No Excuse For This

"Donnell Williams had just gotten out of the bath tub, wearing only a towel around his waist, when he turned the corner to see guns pointing right at him."

Police officers had broken into his home to respond to a false alarm about a shooting.

"I ain't never been so scared," said Williams.

They had no idea at the time the call wasn't real and that Williams is hearing impaired. Without his hearing aid he is basically deaf.

"I kept going to my ear yelling that I was scared. I can't hear! I can't hear!"

Officers were worried about their own safety because at the time it appeared Williams was refusing to obey their commands to show his hands. That's when they shot him with a Taser.

What a bunch of over-eager, Barney Fifes.

Once the facts were all sorted out, officers repeatedly apologized to Williams. Police wish it never happened, but with the information they had at the time, their choices were limited.

Yeah, I'll bet they do wish it never happened, and I bet they hope they don't get sued. They deserve to. With the information they had at the time their choices were limited? Hmmm. Lets review the information they had. Reported shooting. They forcibly entered the man's home. They encounter a man wrapped in a towel, shocked to see them, who points to his ear saying, "I can't hear! I can't hear!" Somehow from that set of data, I don't see how you come up with "Taze him, bro!" What did they think, that he was hiding a pistol up his bottom?

"Do I wish there would have been some way they were notified in advance this gentleman was hearing impaired? I certainly do. No one is happy with the way it worked out," said (Deputy Chief Robert) Lee.

Um. Forgive me if I'm wrong, but the victim's own testimony was that he told the police he couldn't hear repeatedly. Should he have had a doctor's note? Perhaps he could have stored it with the pistol.

Williams was not hurt in the incident. Police say the shooting call came from a cell phone but they still don't know who made it or why.

The case is being reviewed by the department.

I'll bet Mr. Williams would beg to differ that he wasn't hurt. You can read the rest of the article HERE (although I have basically quoted the whole thing.)

I understand that the police have a tough job and they live on adrenalin, but I have personally run into yahoos like this. If they are that afraid, they might want to think about another line of work. They should have to make restitution to Mr. Williams.