Charlotte Police Officer Puts Dog Feces In BLACK Citizen's Mailbox! Brutality & Harassment!

Whenever a BLACK citizen tries to assert their Legal rights with a Charlotte Cop, that citizen ends up DEAD Or in a Coma.
But get this!
Charlotte has both a BLACK Police Chief & a BLACK Mayor!
So what's going on?
Is this some kind of local Conspiracy to run many of Charlotte's BLACK residents out of Charlotte? i.e., Mayor Bloomberg style in NYC?
There have even been instances where BLACK College students have tried to assert their legal rights in a Civil manner with Charlotte Cops & those citizens were STILL Arrested!
This is being done from the Top down!
Its almost as if Charlotte's City Leaders & Charlotte Police Chief Actually HATES most of Charlotte's BLACK Citizens.
Something sure smells fishy!




Teen says police officer put dog feces in mailbox

A teen charged with assaulting Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department Captain Charles Adkins says he caught Adkins putting dog feces in a friend’s mailbox and that’s what started the fight.

CMPD is now investigating Capt. Adkins and his actions before that confrontation, as well as conducting a criminal investigation into his assault. Adkins was off-duty at the time.

Captain Adkins suffered severe lacerations, plus ended up kicked and punched. He is now on sick leave as a result of the injuries.

Jamel Williams, 16, says he looked out a window Wednesday in the Reedy Creek neighborhood and saw Adkins putting dog poop in friend Kendrick Neely's mailbox.

That is when Williams and Neely both went outside to confront him.

"He knew I knew it was him and he tried to walk away,” Williams said. "He just got all nasty and all angry and we were asking why he'd put it in the mailbox."

Williams claims Adkins admitted putting the dog poop in Neely's mailbox that day, plus several times over the last two weeks. Williams claims Adkins blames him and Neely for recent neighborhood crimes.

Neely was arrested January 10 on three counts of possession of stolen goods. Neely was also arrested January 16 for assault and battery, communicating threats and disorderly conduct.

Williams, meanwhile was arrested last December for breaking and entering, larceny and possession of stolen goods. Williams says he found a bag of stolen items in the woods and was arrested while looking through it but says he didn’t steal it.

Both of their pictures are on flyers distributed in the Reedy Creek neighborhood with the headline "Community Safety Alert." It’s unclear who distributed the flyer.

"He said we'd been doing things in the neighborhood that we haven’t been doing,” Williams said.

Williams says he asked Adkins several times if he was a police officer but didn't get an answer.

That's when Williams says he decided to follow Adkins home and told him he was going to call police on Adkins about the dog poop in the mailbox.

"When I said we were going to follow him to his house, that's when he punched me,” Williams said.

Williams has a swollen lip and bruised arm from the fight.

"He didn't want us to find out he was a cop and that's why he started this whole big thing,” Williams said.

Williams says he had a knife on him and showed it to Adkins but didn't use it in the fight. Williams was arrested and charged with assault and battery.


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Sources: McClatchy Newspapers, WCNC, Google Maps

Charlotte City Leaders Vote To Reissue Taser Guns To Police (Deadly Decision!)

CMPD: Safer Tasers will be given to officers today

Charlotte-Mecklenburg police are putting Tasers back into officers' hands today, six months after use of the weapons was suspended following the death of a 21-year-old suspect.

In September, the Charlotte City Council voted to spend $1.83 million for 1,600 Taser X2 stun guns. Police says the new Tasers have safety features to prevent officers from possibly injuring or killing suspects.

The Taser X2 will replace the model previously used by the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department, the X26 Taser.

The Taser X2, produced by Arizona-based Taser International, has a five-second limit on each electric charge, a function that makes the device more safe, police have said. Officers using the new Taser can also trigger a visible and audible warning that may convince suspects to comply without evening firing the weapon.

Use of the department's nearly 1,200 Taser X26 stun guns was suspended on July 21. The day before, police were called to a Lynx light rail station along Old Pineville Road after a report of a man beating and choking a woman. The suspect was identified as Lareko Williams.

The first officer to respond fired his X26 Taser just as Williams was about to strike the woman again, police said. Williams became unresponsive, police said, and the officer called for help. Williams died about an hour later.

Williams' death came only a day after a federal jury awarded $10 million to the family of Darryl Wayne Turner, the 17-year-old who died after a CMPD officer shocked him with a Taser in 2008. The jury found that Taser International failed to warn that the weapon could cause cardiac arrest. In that case, police said the officer violated policy when he shocked Turner for about 37 seconds. The city of Charlotte denied wrongdoing, but it paid $625,000 to Turner's family.

