Just still reeling from the recent unfortunate arrest of Natalie Plummer, yet another shocking arrest and brutalization of a victim is reported. For this accident, I feel horrified and outraged by this excessive abuse of authority by some members of Law Enforcement. Public comments are reposited below for the benefits of those unable to open up the link. As usual, thank you everyone.
Scott77
ACOMA, Wash. — KIRO TV’s investigative unit has discovered Tacoma police used force to arrest and handcuff an innocent deaf woman after she called 911 for their help. | |
| http://www.kirotv.com/news/news/crime-law/police-use-taser-deaf-crime-victim/nP9mZ/#cmComments |
73 Comment(s)
Comment(s) 1-20 of 73 next >last >> 
- Posted by 206BenJammin at 7:04 p.m. Aug. 5, 2012
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This is absolutely disgusting. Koskovich and Young should be immediately fired and every single officer all the way up that broke the law while extending White's incarceration should be fired too.
Too bad it likely won't happen. I hope White gets a really good lawyer...
- Posted by alki50 at 7:05 p.m. Aug. 5, 2012
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I smell a lawsuit!!
- Posted by nwcitizen at 7:49 p.m. Aug. 5, 2012
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The officers knew the victim was deaf. For heavens sake what were they thinking? If you can't call the police for help without fear of being abused or shot, where can you turn?
- Posted by hamptonresident at 7:55 p.m. Aug. 5, 2012
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They violated her civil rights...I think the tasing and 60 hours in jail without an interpreter demands a lawsuit.
- Posted by paulkerseyexists at 7:56 p.m. Aug. 5, 2012
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Some idiot in the chain decided not to get in front of the charge and now we have this.
Since this covers so many players one cannot think: Are we still hiring and training stupid government employees who cannot figure out how to mitigate political and financial costs for the people?
- Posted by Ops at 8:25 p.m. Aug. 5, 2012
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figures blue covering up blue. hope the feds get of their asses and charge them, but we all know cops never go to jail even if they lie and beat people.
- Posted by RoxanneBean at 8:32 p.m. Aug. 5, 2012
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Brings back memories of my son who is deaf and arrested in 2004 for trying to cash his own paycheck at BOA at his own bank just another branch. (Prosecutor did not charge) Tacoma PD needs significant training--- still on people with disabilities. Son left with another disability after arrest. Sad to see this is still an issue.
- Posted by GhostFire32
This comment has been removed for violation of the visitor agreement.
- Posted by iluvnews7 at 8:45 p.m. Aug. 5, 2012
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i hope she sue because this is only going to get worse and keep happening because the cops are only going to get suspended with pay and after a couple weeks and then back on the job again they are never held accountable for their actions
- Posted by skippythedog at 10:43 p.m. Aug. 5, 2012
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As usual, something's fishy. She could type a message on her TTY device but couldn't run from the person allegedly beating her? Then she was able to have a detailed conversation w/ the dispatcher but then suddenly and frantically ran at the officers and (by her own admission) was waving her arms? Those are the facts as reported and they just don't add up.
The safety of the officers comes first. They were reporting w/ very little information (just a name). She was rushing at them in the dark. Do the cops now need red, yellow, and green traffic lights on their lapel pocket? What about visually impaired people who are also deaf? Some responsibility and common sense has to lie with her as well. Can't she lip read or read body gestures (especially strong commands?) If not, she damn well better make sure she's safe and welcome to approach someone in the dark.....especially a cop reporting to an allegedly violent situation.
- Posted by ResponsibleJ at 11:53 p.m. Aug. 5, 2012
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This is just another example of irresponsible journalism from Halsne. Generally fact-checking is an important facet of investigative journalism, KIRO.
http://www.nwdailymarker.com/2012/06/kiro-tvs-chris-halsne-caught-news-council-latest-string-sloppy-hit-and-run-reports/
This story does not make any sense from all sides around. Either someone is not telling the whole story or it was not written with all details.
First of all, why would Lashonn White stay in the apartment if she felt like she was in danger and being harmed, then how did she have the time to get on the "video phone" and dial the relay number and wait for it to be answered then wait for the operator/interpreter to dial 911 when she could have ran out of the door and get help from the neighbors. She wasn't trapped because clearly she was able to go out whichever door that the police wanted her to according to the statement.
Wouldn't anyone who is running toward a cop who is holding a taser gun toward him/her get the idea to stop running and calm down? According to the story, it seems like no one was chasing Lashonn and it seems she did not have any problem with her thinking process while talking to the operator/interpreter so the common sense of how to react toward the police should have been there.
