People with Disabilities and the Police

Topic: Editorials and Op-eds
Author: Thomas C. Weiss
Published: 2015/01/28 - Updated: 2021/09/12
Contents: Summary - Introduction - Main - Related

Synopsis: At least 50% of people shot and killed by cops every year in America experienced a form of mental health issue. Disability rights groups are some of the most energetic advocates of solidarity with Black Americans. Why is this so? Most likely because a number of the people who are killed by cops in America are indeed Black and do experience a form of disability. So where are the lawmakers, the politicians of America in regards to cops killing People with Disabilities and other members of minority populations? Well...eating steak, lobster cocktails and drinking fine wine apparently.

Introduction

People with Disabilities who live in America, you have a major threat to your well-being; even your life. The threat comes from a source that is supposed to be supportive of us, yet has become so paranoid and brutal it can only be perceived as completely unacceptable. The source is your local police officers, who are responsible for killing members of our population. Take; for example, what happened to Kristiana Coignard, a 17 year-old girl with disabilities.

Main Digest

A preliminary autopsy shows Kristiana was killed by 3 police officers, who shot her in cold blood out of fear of her. Yes, that is right - it took 3 killer cops to shoot and kill a mentally ill 17 year-old girl. She died from gunshot wounds to her upper body and trunk, probably because these cops have practiced their shooting skills with images of Black Americans. But hey, its all fully justified right? It would not surprise me one single bit if these killer cops find themselves right back on the street without missing a beat.

Kristiana's death has been ruled a homicide. She is a former Pine Tree ISD student and was shot after the 3 cops who murdered her claimed she was, 'brandishing,' some kind of weapon. I very, very seriously doubt Kristiana presented any real kind of threat to 3 trained police officers. Her murder is just one of the deaths police in America are responsible for related to People with Disabilities, who comprise HALF of the population killed by cops in this nation. Excuse me while I throw up due to the atrocities the police in America are committing and getting away with.

Wrongful Deaths, Wrongful Police Officers

Disability rights groups are some of the most energetic advocates of solidarity with Black Americans. Why is this so? Most likely because a number of the people who are killed by cops in America are indeed Black and do experience a form of disability. More than 30 disability activist groups in this nation have signed a statement protesting the police murders of Eric Gardner and Michael Brown. The groups have expressed solidarity with their families and communities and urge everyone to do the same. The signers of the statement are both local and national groups, to include organizations from:

Who are these rights groups? They are fighting for your rights, not only if you experience a form of disability, but if you are a member of another population that is at-risk of being murdered by killer cops in America. The groups include:

The signed statement calls on everyone in America to oppose, 'The criminalization and dehumanization of our citizens,' particularly of, 'communities viewed as other to many people - People with Disabilities, young men of color, as well as LGBTQ persons'. For these communities, statements such as, 'they did not comply,' or were, 'bad kids,' are entirely belligerent and look highly suspicious; what this all to often leads to is a sentence of death.

As a population, People with Disabilities are incredibly more likely to be killed by some murdering cop who has no concept of what it means to live with a form of disability. In fact, a report from 2013 by the Treatment and Advocacy Center and National Sheriffs' Association stated that between the years of 1980 and 2008, 'at least HALF of the people shot and killed by murdering cops every year in America experienced a form of mental health issue. In the meantime, sociopaths in office simply ignore the facts.

Talk about a lack of any kind of training to work with us as minority populations! Often times, neighbors or family members call the cops for assistance. People who experience forms of disabilities such as autism, hearing impairment, those who have a hard time processing verbal information, or for other disability-related reasons react differently when approached by a cop and are far, far more likely to be beaten, tasered and arrested.

Do not call the police, you may very well find the cops killing your child with disabilities. The options are difficult, but if you call the police it could very well result in the death of a person with disabilities. Who are just some of those killed or violently abused by murdering cops

Keith Vidal:

Keith was 18 years old, not even old enough to order a beer. He had a diagnosis of schizophrenia. Keith was tasered by cops in North Carolina; the police went on to shoot and kill Keith after his family called for police assistance.