After Williams' death last summer, all of the department's Tasers were collected from officers, tested and inspected, police said. About a month later, police announced they'd finished a month-long internal review on Taser use but that officers would not carry the devices until a second, outside review was completed.

Then police examined the possibility of purchasing a newer model.

Police Chief Rodney Monroe said last year that Tasers enhance citizen safety by "giving officers a viable option to minimize injuries to themselves and others."

But the devices, which can discharge 50,000 volts to briefly incapacitate suspects, have been linked to hundreds of deaths across the country. Police in Fayetteville suspended their use of Tasers last year after a 56-year-old man died while officers tried to subdue him with one.


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Sources: Charmeck.org, McClatchy Newspapers, WCNC, Google Maps

Lareko Williams Killed By CMPD At Charlotte Light Rail Station! Discrimination Lawsuits? CATS & CMPD

Last Wednesday Another Another Young, BLACK Man Was Killed Via Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Officers Wielding Taser Guns.

21 Year-Old Lareko Williams Was Pronounced DEAD At A Charlotte Hospital After Being Tasered By A CMPD Officer Who Responded To A Scene Involving Williams Allegedly Abusing A Woman Presumed To Be His Girlfriend.

The Incident Occurred At A Charlotte Light Rail Station.

i.e., Lynx Blue Line Trains Operated By CATS.

Earlier This Week The Family Of Another Young, BLACK Also Killed By Charlotte Police Officer Via A Taser Gun, Was Awarded $10 Million In A Lawsuit Against The Manufacturer Of Taser Guns Used By CMPD.

Since This Incident Occurred At A Charlotte Light Rail Station Its Imperative I Touch On Several Related Key Elements.

BLACK Citizens Who Ride Charlotte Light Rail Trains Are Treated Very Poorly By Both Charlotte Police Officers & CATS Employees.

Were It Not For BLACK Citizens Using Charlotte's Mass Public Transportation System, CATS Would Make Hardly Any Money To Operate The System Because Most Of Its Passengers Are In Fact BLACK.

Yet.....

Those Same BLACK Passengers Which Keeps CATS Functioning Are Treated Very Poorly i.e., Obvious, Blatant RACISM!

Yes RACISM!!

Whether Charlotte's Scared BLACK Mayor & Scared BLACK City Council Officials Wish To Ever Admit It, And Even Though Charlotte Won The 2012 DNC Bid, Charlotte, North Carolina Is STILL A City Largely Troubled & Divided By Centuries Old KKK Institutionalized RACISM!!

When BLACK Passengers Ride The Charlotte Light Rail If A BLACK Passenger Is Found To Be Riding The Light Rail Without A Ticket, They Are Immediately Given A $50.00 Citation Ticket By Either A CMPD Officer Or A CATS Light Rail Employee.

However....

If A WHITE Passenger Is Found To Be Riding Charlotte's Light Rail System Without A Ticket That WHITE Light Rail Passenger Is NEVER Given A Ticket!

Instead They Are Simply Allowed To Exit The Train At The Next Stop & All Is Well.

If That Isn't A Blatant Example Of Racism Then Please Explain To Me What Is??

If BLACK Passengers Are Loud & Rowdy On Charlotte's Light Rail Trains They Are Either Arrested By CMPD Officers Or Made To Exit At The Nearest Stop.

However....

If WHITE Passengers Are Loud & Rowdy On Charlotte's Light Rail Trains They Are Allowed To Continue Riding Without ANY Interference From CMPD Officers Or CATS Light Rail Employees.

If That Isn't Another Blatant Example Of Racism Then Please Explain To Me What Is??

In Charlotte's WHITE Or Predominantly Communities The Buses Are ALWAYS ON TIME.

However....

In Charlotte's BLACK Or Predominantly BLACK Communities (East, Northwest, Northeast, Southwest, West Charlotte) The Buses Are NEVER On Time!!

If That Isn't Another Blatant Example Of Racism Then Please Explain To Me What Is??

In Charlotte's WHITE Or Predominantly Communities The Buses Are ALWAYS Clean, NEW Or Well Maintained.

However.....

In Charlotte's BLACK Or Predominantly BLACK Communities (East, Northwest, Northeast, Southwest, West Charlotte) The Buses Are ALWAYS OLD, Raggedy, Roach-Infested & Poorly Maintained.

Despite The Fact That Both Charlotte's BLACK & WHITE Citizens Pay The SAME Fares To Use CATS Services, Its Quite Obvious Charlotte's WHITE Citizens Are Clearly Getting A Better Bang For Their Buck!

However....

If Charlotte's WHITE Citizens Choose To Complain About Charlotte's CATS Already GREAT Services In Their Communities, Charlotte Officials Including Mayor Anthony Foxx Immediately Sees To It Their Concerns Are Heard & Corrected.