It does not matter if the person is able to hear or not when it comes down to the person choosing to run wildly toward a cop when the common sense would be to stop running and calm down when a cop is coming toward you espc when the cop is holding a weapon in his hand.
Now for the other side, the police dept will have to deal with the fact that they did not get an interpreter in timely manner so that is being disrespectful toward Lashonn and the law. If it was a truly a misunderstanding/miscommunication according to the cops then it all would have gone much smoother if emts were called to check her out along with an interpreter if there was one available at that time and everything would have been cleared up one way or other and handled how it all should have been handled in first place.
The whole story has not been told (yet). Everybody involved needs to clarify what truly happened and the actions needs to be taken to deal with everything on both sides.
- Posted by Q2wertyu at 10:41 a.m. Aug. 6, 2012
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the dispatcher should of kept her on the phone and informed the cop that she is deaf. the cop was only doing its job,Bad dispatcher!
- Posted by missieV at 11:52 a.m. Aug. 6, 2012
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this is why i dont trust the cops. i am hearing impaired and wont go anywhere alone. they dont give a damn about human rights at all. i hope they are all fired and lawsuits filed. regardless of the "whole story" she has a right to communicate and they took that away by handcuffing her and not providing a interpreter. it is traumatic and cruel.
- Posted by bgf at 11:56 a.m. Aug. 6, 2012
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i hope the police officers who have done this , will drop dead you deserve to be knocked off the top of a building you pig f*ck the police ! i hope you burn in a fiery pit of smelly pig rhines
- Posted by waltercwy at 1:19 p.m. Aug. 6, 2012
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What happened to the person attacking Ms White? Poor piece of reporting.
If the dispatcher notified the officers of the deaf at the scene, and they went from shouting at a deaf person straight to a taser, they need to be fired.
This complete over reaction on the part of the police seems to be more common place. If you can't be safe calling the police, who do you call when you need help?
- Posted by JohnCC at 1:30 p.m. Aug. 6, 2012
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“A Taser is a very useful device under circumstances which necessitate its use, but it’s too easy to use and frequently used too quickly."
A tasar or any other weapon should be a second priority not a first.
- Posted by EllieLight at 1:32 p.m. Aug. 6, 2012
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You people are dreaming if you think anything substantial will be done to remedy this. The police have all the power. The citizens are helpless. Jsut shut the f*ck up and be good little nazis.
- Posted by w00drow at 1:46 p.m. Aug. 6, 2012
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Police are sometimes not very bright.
- Posted by peteto1 at 1:50 p.m. Aug. 6, 2012
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Ch-ching!! I feel bad for the taxpayers who will have to fork out for the obviously negligent/unprofessional (not to mention stupid) behavior of the police. Don't deaf people have civil rights in Washington state?......
73 Comment(s)
Comment(s) 21-40 of 73 << first< previousnext >last >> 
- Posted by hing at 1:55 p.m. Aug. 6, 2012
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Give a man a badge, a gun and a union and he quickly loses every redeeming character trait. I certainly wouldn't want any union thug -- from this state -- or any other around my children. The only thing that matters is a fat retirement check and being able to treat taxpayers like trash. Wherever there are public union thugs involved there is NO accountability.
- Posted by retone at 2:17 p.m. Aug. 6, 2012
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She communicated to the dispatcher "She’s fighting at me, then she chokes me. She’s coming right at me!”"
There is no mention of this other person in this story. Was this other person also hearing impaired? If so, is there a claim that person was also mistreated? Are we to believe there is also no access to an interpreter inside the jail...or at least there is a three day wait or according to the story, access is now not provided until "a prosecutor declined to press charges." Maybe these questions could be answered by the former Bellevue chief of police since he has already reviewed it. Maybe he can also disclose how much money he makes to sell these stories.
There is too much missing here. Looks like the cops might need some more training in this area. That said, anyone with a family member or loved one who is hearing impaired can tell you they can also make mistakes. Not being able to hear does not make someone any less of a person.
- Posted by FrankCostello at 2:31 p.m. Aug. 6, 2012
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1983 just got out of the military and planned on boxing professionally after a decent amateur record in the military. Got into a fight after work in a nightclub and was "detained" for half a day in a mid-sized city in the south. The guy in the cell next to me was making funny sounds as if he was trying to speak. I worked in a summer camp for the deaf as a teenager and was very fluent at that time in ASL , stuck my hands out of the bars and signed "hello are you hearing impaired", turned out he had been there 3 days and NO ONE had a damn clue.
