A suspect, chased down by police officers, kicks, hits, screams and tears his clothes off, becoming increasingly agitated and violent. As the man is subdued, he becomes irrational, his temperature and heart rate spike, and he drops dead.
This scenario has become increasingly frequent since the 1980s, when cocaine use in the United States soared. Law enforcement officers and medical examiners have been using the term “excited delirium” to describe the cause of death of some people who have died while being apprehended.
Because excited delirium is not a medically recognized condition, some believe that law enforcement agencies are using the term to cover up incidents of police brutality.
In the first of a two-part National Public Radio series on the issue, Dawn Edwards of the Ella Baker Center, a police watchdog group in Oakland, Calif., said: “They want the victim to be looked at as the cause of his or her own death. . . . If the police take a person into custody, they need to make sure the person stays alive.”
What do you think?
Posted by Patrice Hein
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21 Comments
ROFLMAO
Gee, would a police department try to cover its own ass??? Aren’t they the MOST stand-up guys around???
What about the high speed chase a few months ago – either Reno or Harvey county (I think,)where the sheriff’s deputy shot 31 times at the kids? Thank God he was a lousy shot, but the kid’s attorney had to subpoena the 911 tape that the department wasn’t going to mention – since it had the children calling in – begging the dispatcher to make the cop quit shooting at them. Who’s going to pull over if they think it will cost them their life?
Cops are a necessary evil. We need them to protect us – but the job itself, draws from a pool of mentally-bent individuals who get some sort of ‘power’ from the badge.
How about the cops who refused to let the gal go to the hospital just after she miscarried?
How about the ones that shot Matt Shepard for pulling over and asking for their help?
How about the ones who regularly cause deaths in high speed chases?
Nah – a cop would NEVER use an excuse such as the one Patrice cites.
They have too much honor, you know.
That said – I would like to offer up that there ARE some good cops.
Don’t jump my ass, writerdog, we’ve been down this path too many times before. I’m NOT blaming ALL cops.
“How about the cops who refused to let the gal go to the hospital just after she miscarried?”
That’s a little misleading, isn’t it? Not really the way it happened. Please provide a link that backs this up.
“How about the ones that shot Matt Shepard for pulling over and asking for their help?”
Again, misleading. Matt had a shot gun in his truck. He reached for something in the dark and got shot for it. Yes, an unfortunate set of circumstances. Maybe not the best decision, but there wasn’t a lot of time to think it out and considering some of the crazies running around, the decision was understandable.
Story of police abuse get overblown I do believe. With the tens of millions of encounters police make everyday I would say the abuses of deadly nature is a very small percent.
I agree with the assessment that drug use has caused many of the deaths. The deaths can be directly associated with the drug, indirectly by causing bad judgment on the part of the person using the drugs and misinterpretation by the police not knowing the person is on drugs.
All the police officers I know are mature and brave. Stopping someone at night, by yourself is already a scary situation. Having someone act up or display potentially threatening behavior compounds the circumstances towards a bad end.
The thing that people forget is when a police officer approaches you, they are in charge, period. There are no if ands or buts about it. When a Police officer tells you do something it would be advisable to do it. Sit or stand in a respectable manner, do not move and answer all questions politely.
Any response outside of those guidelines could lead to bad results. I have watched Police officers deal with drug offenders and they will lie about everything including their name. Convicted drug offenders are even worse as they don’t want to be caught and will often act out in a violent manner.
Let’s give the Police Officer the benefit of the doubt and support them. It’s not a perfect world and they do the best that they can.
XXX – actually, the version I posted was MILD compared to the real story.
The woman was bleeding and begged to go to the hospital. The officers refused – put her in jail for 12 hours and she lost the baby.
Her pleas were recorded on the officer’s videotape and are the crux of a suit against the department now.
Here is the link:
http://worldandnews.blogspot.com/2007/02/pregnant-woman-arrest-on-way-to.html
I don’t think this is a way to cover up and I don’t believe IN MOST CASES the police are responsible for a death. Once a person stops breathing, even with medical care immediate, their chances of survival are small.
BUT on the same token, there should be no delay in care. Most cops do have basic first responder certifications, there is no reason to wait for paramedics. If they have the training, and refuse to call for help at the first sign of trouble or neglect to call for help altogether- then they should be held responsible.