However....

If Charlotte's BLACK Citizens Choose To Complain About Charlotte's CATS Blatantly POOR Services In Their Communities (East, Northwest, Southwest, West Charlotte), Charlotte Officials Including Mayor Anthony Foxx Immediately Sees To It Their Concerns Are NOT Heard & The Already POOR CATS Services In Charlotte's BLACK Communities (East, Northwest, Northeast, Southwest, West Charlotte) Gets WORSE!!

i.e., RETALIATION FOR SPEAKING UP!!!

Again I Ask If That Isn't Another Blatant Example Of Racism Then Please Explain To Me What Is??

In Addition Charlotte's Light Rail System Was Built On Charlotte's South Side, An Area Of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Predominantly Occupied By Charlotte's Wealthy, WHITE Citizens.

But Where Did The Money Come From To Construct Charlotte's Light Rail System?

Charlotte's BLACK Citizens (East, Northwest, Northeast, Southwest, West Charlotte) Because Charlotte's Public Mass Transportation System (CATS) Is Utilized By More BLACK Citizens Than WHITE Citizens At Least 10:1!

However.....

Despite This Fact Charlotte's BLACK Communities (East, Northwest, Northeast, Southwest, West Charlotte) Have ONLY Been Given An Old Trolley & Raggedy, OLD, Roach-Infested Buses Which NEVER Run On Time!

Charlotte's 2nd BLACK Mayor In The City's History Anthony Foxx & Other BLACK City Council Officials Are Well Aware Of How POORLY Charlotte's BLACK Citizens (East, Northwest, Northeast, Southwest, West Charlotte) Are Treated By CATS (Charlotte's Mass Public Transportation System) But Don't Seem To Care Or Give A Darn.

NO They Don't Seem To Give A Darn!

Even Though Were It NOT For Charlotte's BLACK Voters (East, Northwest, Northeast, Southwest, West Charlotte) Neither Anthony Foxx, Nor Patrick Cannon, Warren Turner, James Mitchell, David Howard (All BLACK) Would Currently Be Serving In Public Office.

All Of That Brings Us Back To The Recent Situation At Hand About Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Officers Using Unnecessary Force On Charlotte's BLACK Residents ((East, Northwest, Northeast, Southwest, West Charlotte)) Whenever They Are Called To Respond To An Incident.

Especially If It Involves An Incident Which May Adversely Impact Charlotte's WHITE Citizens Who Ride The Light Rail Line. i.e., Lynx Blue Line.

As Mentioned Above Young, BLACK Male Citizen Mr. Lareko Williams (Now Deceased) Was Apparently Allegedgly Hitting His Presumed Girlfriend At A Charlotte Light Rail Station When CMPD Officers Were Called To The Scene By A Witness.

Notice I Said This Incident Occurred At A Charlotte Light Rail Station.

You Know The SAME Light Rail System Built Primarily To Service Charlotte's WHITE Citizens, At The Expense Of Charlotte's BLACK CATS Passengers Who Use Charlotte's CATS Services 10:1.

Now Since I Was NOT At The Scene Of The Crime, I Don't Know What Actually Happened.

But It Is Clear That Mr. Williams Did NOT Have A Gun Of Any Type On His Person, Nor Did He Pull A Weapon Of Any Type At The CMPD Officer Called To The Scene.

So Why Was He Tasered To DEATH??

Notice I Said To DEATH!!

As In The Officer Continued To Taser Mr. Williams Until He Died From Cardiac Arrest!

For The Record I Do NOT Advocate Or Endorse Domestic Violence Period?

NO I Don't!! Of Course Not!

Except The Way I See It Is Violence Is Violence Whether Its Perpetrated By A Regular Citizen Or An CMPD Officer.

Excuse Me But.....

Didn't The City Of Charlotte Just Pay Out A HUGE Settlement To The Family Of Another Young, BLACK Male Citizen, Darryl Turner Who Died After Being Tasered TO DEATH By Another CMPD Officer?

As In The Officer Continued To Taser Mr. Turner Until He Too Died From Cardiac Arrest?

YES!!

Excuse Me But.....

Didn't Darryl Turner's Family Recently Win A $10 Million Settlement From The Manufacturer Of Taser Guns Used By CMPD Officers?

YES!!

Neither Young, BLACK Male Citizen Killed By CMPD Officers Via Taser Guns, Were Carrying Weapons Or Threatened CMPD Officers With Weapons.

Unless....

Weapons Were Planted On Mr. Williams' & Mr. Turner's Person By CMPD Officers.

Or....