As a jailer walked by I asked him to hear me out and explained the guys situation and he immediately called his bosses. The deaf gent and I both were released, me on my own recognizance and the poor sap they thought had mental problems and was being a jerk for not talking. He turned out to be a normal person in college whom had drank with friends and was originally picked up while walking home for being "difficult" with the police whom stopped him-"difficult for not speaking when ordered too.
I believe every word this women says......
- Posted by Carolus at 2:32 p.m. Aug. 6, 2012
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Well, we can settle this Cochlear Implant to the lady and officers to do consciousness awareness training by six month tours in Chicago or some other Third World country.
- Posted by Carolus at 2:37 p.m. Aug. 6, 2012
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Seriously, she is doing a lot of typing while being beaten. I used to do that all the time while my wife whaled away at me. She could carry cards to show hearing people. She could stand at her keyboard and take turns with the offficer.
- Posted by Oneshoemissing at 2:54 p.m. Aug. 6, 2012
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Hey, another feel good story about a northwest police department in the land of thugs with badges...
- Posted by Htos1 at 3:18 p.m. Aug. 6, 2012
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Understand that law enforcement is under EXTREME top-down pressure to "produce",for varying reasons.Particularly for the upcoming privatization of jails and prisons,due to the coming dollar collapse.We already have that here in Nassau co.,Fl.
$300/day for each butt on a bench,at our KBR/Halliburton facility,run by the CCA,and we're told,"You can beat the rap,but NOT the ride".
- Posted by iambicpentamaster at 3:31 p.m. Aug. 6, 2012
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If Obama had a son who was on the police force...
- Posted by RickOShea at 3:49 p.m. Aug. 6, 2012
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Remember when police began using tasers? It was to be a tool to use instead of a firearm. Now people are tased at the drop of a hat. The responding officers should be immediately suspended and then fired according to the procedures of the location. Anyone else connected with the chain of events should be suspended without pay while state investigators get to the bottom of the event and those involved fired. As for her incarceration, the city will try to pay her off but she should hire a high profile lawyer and sue the city and each person in the chain of events of her arrest and for the removal of her arrest from any records. Local police have become their own version of the SS, looking at every citizen as an enemy to be hassled, humiliated and bullied.
- Posted by yarply at 4:12 p.m. Aug. 6, 2012
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Come on people give the cops a break!. They can't help it that they have uncontrollable urges to hurt people.
Especially the weak and disadvantaged.Is it a rabid animals fault that it has rabies and is unpredictable?
- Posted by netacoma2003 at 4:12 p.m. Aug. 6, 2012
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Disgusting case of abuse and then cover up.
I am soooo tired of wasting my tax dollars to settle lawsuits for stupid cops. Fire BOTH of these officers and hire some military veterans who are currently unemployed.
- Posted by YourName at 4:14 p.m. Aug. 6, 2012
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Why havn't Ryan Koskovich and his partner Michael Young been fired then put under arrest for assault with a deadly weapon and filling a false police report?
- Posted by DeafProSe at 4:17 p.m. Aug. 6, 2012
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@ NeverForget-KIA_MIA_POW
The problem with your theory is that according to the article the victim was using the VRS not the TTY. The Video Relay Service does not require you to type anything in at all--it is kind of like vdeo calling or Skyping, only the Deaf person actually sees the interpreter, while the interpreter talks to the person on the other end of the phone via a head set.
Your opinion that the safety of the officers must come first IS the problem and it leads me to believe that you are somehow involved in the Law Enforcement Industry (Yes, I used the word "Industry" on purpose). The safety of the PUBLIC must come first PERIOD--and if cops cannot handle that notion, then they need to find another line of work and make room for those who can get it right.
Ignorance of the law is no excuse, nor is the ignorance of law enforcement. They knew that this was a Deaf domestic situation--end of story. What did two hearing cops think they were going to do in a Deaf situation anyways? And to cover it up--they leave the victim in jail for 3 days? And you really expect people to agree with you on this? If cops cannot do the job that we NEED them to do--then we would be better off WITHOUT cops at all--if they are only going to perpetrate the same crimes that we are paying them to prevent--only difference is that their badge gives them a free pass, because the police police the police--and in the rare case that it does go to jury--people like you sit on the jury and let murderers walk.
These men are not law enforcement--they are criminals and should be in jail just like anyone else who would use a weapon on an innocent victim...
