Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Seriously!?!

So, last Tuesday we were talking in class about how cameras can and cannot be used regarding the law.  On Wednesday, I found this:http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23144420/ & this:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UAGb7_g4Aso.  A Hillsborough County Florida deputy Sheriff dumped a paralized man from his wheelchair after she allegedly believed he was being non-compliant when asked to stand to be searched.  Forty seconds after he is wheeled through the doors, she unceremoniously dumps him on the floor as her co-workers stand idly by.  Now, there is no sound, so the conversation between the deputy and the wheelchair-bound gentleman is unknown.   When reviewing the video, the man is apparently not yelling, flailing about or acting an ass.   So I wonder, under what circumstances is it acceptable to dump anyone out of their chair?  I worked for several years as a crisis counselor with sever to profound BD/LD/ED adolescent students.   On the rare occasion, I had reason to remove a student from his/her chair.  Mind you, none of my students were handicapped,  but we spent much longer time (usually several minutes, dependent upon the threat severity) trying to give the student options and discussing the pros and cons to his/her behavior before removing the student.  So I can't help but think that the deputy was being, for a lack of a better word, an ass.

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