Unless CMPD Investigators Lied In Their Reports That Both Men DID Have Weapons In Their Possession When CMPD Officers Responded To The Calls Involving Both Men.

So Why Were Those Two Young, BLACK Male Citizens Killed By CMPD Officers??

Why Were Darryl Turner & Lareko Williams Tasered Until DEATH Occurred??

i.e., INTENTIONAL ACT; MURDER; MANSLAUGHTER!

Does Legally Wearing A Police Uniform & Police Badge Give CMPD Officers A License To Just Randomly KILL Young, BLACK Male Citizens Or Young, BLACK Female Citizens At Will???

NO!! At Least It Shouldn't!

Well Then Why Is It That Charlotte's Chief Of Police & Charlotte's Mayor (Both BLACK Men) Have Continued To Allow CMPD Officers To Use & KILL Charlotte's Young, BLACK Citizens With Taser Guns??

Is It Just To Make Charlotte's WHITE Citizens Feel Safe & To Prevent WHITE Flight From The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Region ?

(i.e., Charlotte's New 2020 Vision Plan)

What About Making Charlotte's BLACK Citizens (East, Northwest, Northeast, Southwest, West Charlotte) Feel SAFE Too?

Why Is It CMPD Officers REFUSE To Protect Charlotte's BLACK Citizens From Crime & Refuse To Help Solve Murders Against Charlotte's BLACK Citizens (East, Northwest, Northeast, Southwest, West Charlotte) In A Timely Manner Vs. How Quickly They Diligently Work To Solve Murders & Crime Committed Against Charlotte's WHITE Citizens?

But Yet.....

CMPD Officers Appear To Have NO Problem Working Diligently To Protect, Investigate & Solve Crimes/ Murders Against Charlotte's WHITE Citizens?

Such Injustices & Disparities Against BLACK Citizens Should NOT Be Happening In A Major, So-Called Metropolitan City, Run By A BLACK Mayor In The Year 2011!

After All Since Charlotte's BLACK Mayor Anthony Foxx & His BLACK City Council Colleagues (Patrick Cannon, Warren Turner, James Mitchell, David Howard) Frequently Boasts About "Charlotte Being A Diverse City", Why Have Charlotte's BLACK Citizens Been Treated More Poorly, More Unfairly & Been Offered Fewer Opportunities For Success Only AFTER Anthony Foxx Was Elected??

Inquiring Minds Would Like To Know! Like Yesterday!

Meanwhile Perhaps It Will Take More HUGE Lawsuit Settlements Against The City Of Charlotte & More HUGE Lawsuit Settlements Against The Manufacturer Of Taser Guns Used By CMPD Officers, Until The City Of Charlotte Is BROKE!!! Before Civil Rights & Equal Rights Is Truly Demonstrated To Charlotte's BLACK Citizens.

To The Family Of Mr. Lareko Williams, I'm So Sorry For Your Loss.

I Suggest You Hire An EXCELLENT Attorney Like The One Hired By Darryl Turner's Family, NOW!!!

Or Just Hire The SAME Attorney If Need Be Since He's Already Familiar With CMPD Officers Use Of Excessive Force Against Charlotte's Young, BLACK Citizens.

I Repeat: Such Injustices & Disparities Against BLACK Citizens (East, Northwest, Northeast, Southwest, West Charlotte) Should NOT Be Happening In A Major, So-Called Metropolitan City, Run By A BLACK Mayor In The Year 2011!

As A BLACK Woman I Do Believe In Supporting BLACK Leaders.

But Only If Those Same BLACK Leaders Also Support Their BLACK Constituents AFTER Being Elected By BLACK Voters.

I Somehow Feel Obligated To Help Re-Elect Pres. Obama Because Whether I Agree With ALL Of His Policies Or Not, Barack Obama Is PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES!

To The Contrary Mayor Anthony Foxx Is Just Leader of ONE City.

Its Not Hard For Anthony Foxx To Demonstrate Equality & Fairness On His Level As A Mayor.

Anthony Foxx Is Managing a City NOT An Entire Nation!

i.e., FOXX Is NOT U.S. President Barack Obama, Thus He Has NO Excuse For NOT Demonstrating Equality & Fairness To ALL Of Charlotte's Citizens Versus Just Charlotte's WHITE Citizens.

However If Anthony Foxx Is Afraid To Demonstrate Equality & Fairness For ALL Of Charlotte's Citizens, Then Perhaps He Should NOT Be Re-Elected Mayor Of Charlotte.

If On The Other Hand Mayor Anthony Foxx Is NOT Afraid To Demonstrate Equality & Fairness For ALL Of Charlotte's Citizens Versus Just Charlotte's WHITE Citizens, Then Please Begin To Show It To Charlotte's BLACK Voters Prior To This Fall's Local Elections.

