter rubbish

"WITH non-negotiable termination power that is not subject to appeal. Police departments are opposed to that concept for very good reason: they know they'll lose a good bit of their force if that ever happened."

i wonder if you are equally dismissive of labor rights with other types of employees or just cops?

labor rights matter.

non-negotiable termination power that is not subject to appeal. so, what you are saying is that you have no respect for labor, due process, and agreements between labor and management. fascinating.

bust any unions lately?

"Most police are corrupt."
evidence please...

and citing anecdotes of police corruption doesn't cut it. you said MOST. provide evidence.

"SOME are decent. State police are usually the best- because they're well-paid and well-trained."

i'm paid a hell of a lot better than a state'y, or "triple-a with a gun" as we call them.

state police generally receive much narrower training (primarily traffic) and have narrower experience. for example, i had to help one on a death investigation the other day. 20 yr sgt. with almost NO experience in investigating deaths, apart from traffic fatalities.

i've done at least a dozen in the last year. they simply don't get the broad experience. they mostly do traffic. i've investigated armed robberies, child abuse, rape, burglaries, etc. they simply don't get that experience. i like staties, but if you have an actual crime, apart from a traffic crime, they are generally NOT who you want investigating it.

some states have more experienced, broader state police. Mass. comes to mind. but still in general, i'll take any salty city or county cop over a statie in terms of experience and investigative chops.

and of course your last sentence is utter hypocrisy.

if a member of your union was accused (and remember many accusations are false, either willfully so or not), would you support their job being subject to the same non-negotiable, non-appealable citizen review board?

[tavalon]

9. Cops have always been thugs and it's getting worse.

[slampoet]

13. 14 THOUSAND posts on DU and you are just starting to realise this?

[Suji to Seoul]

16. But the badge sniffers here on DU will say this is just another isolated incident

I mean, cops have a tough job and they are good people.

[graywarrior]

6. Grrrrr.

:mad:

[Lancer]

10. How long before Virginia Foxx calls this a hoax?

This is an outrage. My prayers are with Chad and his family.

[undergroundpanther]

12. The gay bashing

by right wing assholes is getting to become more frequent and violent.It is escalating.I am tired of the bullshit conservatism and it's big hate filled mouth blabbing and it's vicious lies leading to people getting hurt.I hope the Ft.Worth police that injured this guy's head,get fired..NOW.

[TokenQueer]

14. Just like every other day in this country for gay folk.

...but what am I talking about? We just have to "be patient", right? :argh: