Cops Taser 86-year-old unarmed black man for his own safety leaving him in intensive care

[Loyd]

Source: Charleston Post & Courier

Oct 20, 2017 Updated 53 min ago

An 86-year-old unarmed black motorist in Kingstree was jolted with a Taser because the white police officer who stopped him expressed worry that the wandering dementia patient would be hit by a car.

Albert Chatfield remained hospitalized in intensive care Friday, four days after being injured during the confrontation in the small town two hours north of Charleston, family members said.

His loved ones and their attorney bemoaned the officer’s use of force as unconstitutional and unnecessary in corralling an elderly motorist who posed no threat to the police.

Chatfield suffered bleeding on his brain and a broken nose, family attorney Justin Bamberg of Orangeburg said. He was in a medically induced coma earlier this week, and when he awoke, he couldn’t speak properly. He only mumbled and cried.

Read more: https://www.postandcourier.com/news/family--year-old-in-intensive-care-after-kingstree-police/article_2dd702da-b598-11e7-a0e6-536cb82f47ab.html

---

If I ever announce plans to go to SC, remind me to never get drunk, stoned, or incapa---oh wait. I'm a white guy!

Never mind.

[DFW]

1. I wish someone would have a long chat with the cop that did the assault

And then tase the crap out of him until he was disabled and incoherent (I don't demand bleeding in his brain, as he probably doesn't have enough of one to warrant the attention) and made to understand how it felt to be on the receiving end of his "service and protection."

[Angry Dragon]

2. Lazy police

[USALiberal]

3. Why are police so paranoid? They want absolutely no risk. nt

[LenaBaby61]

7. Why are police so paranoid? They want absolutely no risk.

Even though he was 86 years old he was BLACK.

That'e enough reason for some of these murderous, racist rogue cops

[madokie]

27. Thats why we all need to take a knee

especially us white folks to show the LEO's that we support our black and brown brothers and sisters

[Iggo]

9. The word is "cowardly." Or, if you don't want to hurt their feelings, "afraid." (n/t)

[mpcamb]

21. What the hell is the 'risk' with an 86 y/o dementia man that requires a taser????

And a brain bleed and a broken nose??
This guy- gotta be a guy- has a lot of 'splainin' to do.
Then some jailtime, if there's any justice left here.

[iluvtennis]

4. Just shameful. If they thought he would harm himself, just get him to a mental health

facility. This is so disgusting

[cstanleytech]

5. Why have they not come up with a taser with a variable intensity setting?

Surely it would be useful if they could set them for a lower power setting when having to deal with minor issues like this rather than one default setting which can be overkill.

[HopeAgain]

11. I cannot under any circumstances see using a taser on an 86 year old unarmed man.

Ever, even it it was set on "tickle."

[cstanleytech]

14. Better a small tickle (assuming it's possible to do) than the full blast from either the current

stun gun or bullet from a police issued handgun.

[IthinkThereforeIAM]

17. In this situation...

... a love hug would be in order. No cookies before bedtime for you tonight.

[cstanleytech]

18. Thanks but I have been off sweets anyway for the past year

as I have been struggling to get my AC1 below 8.

[mpcamb]

22. Sorry. No trickle. No nothin'. You can't handle an 86 y/o; find work elsewhere.

[LanternWaste]

34. Yet again, you leave only two possibilities open

Yet again, you leave only two possibilities open when reality dictates so many more are currently available.

Clever way to steer it.

[madokie]

28. Exactly

[benld74]

6. 😶 No words can explain

[Iggo]

8. Cops.

That's who they are. That's what they do.

[PatSeg]

10. How stupid can you be?

Cops taze the elderly, the handicapped, even children, often many times. Anyone with half a brain would know that this could be dangerous, even life threatening.

Another day, another brutal cop story.

[Captain Stern]

12. This is only a news story because the cop got caught.

The cop tased the guy because he wanted to, and he figured he'd get away with it.

Now, that he hasn't gotten away with it, his story is that he tased the guy for the guy's own good.

You see......he was actually helping the 86-year-old by tasing him. I guess you have to break some eggs to make an omelet. At least we can all be thankful that the cop made it home safely.

[mpcamb]

23. Yeah. He got caught. Good.

[Judi Lynn]

13. Here's a photo of Mr. Chatfield taken this year:

He doesn't look like a rowdy person to me.

Hope this man will be able to recover completely and enjoy the company of his friends and family who are totally shocked by this senseless act.

[mpcamb]

24. I hope the perp gets what's coming to him.

[steve2470]

15. just shameful and stupid beyond belief nt

[Sunlei]

16. They should have never given the police tools of torture or allow them to ground people.

Its hell to be slammed to the ground, with or without the 50,000 volt shock!!

[Honeycombe8]

19. Sounds like a training issue.

It seems like they didn't know what to do about him, so tased him instead of cuffing him and forcing him physically off the hwy (if what they say is true...he was in the middle of the hwy and trying to fight them or something).

I hope he's okay. Can't believe they thought tasing him was the way to go. They weren't trained very well.

[Bayard]

20. This doesn't make sense

"An 86-year-old unarmed black motorist in Kingstree was jolted with a Taser because the white police officer who stopped him expressed worry that the wandering dementia patient would be hit by a car. " So was he a motorist, or a pedestrian?

[mpcamb]

25. It would be interesting to see the cop's record, too.

[LisaL]

32. It would make sense if you read the article.

911 call came in because of how he was driving. At that point he was a motorist. Police stopped him and he got out of the car. At that point he became a pedestrian.

[safeinOhio]

29. One way to end this crap, is to

test cop recruits for IQ and testosterone before getting a badge.

[HAB911]

30. Not likely you could get drunk on a Sunday in SC

Today, the retail sale of liquor statewide is permitted from 9 a.m. until 7 p.m. Monday–Saturday, and Sunday sales are banned by state law.

However, counties and cities may hold referendums to allow Sunday sales of beer and wine only. Counties currently allowing Sunday beer and wine sales: Berkeley, Beaufort, Charleston, Dorchester, Georgetown, Horry, Newberry, Oconee, Richland (unincorporated areas only), and York. Lancaster and Lexington allow in cities with referendums. Cities and towns that have passed laws allowing Sunday beer and wine sales include Columbia, Spartanburg, Charleston, Greenville, Aiken, Rock Hill, Summerville, Santee, Daniel Island, Hardeeville and Tega Cay.

[ATL Ebony]

31. Tearing up and speechless.

[qwlauren35]

33. I wish there had been cameras.

I should save a link to this article for those who keep saying that every black person who gets harmed by a cop is a criminal or somehow in the wrong.

So many times I see white people on the side of the road being talked to civilly by cops. But whenever I hear about police encounters with black people, it's disastrous.

I wish I knew why they are so convinced that they need to use unnecessary force against us. It's not just that they think they can get away with it. It's deeper than that. There is an irrational fear that we are a threat.

I think that's what we need to change. This automatic response from police that we are a threat.

And we have to deal with the fact that police have this irrational fear, (and some are racist) and that they have weapons, and whenever possible, we need to be submissive. I think it is something that seems contradictory. To put yourself in the hands of the police, and trust that you are making the safer choice.

It may save 50% of us. If you're dealing with a racist cop, it's just going to be bad, no matter how you play it. But if the cop is just scared shitless of black people, being submissive, putting your hands in the air, talking softly, not arguing, not running... if the cop isn't racist, it might just work.

[WinkyDink]

35. "His loved ones ...bemoaned"?? How about writing "condemned"? He is 86, FGS!!