Let Us Pray & Vote Responsibly When Returning To The Polls This Fall.

R.I.P. Lareko Williams & Darryl Turner.





Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police shelve Tasers for now after another suspect dies

The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department is taking all of its Tasers off the streets for as many as 45 days, after a suspect died when he was shocked by an officer's X26 Taser at a Lynx light rail station.

Police say Lareko Williams, 21, was beating and choking a woman when confronted by Officer Michael Forbes at the station on Woodlawn Road around 10:30 p.m. Wednesday. Williams was pronounced dead about an hour later.

The death came just a day after a federal jury in Charlotte awarded $10 million to the family of 17-year-old Darryl Wayne Turner, who died in 2008 after a CMPD officer shocked him with a Taser.

In response to the jury's award against the company that makes Tasers, Charlotte City Attorney Mac McCarley said police officers would continue to use the weapons.

"It is still a very effective, nonlethal force to control a situation," he told the Observer Wednesday, just hours before the confrontation at the light rail station.

But the $10 million verdict and Wednesday's death are certain to revive debate over the weapons. Tasers can deliver a 50,000-volt shock that temporarily paralyzes suspects, and have been linked to hundreds of deaths across the country.

Earlier this year, the Union County town of Stallings stopped using Tasers because of liability issues.

CMPD on Thursday suspended use of its roughly 1,200 Tasers for 30 to 45 days as the weapons are tested to make sure they're working properly. The Taser used on Williams will be sent to an independent laboratory to be tested, police said.

The department will also review its Taser policies and procedures to ensure they're in line with established national standards.

Foxx supports chief's action

Charlotte Mayor Anthony Foxx said Thursday that he wants to see the results of the CMPD review before taking any further action.

"I have spoken with Police Chief Rodney Monroe several times in the last 24 hours and he has assured me that all aspects of this incident will be reviewed thoroughly," Foxx said in a statement. "I also support his effort to inspect all Taser devices and protocols related to their use."

Police didn't respond to questions about Officer Forbes' training with the Taser. They also didn't respond to questions about where Williams was struck with the Taser prongs or how long he was shocked.

On Thursday, McCarley stood by his statements about Tasers being effective in helping officers control situations.

"In the vast majority of cases, fewer officers and fewer suspects sustain any sort of physical or permanent injuries," he said, speaking of Tasers. "But the other steps available are usually hard physical contact, something like a baton. And that is much more likely to cause some type of immediate or lasting physical harm."

But Ken Harris, who has represented Turner's family since the teen's death three years ago, said Williams' death may illustrate the Taser's dangers.

"This incident is just another example of why we have been so persistent in arguing that the Taser is a lethal weapon," Harris said.

"We wanted Darryl's legacy to be a reduction in the number of deaths related to the use of Tasers. This is just another tragedy."

At Woodlawn Lynx station

On Wednesday night, Williams and a female friend were riding the Lynx line home after watching a movie at the AMC movie theater on South Boulevard, said Ariel Terry, a friend of Williams who says she dated him for a year. At some point, he got into an argument with the woman, Terry said.

At 10:39 p.m., someone called police reporting that man was beating a woman at the Woodlawn Lynx station, a raised platform along the 4700 block of Old Pineville Road, according to a police statement.

Forbes was the first officer to respond.

Monroe told reporters Forbes fired his department-issued Taser as Williams was about to strike the woman again. Forbes used the Taser "in an attempt to gain compliance," according to a police statement.

Forbes soon realized the suspect was unresponsive and radioed for paramedics.

Terry said Williams treated her well when they dated. But she did acknowledge that Williams had been previously charged with assault on a female and other crimes.

She said Williams has a 1-year-old child and two children on the way. He was attending classes at Central Piedmont Community College, she said, trying to get his graduate equivalent diploma.

Monroe told reporters that investigators are analyzing video that apparently showed what happened during the confrontation.

"A host of cameras (are) in and around the area," Monroe said. "We're going through a very methodical process analyzing the data from those cameras."

Williams' family declined to comment. The Observer's news partner, WCNC-TV, reported that they had hired a lawyer.

Largest award against maker

A day before Williams died, Darryl Turner's family was awarded $10 million after a jury found that Taser International failed to warn that the weapon could cause cardiac arrest. The award was the largest ever against the makers of the Taser. The company said it will appeal.

The city of Charlotte paid $625,000 to Turner's family in 2009, though it denied wrongdoing.

Turner died in March 2008 after Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Officer Jerry Dawson Jr. shocked him at a Food Lion grocery store in northeast Charlotte.

