A lot of these guys are just stirring the shit pot.

http://www.citizen-times.com/article/20100721/NEWS/307210030

ASHEVILLE  — Authorities dismissed charges against a 70-year-old mentally handicapped man who was shot with a Taser after police say he resisted arrest and swung his arms at officers.

Police charged Frank Richmond, of Ascot Point Village, with assault on a government official, resisting arrest and attempted injury to personal property from the incident that happened last week. Buncombe County District Attorney Ron Moore said he dismissed the charges.

“I received a call from the police department, and they felt like that was in the best interest and I agreed,” Moore said Tuesday evening.

Police responded to a call about 7 p.m. July 12 to Ascot Point Apartments off Hendersonville Road in South Asheville. As officers drove by the apartment complex administration building, they spotted a man on the sidewalk, who they say threw a rock at the police cruiser, Asheville police Capt. Tim Splain said.

Officers stopped the car, got out and approached Richmond, who walked away from officers, Splain said.

“As they are trying to address him, he is mumbling,” and not articulate, Splain said. Officers attempted to handcuff Richmond and put him under “investigative detention” for throwing the rock at the cruiser.

As officers got a handcuff on one wrist, Richmond began to resist, Splain said. Richmond was swinging his arms at the officers along with the handcuff that wasn't attached.

Splain said officers were at risk of being struck in the face or eye by the swinging handcuff. Richmond who is 6 feet 3 inches, and about 210 pounds, was also physically strong enough to resist arrest, police said.
Responders examine

The officers then shot Richmond with the Taser in the torso, dropping him to the ground, where police handcuffed him, Splain said. First responders examined Richmond at the scene.

“In the course of trying to talk to him, it became obvious he was somewhat mentally challenged,” Splain said. “The whole situation is unfortunate.”

A magistrate released Richmond under an unsecured bond to the custody of his nephew and caretaker.

Living since March

Richmond's nephew James Richardson said his uncle has lived with him since March. He has never known his uncle to act violent or display any aggressive behavior.

“I couldn't understand why they couldn't recognize that he has a disability,” Richardson said. “These are trained professionals. They can recognize a drug dealer a block away but you get 5 feet, 10 feet away from a man that's mentally challenged and you can't recognize that? And you feel it's necessary to Tase(r) him? I don't understand that.”

Richardson also questions why authorities moved so quickly to drop the charges against his uncle.

“I would like to see those two officers spend eight hours with him so that they can learn what a mentally challenged person looks like and what they act like,” Richardson said, adding that it might also help his uncle overcome his fear of police.

“He doesn't even come outside anymore, not without one of us,” Richardson said. “He used to come outside and sit outside all the time. He doesn't do that now. He's afraid to.”

That's what happens when you get scared.

I don't see a problem here.

You will when they riot or a few of the PoPo get shot.

It sucks, but seems like it was a reasonable response to me.

Neither do I.  The guy was huge and he tried to assault officers.  In the era of lawsuits––-These days...it simply won't "do" to administer an asskicking to somebody who might deserve it.  Simply take a step back––-administer taser or pepper spray, wait for desired effect, and place handcuffs on suspect.  Gone are the days of judiciously applied beatings with batons or asskickings via feet/hands/kung fu.  

If you're attacked...or about to be, it's time to make them "shit sparks."  Yaaaaay!  America...Land of the Lawsuit!  

So.  You going to do the shooting?

I'm not black.

Riot?  Oh, I didn't see the picture.  



Awhile back, our department made national news after a female officer tasered a "blind" woman.  The woman was absolutely huge, and had a fairly recent conviction for felonious assault.  That part didn't make the news.  Somehow, it never does.

I'd like to know, if the man is that profoundly retarded according to the relative, then why is the relative letting him wander around unsupervised?


Fact is, you cannot tell the level of mental capacity of an individual at the drop of a hat.

Unfortunately, people don't walk around with big signs that specify "mentally handicapped", "drunk off my ass", or "on a 5 day crack binge".....

Many times they could easily be any one of the three and when they are committing a crime you have to take action.  I think it was right for them to drop the charges considering they found out he was mentally handicapped, but you can't blame them for taking the actions they did.

I'm usually the one to give the citizen the benifit of every doubt, but he threw a rock at a cop car.  That's pretty unbalanced to be walking around in public. If he was that challenged, he should be under 100% supervision. Sounds like a danger to society. What if he threw a rock at your kid on a bike?



Tasing was the safest method to end the dangerous situation. A big man like that with one cuff on is a serious danger.

This.  They would have had a hard time proving "mens rea".

Some depts require the taser as there's less chance of injury to officer and suspect.

Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile

Yeah they should of requested a complete release of his med and psych files and records before they did anything.

I swear to God, some of you people are just too stupid for words. You can't be so fucking ignorant and uniformed. This kind of thing happens frequently. Mental handicaps and EDP's get in the shit with cops frequently. They become violent and they get scuffed up. Prosecuting them is pointless. You've got to be a complete idiot to call this incident excessive force or abuse.

What do you mean "YOU people"?  

If he threw a rock at a police car, he needed some discipline.  Now he won't throw rocks at police cars. A win-win.

Wow, advocating the shooting of law enforcement, you must be special at the arfcom.

I don't think he was advocating it.

Where did I do that?

You can try that shit on someone else. The PoPo gang-up mentality is quite hypersensitive these days.

Shit, I'd go for the big bucks and claim that he wasn't mentally retarded before he was hit with the Taser.