Latest Inquest

Is Judge Johnson now part of the conspiracy?

Mr. David Craig,
a.k.a., Mr. I couldnt cut it as an officer, so I'll trash them instead.

I want to provide you with some information from a scholarly study concerning in-custody deaths that seems to support your opposition to tasers. I have removed a few key details, which I will explain later in the post.
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Responding to the need for a less-than-lethal alternative, police departments throughout the country have adopted [this weapon] as a force option.

Cases have recently been reported where deaths have occurred subsequent to [this weapon] use. These deaths have created some concern among those in the law enforcement community, as well as among others, with regard to [this weapon's] possible role. As a result, some agencies contemplating product adoption are reluctant to begin use, while agencies using the product are seeking information affirming product safety and effectiveness.

A total of 30 incidents were found....

To investigate these cases, the following procedure was used:
A review of the incident reports of the law enforcement agency involved.

A review of the medical-legal investigative office (coroner or medical examiner) records, including investigation reports and autopsy reports, together with toxicologic information and conclusions as to the cause of death.

A comparison of all cases where complete details existed to determine what patterns were present in the nature of the confrontations.

The 30 cases, all involving male decedents, share several commonalities. All subjects behaved in a combative and/or bizarre manner and struggled with the police. Drugs and/ or alcohol were involved in most cases. In the majority of cases, [this weapon] was either ineffective or less than totally effective. Generally, restraint techniques were employed subsequent to [weapon use], and with one exception, all deaths occurred either immediately or soon after the confrontation.

While custody deaths are rare, they tend to share common elements which occur in a basic sequence. Subjects will often display bizarre or frenzied behavior. Almost always the subjects are intoxicated by drugs and/or alcohol. Usually, subjects will engage in a violent struggle with the police, requiring the officers to employ some type of restraint technique. During or immediately after the struggle, the subject becomes unresponsive, goes into cardiopulmonary arrest and does not respond to resuscitation.

The reviews' results indicate that [this weapon] was not the cause of death in any of the cases.
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Sound familiar? Sound like the confrontations we experience at the ECSO? THERE IS ONLY ONE PROBLEM HERE>>>>>

This report is about PEPPER SPRAY use! It was written 2-3 years after OC spray came into use, when the public was in an uproar about how it was unconstitional, immoral, criminal, inhumane, and that is was the cause of all these deaths...sound familiar?

I say all that to say this...tasers will come to b eunderstood and accepted as a tool of the trade, and not seen as the torture device you suggest they are.

The fact is (and it is fact, proven over time in every jail in the world) that some people die in custody. As to the claim you make that it is 5 times the national average, my first comment is that I believe you have exagerated once again, and my second comment is that your statistic is an average...that means some agencies fall above the average and some below.

My final comment is that here in Escambia, we DO NOT tolerate misconduct, mistreatement or misapplication of the law...

WHAT WE TOLERATE, MR. Craig, is you, and those like you who complain about our system, but do little to effect positive change. We toelrate your complaints because you have the constitutional right to make them, but that does not make them true, nor does it make them the opinion of the majority of the residents here.

For all of your whining, you have only made Escambia County weaker and less safe by hampering the efforts of law enforcement. You bring shame on this county, David, and all those like you who fight for revenge, attention and teh almight dollar/civil suit in teh name of justice. You bring shame on us not by pointing out what you feel is wrong, but in the dishonorable manner in which you do it.

The LEOs and respectable public that make up 99% of this county will continue to press on...the other 1% of you will remain relegated to teh obscure sidelines of society...the criminals and criminal sympathizers...the scum that is so out of line with acceptable behavior that you have no other choice but to rationalize what you do and convince yourselves that it is US who is wrong.

The bad news is...we are right. And WE will continue to act in the way we feel is in the best interest of our law enforcement agency and teh citizens of this county.

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The referenced report is titled "Pepper Spray and In-Custody Deaths" by John Granfield, Jami Onnen and Charles S. Petty, M.D. March 1994 and can be found at http://www.zarc.com/english/other_spray ... _1994.html

Right on Deputy!!!! David Craig and company don't hate deputies per say......they hate the Sheriff. If they have to step on us deputies to make him look bad they will. Its all just a game to them.