Turner, who worked at the store, died from cardiac arrest. The autopsy showed the teenager's heart was pumping so fast and chaotically from the Taser shot and stress from the confrontation that it stopped pumping blood properly. The autopsy found no pre-existing heart problems.

Dawson was not charged with any crime. Prosecutors said the officer was justified in using the Taser during the confrontation with Turner, who was found with three small bags of marijuana in his socks after the incident. He was also "agitated" and threw something at a manager, police said.

Dawson was suspended for five days without pay and required to undergo additional training. After Turner's death, all officers were required to undergo more training with Tasers.

Police didn't respond to questions about Forbes' training Thursday, but under the department's training regimen, he would have completed the additional training at least twice.








17-year-old's family wins $10 million in Taser verdict


Taser International must pay $10 million to the family of a Charlotte teenager who died in 2008 after being shocked by a police officer - the biggest jury award ever against the company.

The lawyers for Darryl Turner's parents said Wednesday the federal jury found that Taser International failed to warn that discharging its Taser into the chest of a suspect near the heart poses a substantial risk of cardiac arrest. The company's animal studies, they said, demonstrated the risk.

John Burton, lead counsel for Turner's parents, Devoid Turner and Tammy Lou Fontenot, said Taser International has been irresponsible in representing its product's safety.

"Hopefully, this verdict will sound the alarm to police officers around the world that firing these weapons into the chests of people should be avoided," said Burton, whose law offices are in Pasadena, Calif. "No other family should have to endure the tragedy that the Turner and Fontenot families have experienced."

Taser International sought to persuade the jury that Turner, 17, had a medical condition that can lead to sudden cardiac arrest in young adults. The company's lawyers also presented evidence about a U.S. Justice Department study, released in May, which said current research does not support a substantially increased risk of cardiac arrhythmia even if the Taser darts strike the front of the chest.

The company's lawyers intend to appeal the verdict.

Darryl Turner died in March 2008 after being shocked with a Taser by Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Officer Jerry Dawson Jr. at a Food Lion grocery store in north Charlotte.

Turner, who worked at the store, died from cardiac arrest. The autopsy showed the teenager's heart was pumping so fast and chaotically from the Taser shot and stress from the confrontation that it stopped pumping blood properly. The autopsy found no pre-existing heart problems.

Dawson was not charged with any crime. Prosecutors said the officer was justified in using the Taser during the confrontation with Turner, who was found with three small bags of marijuana in his socks after the incident. He was also "agitated" and threw something at a manager, police said.

Dawson was suspended for five days without pay and required to undergo additional training. Police said Dawson had violated policy when he shocked Turner with the Taser gun for about 37 seconds. Dawson held the trigger until Turner fell to the floor, according to police.

The city of Charlotte paid $625,000 to Turner's family in 2009, though the city denied wrongdoing. It was the largest police-related claim the city had paid out in nearly a decade.

City Attorney Mac McCarley told the Observer Wednesday that the city will continue to use Tasers.

"It is still a very effective, nonlethal force to control a situation," McCarley said.

After Turner's death, Charlotte-Mecklenburg police mandated additional training for all officers on the proper use of Tasers and other electronic control devices, said spokesman Rob Tufano.

The training "emphasized that repeated and prolonged deployment and exposure of the device is a strict violation of department policy," Tufano said. Police also trained personnel to look for other areas of the body to target with Tasers, like the lower abdomen and upper leg.

The use of Tasers by Charlotte-Mecklenburg police has decreased since 2007, when police shocked people with the devices nearly 140 times. In 2008, that number had dropped to about 120 and in 2009, the latest year for which figures are available, police deployed Tasers fewer than 80 times.

The Stallings Police Department in January abandoned the use of Tasers to reduce its liability risk.

Taser International, in a statement on its website about Tuesday's verdict, said there's been only one other adverse jury verdict against the company. That was for more than $7 million in 2008. Taser International appealed, and the verdict was reduced to about $200,000, the statement said.

"This was a sad and tragic incident, and our hearts go out to Mr. Turner's family," Doug Klint, Taser International's president and general counsel, said in a statement.

"We can certainly understand how the jury felt deep compassion for Mr. Turner's family, and how this compassion may have overwhelmed the scientific evidence presented in this case. However, given the important nature of this case and the exclusion of key evidence that occurred, Taser International intends to appeal this verdict."

Taser International said U.S. District Judge Bob Conrad didn't allow the jury to hear evidence that Darryl Turner had three baggies of marijuana in his sock during the incident. The company said a screen for marijuana and other drugs was not performed at the autopsy or before the lab destroyed the teenager's blood evidence.