“A suspect, chased down by police officers, kicks, hits, screams and tears his clothes off, becoming increasingly agitated and violent.”
So what? Sometimes your own stupid actions lead to your own stupid death.
“They want the victim to be looked at as the cause of his or her own death. . .”
How else is there to look at it?
“How about the cops who refused to let the gal go to the hospital just after she miscarried? ”
I saw the tape of that, and she asked several times to go to the hospital, told the officers several times that she was bleeding, and the officers discounted her claim and arrested her, for driving a car with illegal tags or something like that. I don’t think she had a license either. But the point is, she was on her way to the hospital when she was pulled over. It pissed me off when I watched it.
“The thing that people forget is when a police officer approaches you, they are in charge, period. There are no if ands or buts about it. When a Police officer tells you do something it would be advisable to do it. Sit or stand in a respectable manner, do not move and answer all questions politely.”
The problem with this is that it gives cops the mindset that they are above you, which isn’t true. I’ll answer a cop and do what he says but it does not have to be in a “respectable manner” and my answers may not be polite. Too many officers are on power trips and like to say and do things to make them feel more in charge. They have the mindset of “Do what I say or else” and it’s not always necessary.
“Too many officers are on power trips and like to say and do things to make them feel more in charge. They have the mindset of “Do what I say or else” and it’s not always necessary.”
Name five officers on power trips in Wichita or where ever it is you live.
“Excited Delirium” – is that Bush’s new excuse for starting his idiotic war?
chuck-
That attitude is fine, if you want to end up on “Cops”.Will you be the one in the wife-beater or with no shirt at all?
Well
It may not be PC to say that SOME folks become cops because of a rush they get from being in charge. It may not be pc. But it is no doubt true.
Remember, their duty is to protect and SERVE. Some cops need reminded of that.
Dittos, jr
chuck-
That attitude is fine, if you want to end up on “Cops”.Will you be the one in the wife-beater or with no shirt at all?
Not allowing a cop to talk down to me does not mean I’ll end up on Cops. Nice post though, might want to think a little first.
No sympathy here. If people choose to resist, fight or flee from the cops they deserve whatever they get. While I do not advocate the police be given Carte Blanche I think they should be given wide latitude to do their jobs. It is their life on the line and, unless a cop is clearly out of line, I am not going to try to replace his judgement with mine.
The cops are trianed to “take charge” of a scene and maintain order. This means that they sometimes “talk down” to people or use commanding language. They are not your mom and dad and don’t feel like arguing with you. Do what you are told and have your day in court. I never argue with them and I have been let off without a ticket many more times than I have been given one.
“…but it does not have to be in a “respectable manner” and my answers may not be polite.”
chuck-
I’m not the huge fan of police that you may think. I grew up in an age that when a cop was nearby you said to your friends, “You smell bacon?”There is a difference between what you would like and what is real. If you are talking to a cop, and it’s not about the weather, do what he says. Especially if you are holding.
The John Birch Society is now jumping and physically punishing anyone that has anything to do with me.
Ms. Pat Tam, Executive Director Have Salt
Last ticket I had in Wichita I labeled the cop a liar in court – and had the phoyographs to prove it. Beat the ticket on the facts – he was lying.
Uncle William – it is difficult in such cases to have names but there was one LA cop i knew very well – Sgt Ted Kozak. He was an arrogant ass who tried to stir up trouble as an undercover agent on campus. My photographs taken with a telephoto lens made wonderful WANTED posters of him. That ended HIS undercover days!
I have a Concealed Carry License. I didn’t get it to play policeman and make citizen arrests, I let my two sons who are policemen and the others in that field make them. I carry for self-defense purposes, to protect myself and family. I am a believer in calling 911 and letting the police do their job. If I saw a child or an elderly person, someone incapable of protecting themselves being assaulted to the point that their life was in jeopardy I would call 911 and tell the perforator that police are on the way. The only way he or I would have a problem is he decides to attack me. At least that’s what I hope I’d do. I don’t think anyone knows in advance how they will react until they find themself in that particular situation. I don’t relish the idea of shooting someone, and I haven’t shot at anyone since Viet Nam, but when it comes down to it, I know I can. I was told once not to do anything with a gun that you can’t convice 12 people you were justified in doing. I thought it true then and I still do.
“…tell the perforator that police are on the way. ”
“perforator…” small grin :)