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Disabled Woman Megan Graham Calls 911 While Being Beat, Arrested by Police
Opposing Views ^
| 06/025/2013
| By Michael Allen
Posted on 06/05/2013 12:43:11 PM PDT by Responsibility2nd
Megan Graham claims that she had to call 911 on the police...while being arrested.
Graham, who has cognitive and hearing disabilities, said she was recently beaten by a police officer while restrained by other officers in Federal Way, Wash.
Meanwhile, despite her complaint, police want the bruised and battered Graham to be charged with felony assault to a police officer.
"I had a concussion," Graham told KIRO 7. "I still have a hard time understanding how things got so out of control so fast. It was a total lack of communication."
Graham parked her car at an apartment complex where she was going to visit a friend last Monday. As Graham got out of her car, she saw a police car behind her.
"I understood that he saw me using a cell phone," Graham said. "I told the officer I was going to carry my dog 30 feet to a friend's apartment. I told him, 'Hey, you can walk with me.'"
Graham said she never heard the police officer's order that she should get back in her car. Moments later, the police officer got out of his cruiser and grabbed her wrist.
"I pulled my arm back, grabbed my phone and called 911 to call for help," Graham said. "I told the officer I had mental and hearing disabilities and didn't understand why he was trying to hurt me."
In 911 recordings obtained by KIRO 7, Graham shouted at the police officer: "You attacked me before you said anything! There is no point whatsoever for you to touch me like that, especially with my condition, so how dare you even touch me?"
The police officer repeated on the recording: "You are under arrest."
During the 911 call, another responding officer reportedly hit Graham several times in the face.
"I am not resisting," Graham yelled.
"That woman was not resisting, I saw it," said Graham's friend, Deborah Fenwick. "That woman doesn't have a violent bone in her body. She's got a heart of gold. If she would have understood the officer's commands in the first place, she would have absolutely complied with him."
However, the police report states: "As the officer approached, Graham squared off against him in a fighter's stance and attempted to strike him with closed fists. [The officer] responded with closed fist strikes to Graham's face, which brought her to the ground where she was handcuffed."
"It was horrible," Graham said. "I just didn't understand any of it. I told him about my condition. Punching me over and over in the eye is obviously excessive force. He could have handled it a lot differently."
Source: KIRO 7
TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Government
KEYWORDS: adrenalinecowboys; assault; donutwatch; emergency911; leo; policebrutality
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At least they didn't shoot the dog. Its all good.
/s
2
posted on
06/05/2013 12:46:54 PM PDT
by
Gene Eric
(Don't be a statist!)
To: Responsibility2nd
To: Responsibility2nd
I hate to be accused of visual profiling, but that woman’s pic is telling me, “Very crazy, often very drunk, quite often both.”
I certainly could be wrong.
4
posted on
06/05/2013 12:48:36 PM PDT
by
JennysCool
(My hypocrisy goes only so far)
To: Responsibility2nd
Actually it looks like it may have improved her looks.
5
posted on
06/05/2013 12:49:59 PM PDT
by
donhunt
(Certified and proud "Son of a Bitch".)
To: Responsibility2nd
Let’s see... Using cell phone while driving, getting out of the car when pulled over, walking away from the officer, inviting him to walk with you, pulling away from the officer when he grabs you, keeping a cell phone in your hand (and dialing!) while being placed under arrest?
Oh, geeze, this is stupid with a capital S. Never mind the dog, she’s lucky SHE wasn’t shot.
6
posted on
06/05/2013 12:50:19 PM PDT
by
kingu
(Everything starts with slashing the size and scope of the federal government.)
To: Responsibility2nd
I’m getting a great big “she deserved it” vibe on this thread which ... surprises me.
To: Responsibility2nd
I have trouble with both sides of this story.
8
posted on
06/05/2013 12:55:33 PM PDT
by
Vendome
(Don't take life so seriously, you won't live through it anyway)
To: Responsibility2nd
I’ve never done it, but have fantasized about smacking a few females. But, we can’t let our fantasies and desires override our self control. This cop didn’t excesize self control whether she deserved it or not.
9
posted on
06/05/2013 12:56:00 PM PDT
by
umgud
(2A can't survive dem majorities)
To: kingu
I sure hope you were being sarcastic because not a damn one of those things on your list is grounds for being beat up by a cop.
10
posted on
06/05/2013 1:03:38 PM PDT
by
TalonDJ
To: Responsibility2nd
Why didn’t they just tazer her? What a bunch of adrenaline cowboys.
11
posted on
06/05/2013 1:07:46 PM PDT
by
Kevmo
("A person's a person, no matter how small" ~Horton Hears a Who)
To: Responsibility2nd
Charged with “felony assault to a police officer.”
Sure. Right after the cops show the injuries they sustained from her “assault.” What the hell is wrong with these cops?
12
posted on
06/05/2013 1:09:11 PM PDT
by
Little Ray
(How did I end up in this hand-basket, and why is it gettingthe so hot?)
To: kingu
Stupid is a harsh way to put it, but the article does say she has developmental disabilities. Instead of going Rambo, the officer should have recognized what he was dealing with.
To: Little Ray
Give the wrong answer and no jury will ever convict...
14
posted on
06/05/2013 1:12:15 PM PDT
by
Little Ray
(How did I end up in this hand-basket, and why is it gettingthe so hot?)
To: Little Ray
It is very clear. The cop’s fist was repeatedly hit by her face.
15
posted on
06/05/2013 1:20:28 PM PDT
by
Petruchio
(Democrats are like Slinkies... Not good for anything, but it's fun pushing 'em down the stairs.)
To: ClearCase_guy
Im getting a great big she deserved it vibe on this thread which ... surprises me.
________
Me, too.
16
posted on
06/05/2013 1:25:10 PM PDT
by
pax_et_bonum
(Never Forget the Seals of Extortion 17 - and God Bless America)
To: JennysCool
I hate to be accused of visual profiling, but that womans pic is telling me, Very crazy, often very drunk, quite often both.
I certainly could be wrong.
________
That’s a pretty big assumption.
17
posted on
06/05/2013 1:26:41 PM PDT
by
pax_et_bonum
(Never Forget the Seals of Extortion 17 - and God Bless America)
To: colorado tanker
Because people wear t-shirts all the time saying that they’re developmentally disabled. She just got out of her car, at the very least, it’s detailed she had a cell phone in her hand, and I’m going to bet at least car keys as well. She’s a large woman who pulled away from the officer when she was grabbed, and it was the second officer on the scene who hit her while she was still resisting the first officer.
I’m sorry, what do you think should have been done? And will you apply the same rules if it’s a 300 pound man?
18
posted on
06/05/2013 1:27:58 PM PDT
by
kingu
(Everything starts with slashing the size and scope of the federal government.)
To: donhunt
Actually it looks like it may have improved her looks.
________
Nice.
19
posted on
06/05/2013 1:28:28 PM PDT
by
pax_et_bonum
(Never Forget the Seals of Extortion 17 - and God Bless America)
To: kingu
I can sense if someone is developmentally disabled within seconds.
What should he have done? Follow his procedures for restraining arrestees, which I will bet does not involve engaging in a fistfight.
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