- Posted by WindinHisHair at 4:18 p.m. Aug. 6, 2012
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If you are an attorney, you should contact this lady, it's a big, stinkin' lawsuit. The pre-trial settlement should be six figures.
- Posted by PlainWrong at 4:28 p.m. Aug. 6, 2012
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How about a couple photos of the officers? The community deserves a heads up of who to be on the lookout for.
- Posted by NoBull at 4:40 p.m. Aug. 6, 2012
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There go our taxes again
- Posted by GhostFire32 at 4:58 p.m. Aug. 6, 2012
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Deaf/Mutes are just like anybody else. You go up against the law and you pay the penalty. She got what she deserved Next time she will keep her mouth shut.
- Posted by TheNCCurmudgeon at 5:08 p.m. Aug. 6, 2012
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If the facts have been described accurately by the "media"...hmmm....I truly feel sorry for this woman. However. Tacoma Washington? Hmmmm.... Black victim??? (based upon pix provided by the media, keep THAT in mind...)
Liberal....Liberal.....Liberal....
Don't like the "police state"? Then move.
THIS is Democratzi in action.....again.....only if the "facts" as written in this article bear out after investigation.......
Why would a deaf person take the TIME to..... Log in, Set up the appropriate environment on her computer, then type and converse over the web about a person that is supposedly beating her up???? Why not FLEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!????????????????
Ok....she didn't run and chose to contact authorities via the tools available to her..... Fair enough.
Why not OBEY the police indicators? When faced with a taser/gun/WHATEVER..... If you're innocent, STOP. RAISE YOUR HANDS. She didn't.
So it goes.
The police are in danger in EVERY call in which they respond (as are FIREMEN!!!!). THEY (sometimes) have to make decisions regarding their own safety (remember, folks....THEY have families too.) as wll as the safety of the neighborhood.
If this victim had the time to type, she had time to respond to the police at the scene.
It smells...... a little..... fishy.
- Posted by BillyCowlings at 5:16 p.m. Aug. 6, 2012
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My young son is severly autistic and cannot understand general commands. It is stories like this that make me fear that my son may come across one of these untrained officers and meet the same fate. Or be beaten by police because he is scared and cannot speak or defend himself.This whole situation is such a pity and a total breakdown in situational communication.
- Posted by TheNCCurmudgeon at 5:20 p.m. Aug. 6, 2012
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Having read a the rest of the comments posted..... Wow. There's a real prejudice against the police out there! It's the police's fault?????? Hmmmm.... I agree about the comment regarding the "other" person that was supposedly assaulting the victim.....but that's not unusual, given the MSM point of view. "Let's make the deaf, black, woman the point of the story"......(my quotes). What about the race and sex of the POLICE OFFICERS???? Hmmmm...not really discussed, eh? Hmmmm....must be white! Can't be asian, black, red nor even green, right? But we haven't been told by these journalist professionals.... Oh no....that doesn't fit THEIR agenda. Sigh..... Don't mean to sound like a radical....I'm really not. I just hate being spoon-fed the details that underscore the MSM approach to reporting. These clowns couldn't get hired pre-1970.
73 Comment(s)
Comment(s) 41-60 of 73 << first< previousnext >last >> 
- Posted by escher7 at 5:34 p.m. Aug. 6, 2012
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Intelligent cops would have handled the situation. Unfortunately, low I.Q. seems to be a prerequisite for many police forces. Even if the cops thought she was acting a little aggressive (Why I don't know since they were told she was deaf), why not just restrain her? What ever happened to the regular police who could handle situations without using the potentially fatal Taser? More and more they are being used on women, children and homeless people.
- Posted by readTheConstitution at 5:44 p.m. Aug. 6, 2012
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This is bad reporting. i agree with others...what happened to the lady doing the assault?
But this much was reported....the police statements do not agree with the dispatcher nor the witnesses who say they spoke with police.
And then not getting the interpreter...what the heck?
Police are human. They make mistakes. I'm sure 95% are honorable, but when nothing happens to the 5% and no admission when mistakes are made, we doubt all of them. That's not fair to THEM.
Officers are out there doing a wonderful job, month after month, yet they have to watch a punk cop make a mistake (and some nice cops make mistakes) and the silence and coverups bring down the moral of the 95%.
It's spreading throughout all states, and it needs dealt with.
I live in the south and let me tell you, our officers rock! But what makes me love them more than anything is that the chiefs of various agencies always step out and say, "Whoa, we are uneasy with the details and if proves our officer was wrong, we will fix it." AND THEN YOU QUICKLY HEAR THAT THEY DID FIX IT.