Gilberto Powell:

Gilberto was 22 years old and experienced Down syndrome. He was severely beaten by killer cops in the State of Florida outside his own home. The cops say they suspected Gilberto had a weapon of some kind (SuspectedWow - that deserves a death sentence). The killer cops attempted to, 'pat down,' Gilberto, but he did not understand and tried to run away. The supposedly, 'suspicious,' bulge in his pants was a colostomy bag.

Barry Montgomery:

Barry was age 29, had a diagnosis of schizophrenia as well as Tourette's syndrome and was also nonverbal. He was beaten and tasered by California Sheriff's Officers for 25 minutes after these killer sheriff's suspected he smelled like marijuana, which is legal in several states in America. When Barry did not respond as these sheriff's commands to letter perfection, they shot him and he experienced massive and permanent injuries.

The Murder of Ethan Saylor by Police

Ethan Saylor was a man who had Down syndrome; he was asphyxiated by killer cops in Frederick, MD. Ethan was only 26 years old, although he was physically very large. He was reported to have an I.Q. of around 40 and was at a movie theater with his caretaker; they were there to watch, 'Zero Dark Thirty.' Ethan loved the movie so much he wanted to stay and watch it again - something else that is apparently worthy of a death sentence in the minds of the cops who killed him over the price of a movie ticket.

The killer cops were called to remove Ethan and his caretaker from the theater. Ethan's caretaker told the cops about his form of disability and asked them to simply be patient. His caretaker also told police he would not be able to handle being touched. Witnesses say that 3 deputies jumped on top of Ethan on an inclined ramp and then threw 3 sets of handcuffs on him. Ethan laid face down for several minutes and then became quiet and unresponsive. Ethan's last words"Mommy! It hurt!" I will never go to a movie theater again.

Stupid Politicians Who Do Not Care

So where are the lawmakers, the politicians of America in regards to cops killing People with Disabilities and other members of minority populations? Well...eating steak, lobster cocktails and drinking fine wine apparently. You do not have to dig deep at all to find bigoted and hateful statements from a politician, take Mr. Rand Paul for example, who recently stated:

"What I tell people is, if you look like me and you hop out of your truck, you shouldn't be getting a disability check. Over half of the people on disability are either anxious or their back hurts "join the club. Who doesn't get a little anxious for work and their back hurts? Everybody over 40 has a back pain."- Rand Paul

Get out of government entirely, Mr. Rand Paul - you are a disgrace to America. If you are unable to understand that People with Disabilities have Always, Always experienced the highest rate of unemployment in this nation you are dumber than I thought. You do not deserve $174,000 a year, political perks, or even a single vote from anyone in America with a heart and soul.

The Social Security Administration (SSA) runs the disability program, a program that is financed through a portion of the 12.4% Social Security payroll tax that is taken from the paychecks of almost every last worker in America. The Fact Checker's Guide to Social Security says disability insurance is an integral part of Social Security - around 18.5% of Social Security beneficiaries are workers with disabilities and their dependents. Trust in lawmakers in America is shattered and totally gone; I certainly do not trust any politicians in this nation, why should I? With fools like Mr. Rand Paul in office, America seems more and more like a nation of abusive political jerks.

People with Disabilities in this nation already experience incredible bigotry and violence, yet somehow we are supposed to take police as being anything but armed killers? We are supposed to somehow have any respect or trust in failed politicians? I think I would trust the local gang members before trusting a cop or politician. I would call my neighbor before calling some killer cop. It is not that there are no, 'good,' cops in this nation, it is that the cops who are killing People with Disabilities and members of other minority populations have made every cop in America look like mad dog killers to be avoided at all costs.

Author Credentials:

Thomas C. Weiss is a researcher and editor for Disabled World. Thomas attended college and university courses earning a Masters, Bachelors and two Associate degrees, as well as pursing Disability Studies. As a Nursing Assistant Thomas has assisted people from a variety of racial, religious, gender, class, and age groups by providing care for people with all forms of disabilities from Multiple Sclerosis to Parkinson's; para and quadriplegia to Spina Bifida. Explore for comprehensive insights into his background, expertise, and accomplishments.

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Cite This Page (APA): Weiss, T. C. (2015, January 28 - Last revised: 2021, September 12). People with Disabilities and the Police. Disabled World. Retrieved September 17, 2024 from www.disabled-world.com/editorials/kc.php

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