Sure way to stop a suspect from swallowing!
Are LEO now mistaking teenagers for dogs now?
Based on the information provided (giving initial benefit of doubt here), this is tragic and disturbing. That said, I would also be curious for more official details. I can’t find any google links to the story beyond what is provided.
“Minor N.S. was lying on the ground, unable to move as a result of the police officer confining him beneath the weight of his body and the effects of being pepper-sprayed in the face,” the lawsuit alleges. “While handcuffed, defendant officer was forcefully and unlawfully shoving his knees into Minor N.S.’s back, further hindering [his] ability to breathe.... Although Minor N.S. continued to choke and lose consciousness, defendant officers refused to remove his handcuffs or allow him to sit upright to attempt to breathe.”
Police said that the teen had choked on a bag of drugs, the lawsuit claims. In an attempt to retrieve the bag, officers shoved a sharp object into N.S.’s throat, according to the suit, which also contends that no bag was ever found. What kind of sharp object the officers allegedly used is unclear.
I just noted that only the “Smith” family is mentioned in this article. ?????? No other names or sources?
Here is a link with some more details. It helps to spell names and locations correctly in Google.
When they yell police, you stop. This kid got himself killed.
I live just outside of Huntsville area and haven’t heard about this. Hmmmm But then I don’t watch the local news that often but still . . . you’d think I’d have heard on the radio or other sources.
Why is the mother not releasing her dead son’s name in the legal docs? That seems odd, as he is dead.
Rev. Jesse & rev. Al are probably trying to find out skin color to see if they should book a flight.
This might be him, given his mother’s name, his first initial, month of death, and location:
http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/nwfdailynews/obituary.aspx?pid=165585707
He must not be black, gay, or willing to kiss another man on national tv. We'd hear about it then.
Broken ribs and numerous contusions = beaten to death while handcuffed.
What I don’t get is the need to poke the sharp object down the throat. If they were drugs, he needs to go to the hospital and have his stomach pumped. Alternatively, plastic bags should come out intact at the other end. A mouth is not a toilet.
Sticking a sharp object down someone’s throat would seem to me to qualify as an “unreasonable search or seizure” don’t you think? I guess the Bill of Rights does not apply when we’re having a war on drugs.
From the story: Drugs were never found in the teen’s throat, stomach, or bloodstream.
Seems like there's some serious contradiction there... If the autopsy mentions the possibility of a drug overdose with no drugs detected, I think the family has a pretty good shot at winning the case.
That said, the people really need to look at these cases and decide if possible drug dealing should be a death penalty offense, and if not, then start restraining their police departments.
FTA:“Because of the circumstances of this event, it is difficult to discern if the decedent died from a drug overdose or an asphyxia event exacerbated by either the occlusion of the airway by the foreign object, a possible vascular occlusion associated with the neck restraint, or from a combination of all the events that transpired during this incident.”
Sounds like the police were trying to fish something from his throat.
Sure way to stop a suspect from swallowing!
These police have been watching too many Three Stooges episodes while inhaling their donuts.
My God.
As the mother of a teen, it is unfathomable to me that this hasn’t gone VIRAL and that there isn’t massive OUTRAGE.
Prayers for the family, their grief must be unimaginable — double b/c of nothing being done about those who MURDERED their loved one.
"Nicholas Andrew Smith, 17, died in Huntsville, Ala., on June 18, 2013. He was born in Huntsville on Jan. 23, 1996. He was a very good student, taking advanced classes in high school as a Junior and was looking forward to his Senior year. He wanted to attend the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa. He was a great athlete; he had a passion for soccer and was a member of the Elite Soccer Team. He was so smart, always asking questions, he was so creative and thought of new ways to do things."
What are the chances his family will receive a condolence call from Obama?