Taser International said the judge also did not instruct the jury on contributory negligence. Under N.C. law, the company said, if plaintiffs act in a negligent manner that contributes to their damages, they are barred from recovering damages from a third party.

The statement said the company's lawyers believe Turner's behavior at the grocery store was negligent and "necessitated the use of force by police."

Police were called to the store where Turner worked after the store manager had asked him to leave and he refused, according to court documents.

Store surveillance video showed Turner at the customer service desk, knocking over a display and throwing an umbrella. He then moved closer to a store manager and employee, at one point raising his arm and pointing at the manager.

Later, the soundless video shows Officer Dawson entering the store with a Taser in his hand. Turner took a step toward the officer, and police say that's when Dawson fired the Taser. Turner continued to walk past the officer with the Taser probes in his chest.

Taser International said its insurance will pay about $6 million of the award if the company is not successful on its appeal.

Charlotte attorney Ken Harris, who represents Turner's parents, said: "This has been a long and difficult journey for the family. We have consistently stated that no judgment would be sufficient to compensate the family relative to Darryl's loss.

"We are very happy with this benchmark result and the impact that it may have ... concerning the use of the Taser."


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Sources: CATS, Charmeck.org, McClatchy Newspapers, WBTV, WCNC, Youtube, Google Maps

Kevin Parks Ponders Filing Racial Profiling Suit Against North Carolina (DWB)

N.C. High School Football Player Challenges Arrest, Considers Filing Civil Rights Lawsuit Against N.C.


A Black N.C. Star High School Football player is challenging the charges against him, stemming from a run-in with N.C. deputies that ended up with the player being stunned with a Taser.

West Rowan High School running back Kevin Parks and his attorney, Ken Harris, are also conducting their own investigation into what happened.

They're hoping to find answers to what they say are several unanswered questions and see whether their findings constitute enough to proceed with a civil lawsuit.

Parks, who goes by KP, never met an end zone he couldn't reach in a flash while running over defenders.

"59 touchdowns this year," he said.

That's just one of his many football records.

Others include being named to the 2010 Parade All-American Team as well as the Old Spice Red Zone National Player of the Year. That prowess earned Parks a football scholarship to Virginia.

But it's another record Parks is fighting, which includes accusations of improper passing, following too closely and resisting a public officer.

"I was feeling like -- is this really happening right now?" Parks said, referring to an incident two weeks ago in Davie County.

"This day started with him traveling to see a friend. It ended up with him Tased and unconscious," said Harris.

Investigators say Parks was driving too closely to an off-duty trooper, who was on his motorcycle with his wife, and then Parks passed the motorcycle in a no-passing zone on Highway 601 in Davie County.

Plus, police say Parks' car was weaving and the trooper suspected impairment.

That trooper followed Parks until he stopped. Help arrived to take Parks into custody. Investigators say that's when an argument ensued and Parks was stunned with a Taser.

Parks isn't talking about the arrest, but Harris says there are plenty of questions his investigation hopes to answer.

"Whether or not Mr. Parks should have been stopped in the first place, whether or not he engaged in any traffic violation to begin with, whether or not he should have been restrained, whether or not he should have been arrested, whether or not he should have been Tased," Harris said.

Harris says other issues includes Parks' Taser injury and when the off-duty, non-uniformed officer flashed a badge.

"Is it shown 8 miles after you follow someone?" Harris said. "The mere showing of a badge doesn't give you license to do whatever you want to do."

Since Parks' arrest, investigators now say Parks was not impaired, even though that's what they suspected.

Parks hasn't filed a civil suit, but Harris says that could change depending upon what their investigation finds.

Highway Patrol officials say the trooper was doing his job -- on or off duty -- and did what he felt was right.

They also say Parks likely is an outstanding young man, but in their words, they "arrest outstanding young men all the time."


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Sources: WCNC, Google Maps

Federal Court Limits Taser Use...Stopping Police Brutality

Federal Appeals Court Sets Limits On Police Use Of Tasers


A Federal Appeals Court on Monday issued one of the most comprehensive rulings yet limiting police use of Tasers against low-level offenders who seem to pose little threat and may be mentally ill.

In a case out of San Diego County, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals criticized an officer who, without warning, shot an emotionally troubled man with a Taser when he was unarmed, yards away, and neither fleeing nor advancing on the officer.

Sold as a nonlethal alternative to guns, Tasers deliver an electrical jolt meant to subdue a subject. The stun guns have become a common and increasingly controversial tool used by law enforcement.

There have been at least nine Taser-related fatalities in the Sacramento region, including the death earlier this month of Paul Martinez Jr., an inmate shot with a stun gun while allegedly resisting officers at the Roseville jail.

