Posted on 01/14/2012 12:01:24 PM PST by Duke of Qin
A mentally ill grandfather died after police officers strapped him naked to a chair, smothered him with a 'spit hood' and pepper-sprayed him 10 times during a 43-hour ordeal, it has been claimed.
Nick Christie, 62, was allegedly tortured in the 'Devil's Chair' at Lee County jail after being detained by Florida police officers in March 2009 following a 'mental breakdown'.
The hood, designed to stop him from spitting at officers, meant he could not escape the noxious spray's fumes - and he was never allowed to clean the residue from his body.
His family is now suing Lee County Sheriff's Department for 'wrongful death'.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2085628/Nick-Christie-Mentally-ill-prisoner-strapped-Devils-Chair-pepper-sprayed-death.html#ixzz1jSkweFsk
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
Not speaking as someone who has any experience in law enforcement, but just from the standpoint of reason along, the only time I can see using pepper spray on a suspect is out in the field if he's armed or otherwise dangerous (like on PCP for example) and you're trying to get him in custody. IN custody, I could only see it in a case again where the guy poses a danger, especially if he's significantly larger than the officer or officers dealing with him. For "punishment" or as an interrogation technique, no way. 62 year old man strapped to a chair, I don't think so. Even the "spit hood". Can't they just put him in a cell by himself or turn him towards the wall? "Spit all you want, ahole!"
If the officers in this incident had applied your thinking, we wouldn’t be discussing it because it wouldn’t have happened. :)
I shrug when I see a comment that 99% of the officers make the other 1% look good. When a teacher misbehaves, one could say that 99% of teachers make the other 1% look good. Or when a truck driver screws up one could say that 99% of truck drivers make the other 1% look good.
I support the efforts of the various agencies to keep their houses in order, and to dismiss officers who are incompetent or dishonest.
If there were a book written each year detailing the accounts of the good and courageous things officers do each calendar year, it would be impossibly huge. I'm sure some of the criticizers of all things police will scoff and say it would be more like a book of the top 10 best moderates in American history, but I know better.
You’re right. Anything else means the cop lost his temper and in that case the other cops should step in to save the situation.
We’ve allowed them to prey on us, while we pay them well and with gold plated pensions, and platinum benefits that most of us do not have.
The concept of being screwed by those we pay to serve and protect just doesn’t go down well with me. We citizens need to not just ask, but demand a major change where they support the US Constitution and work for taxpayers instead screwing us.
The goals are simple and the outcome is common sense.
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