Lawsuit: Police used Taser 7 times on autistic man

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Associated Press

Lawsuit: Police used Taser 7 times on autistic man
Updated 6:12 pm, Friday, January 27, 2017


MARYVILLE, Mo. (AP) — The parents of an autistic man allege in a lawsuit that police in northwest Missouri punched him and used a Taser on him seven times.

The parents of Christopher Kramer, who was an 18-year-old high school special education student when the incident occurred, filed a lawsuit Thursday against three Maryville officers, a Nodaway County deputy and a Highway Patrol trooper. The lawsuit says Kramer has "impairments in comprehension and speech."

The lawsuit stems from an incident on May 6 when a Missouri Highway Patrol trooper called police after seeing Kramer in his front yard. Kramer had stopped to tie his shoe, but became frightened and ran when the trooper called out to him, according to the lawsuit. Kramer told a Maryville dispatcher that Kramer was "kinda headed toward my front door." After chasing him and shouting commands, officers tackled Kramer to the ground and shocked him multiple times with a Taser.

In a statement Friday, Maryville City Manager Greg McDaniel defended the city's officers and said they didn't know about "Kramer's personal circumstances."

Read more: http://www.chron.com/news/us/article/Lawsuit-Autistic-man-Tasered-by-police-10889321.php

[uppityperson]

1. If he was in his own front yard and ran toward his own front door, why the F* did they mess with

him?

[cstanleytech]

3. And they were supposed to know that how exactly?

That aside I dont think a jury will take to kindly to what the police did so they might want to settle this case.

[uppityperson]

5. You seem to be saying that no one is safe outside from the police, and thats ok. It's that correct?

[cstanleytech]

6. No, I just think its silly to assume that cops know just by looking at someone that they live

at a specific house.

[uppityperson]

7. So why harass someone who is in a yard or running to the house?

[cstanleytech]

9. You would have to ask the police why in this case, I already said that they would be wise to settle

it because they were clearly in the wrong and if it goes to a jury they are going to probably end up paying a hell of alot more.

[Ilsa]

2. I hopethe city pays heavily and is required to start

A program to educate police on autism and other special needs adults.

[Crash2Parties]

4. Back in the day, it was safe for family to call 911 for their autistic family members

Now within the community there are very serious conversations about teaching our children and extended families about calling only as a very last resort, and only when the person is not likely to be able to be misunderstood.

This is the result of militarizing our law enforcement. We are no longer "citizens"; we are "civilians". Our police departments give preference to returning war vets - who have had little or no transition or therapy to go from seeing civilians-as-threats to citizens-to-protect-and-serve. There is also a pervasive subculture of conservative Christian white supremacy. Unfortunately, all of this sums to a police culture that sees any unusual behavior as an immediate threat, and they have been trained to "put down" anything perceived as such.

[cstanleytech]

8. Aye the whole giving preference to veterans for police officer jobs and the overall lax training

for police in general receive is biting us all in the ass.