As lawsuits have proliferated against police and Taser International, which manufactures the weaons, the nation's appellate courts have been trying to define what constitutes appropriate Taser use.

The San Diego County case is the latest ruling to address the issue.

The court recounted the facts of the case:

In the summer of 2005, Carl Bryan, 21, was pulled over for a seat-belt violation and did not follow an officer's order to stay in the car.

Earlier, he had received a speeding ticket and had taken off his T-shirt to wipe away tears. He was wearing only the underwear he'd slept in because a woman had taken his keys, the court said without further explanation.

During his second traffic stop in Coronado, he got out of the car. He was "agitated … yelling gibberish and hitting his thighs, clad only in his boxer shorts and tennis shoes" but did not threaten the officer verbally or physically, the judges wrote.

That's when Coronado Police Officer Brian McPherson, who was standing about 20 feet away watching Bryan's "bizarre tantrum," fired his Taser, the court said.

Without a word of warning, he hit Bryan in the arm with two metal darts, delivering a 1,200-volt jolt.

Temporarily paralyzed and in intense pain, Bryan fell face-first on the pavement. The fall shattered four of his front teeth and left him with facial abrasions and swelling. Later, a doctor had to use a scalpel to remove one of the darts.

Bryan sued McPherson, the Coronado Police Department and the city of Coronado, alleging excessive force in violation of his Fourth Amendment rights.

The officer moved to have the claim dismissed, but a federal trial judge ruled in Bryan's favor.

A three-judge panel of the 9th Circuit affirmed the trial judge's ruling on Monday, concluding that the level of force used by the officer was excessive.

McPherson could have waited for backup or tried to talk the man down, the judges said. If Bryan was mentally ill, as the officer contended, then there was even more reason to use "less intrusive means," the judges said.

"Officer McPherson's desire to quickly and decisively end an unusual and tense situation is understandable," Judge Kim McLane Wardlaw wrote for the court. "His chosen method for doing so violated Bryan's constitutional right to be free from excessive force."

Some lawyers called it a landmark decision.

Eugene Iredale, a San Diego lawyer who argued the case, said it was one of the clearest and most complete statements yet from an appellate court about the limits of Taser use.

He said after Monday's decision that courts will consider all circumstances, including whether someone poses a threat, has committed a serious crime or is mentally troubled.

"In an era where everybody understands 'don't tase me, bro,' courts are going to look more closely at the use of Tasers, and they're going to try to deter the promiscuous oversue of that tool," he said.

That's especially true in the context of those who appear to be emotionally disturbed or mentally ill, said Johnny Griffin III, a Sacramento plaintiffs lawyer.

Griffin represented the family of a troubled Woodland man who died under police restraint after being struck multiple times with Tasers.

In May 2008, Ricardo Abrahams walked away from a voluntary care facility and disobeyed the orders of officers called to check on his well-being. They shot him repeatedly with stun guns.

The case against the city of Woodland and its officers was settled in June for $300,000.

"I think it confirms what I and other lawyers in this area have been saying: You can't treat a person with mental illness the same as someone without mental illness," Griffin said.

Law enforcement authorities in Sacramento said they don't expect Monday's ruling to prompt much change.

Sacramento Police Department and Sacramento County Sheriff's Department policies permit the use of force to gain control of a suspect or prevent harm to others.

"Certainly the officer should be able to articulate the reason the force (was used), and a mere resistance to comply may not be enough," said Sheriff John McGinness.

Sgt. Norm Leong, spokesman for the Police Department, said his agency's policy on the use of stun guns mainly covers safety considerations. It doesn't list behaviors or situations that warrant using the devices, he said.

"Ideally, in every circumstance, we try to gain compliance verbally, and force is the last option we ever want to use," he said.



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British Police Forces Giving Up Use Of Taser Guns

UPI.com----

LONDON -- Several major British police forces say they are refusing the government's calls to extend the use of Taser stun guns to thousands of officers.

The Sussex Police have joined the London Metropolitan Police in refusing to extend the use of Tasers to officers who are not specially trained to wield the weapons, The Daily Telegraph reported Monday.

Still undecided on whether to roll out the non-lethal weapons to more officers are the South Yorkshire Police and Devon and Cornwall Constabulary, the newspaper said.

Concerns over providing 10,000 such weapons to 30,000 officers nationwide have reportedly been sparked by video footage from Nottingham, England, that appeared to depict an officer shocking a man at least twice while he was lying on the floor.

"Tasers should be left in the hands of specially trained firearms officers," Tom Brake, a Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesman, told the Telegraph. "By making Tasers available to 30,000 officers we are descending down the slippery slope towards fully armed, U.S.-style policing."


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