Posted on 09/24/2007 5:27:48 PM PDT by decimon
DeLAND, Fla. -- A 91-year-old World War II veteran spent eight days in jail after being accused of threatening his caregiver who apparently refused to let him take a walk around his assisted-living facility.
William Kepler was arrested at Deerfoot Manor Alf, an assisted-living home in DeLand, after an incident involving his nurse.
DeLand police were called to the facility, and Kepler was arrested after police said he refused to obey their commands.
Kepler said officers used excessive force on him during the incident.
After eight days in custody, James Floyd, who did not know Kepler, paid a $6,000 bond and took him into his own home.
"There is no excuse for what they did to him, especially when he did not show a firearm or pull a firearm or pull a weapon," Floyd said. "They just flat took him down."
Floyd said he bailed the 91-year-old out of jail because it upset him that he was behind bars.
"This man here, he fought for his country. He fought for me. He fought for you. That's why we're here. If it wasn't for him, this would be a messed up place. It tears me up," Floyd said.
Kepler admitted that he had a fake gun on his person but said he never pulled it out, according to the Local 6 News report.
"They should have an ethical (manager) in there watching them and correcting them. They are plenty wrong," Kepler said of the assisted-living home. "They need a legitimate, honest person to guide them because they're crooks."
The DeLand Police Department said any force was used because they said Kepler did not obey to their commands.
Watch Local 6 News for more on this story.
So in other words he got a “life” sentence !!!
Could literally be if he hadn't been bailed.
hmmm... nurse....
Attack with a dead weapon?
Well, if had had it in him to resist arrest...
Or was that just a refusal to obey orders? Maybe there's no difference.
My mom struck a nurse she thought was hurting her with the blood pressure cuff. It was a frightening experience for us because she was convonced she had nothing wrong.
In truth, caregivers sometimes come on like demigods and the old folks hate them.
Sad. No respectable cop would have done anything remotely like this 30 years ago. What a bunch of cowards.
O.J. walks and 91 year old veterns get hustled off to jail.
Welcome to f&cking america.
91 year olds can get quite cranky!
What, did they forget to charge up their Tasers?
police-state-alert.
Why wait until their on life support to eliminate them...?
sounds like Florida is becoming a charicature of itself.
I think they were doing what they are trained to do. Thirty years ago they were probably expected to use discretion and to size up a situation.
they're
wow, 2:1 on the error corrections posts. mea culpa.
EIGHT DAYS??? Had he been arraigned? Why the bail? Was he a flight risk? And please explain the marks on his face.
And I feel Mr. Kepler is right, where the heck was the manager, hiding behind his desk? This problem should have been dealt in the administrative level instead of sticking the cops on the old man...
Well, if they're cranky and they get smacked for that then it's a drug problem.
Don't it make you sick? !
I guess the charge is threatening the nurse and, apparently, with the toy gun. As for the cut on his forehead, a cynical person might assume the application of a baton.
Older people can hurt you. Last night some crazy russian woman tried to bite me. Last month I saw an old man kick a nurse across a room.
Funniest patient we had was one elderly woman who liked to bite. One day during a blood draw she did just that. The only problem was that her dentures were in a cup by the bed. So all she could do was gum the woman trying to hold her arm. Man was she mad when that girl reminded her that her teeth were’nt in.
He’s a man! And he’s white! He has NO PROTECTION under the law! He’s automatically guilty.
Another thing. Too many cops are getting totally out of control. What is happening? Is it all the affirmative action?
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