I lived in Vegas for 30 years....the cops there are feared by the public. Actually feared. They have the 3rd highest tazer use, per capita, and every year they average 20-30 shootings, YET, they've never found one cop to have made a mistaken shooting in 30 years. It always comes back justified.
Don't let WA end up like Vegas, where the citizens fear the cops more than the criminals.
- Posted by stagecoachdriver at 5:46 p.m. Aug. 6, 2012
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I hope this lady gets a good lawyer and sues the pants off the City of Tacoma!
- Posted by Upwising at 5:50 p.m. Aug. 6, 2012
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As usual, the word gets out and rectum-lickers and apologists for the police line up with their idiotic and pathetic arguments (that's you: Skippy the dog, ResponsibleJ, and Remember KIA_POW_etc.). These cowards behind the badge never met a cop that could do any wrong, an officer capable of ignorance, poor judgment, or just plain bad policing. TRUE conservatives and progressives can agree, if they open their eyes, that the US is quickly sliding into a Police State where the "agents of law and order" shoot or taze first, and lie and prevaricate later. Where would we be if it weren't for courageous citizens who step forward as witnesses, or who grab their phones and take videos of police abuse. Time for a top to bottom housecleaning at Tacoma PD, and some criminal charges from a responsible District Attorney.
- Posted by FJZappa at 6:42 p.m. Aug. 6, 2012
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Cops - The largest street gang in America
Google it.
If you cannot hear them, they will kill you. "Victim refused to respond to my commands."
If you cannot see them, they will kill you. "Victim refused to respond to my commands."
If you cannot move due to injuries, they will kill you. ""Victim refused to respond to my commands.""
If you're not white, they will kill you.
If you call for help, you have 50% chance they will decide you are the problem and drag you to jail or kill you for resisting.
And God help you if you have a dog. They will kill it just for practice.
- Posted by MaxGibbs at 6:53 p.m. Aug. 6, 2012
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just another chimpout with the ghetto lottery option. the usual Ize din do nuffins... Ize black, Ize deff n sheit muffuggaz
- Posted by GhostFire32 at 7:06 p.m. Aug. 6, 2012
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She got what she deserved.
- Posted by GhostFire32 at 7:08 p.m. Aug. 6, 2012
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I support all police departments. They do good work at protecting our society.
- Posted by doombro at 7:12 p.m. Aug. 6, 2012
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More pigs who need to hang. Anytime a pig abuses a citizen they should be executed. Any pig abuse should carry a death penalty.
- Posted by ResponsibleJ at 7:20 p.m. Aug. 6, 2012
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@upwising – “rectum-licker” is a much less pathetic argument. You sound so much less idiotic.
The dispatch log AND the police reports are attached to the article, so if any of you morons that comb local news articles and post in the comments actually know how to read, consider reading them as primary sources for the incident, versus this ridiculously crafted article with so many GAPING holes.
In this piece of “hard-hitting” journalism the author blatantly left out the actual VICTIM in the situation, which is clearly listed in all the incident documents. He also apparently completely disregarded the fact that the first thing officers did after controlling the situation was call for an ASL interpreter and MEDICAL AID for the victim that physically injured by Lashon.
I can’t believe what a disgrace this article is to journalists everywhere, and I especially can’t believe how many disgustingly uneducated people out there believe every word of it just because it happened on TV. Why can’t we hold media to the same ethical standards we’re holding police and government employees?
- Posted by MrRowdyBurns1315 at 7:24 p.m. Aug. 6, 2012
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While I can appreciate the hard work it must take to develop a story and see it all the way through production I believe that you missed your mark when you showed this underdeveloped piece of “investigatory journalism”.
Here in Washington police brutality has been, and continues to be a volatile topic. Recently it seems like every police infraction regardless of how severe is recorded on someone’s camera phone and publicized. While there have been at least four widely publicized cases of police brutality since 2008, even with the minor cases it seems as though the coverage is biased and fails to fully recognize the officer’s viewpoint. This onslaught of negative PR as well as criticism from members of the community hardly seem fair to the brave men and women who put their lives on the line on a daily basis in order to serve and protect.
As aforementioned, it appears that there were some flaws in this story. One selection I thought was interesting was the interview with the ex-police chief from Bellevue. Studies show that in 2009 the violent crime rate from Bellevue was 69.83% lower than the national rate, compare this to Tacoma (where the tazing took place) which was 129.14% above the national rate, and 197.32% above Washington’s crime rate. Can a man who spent the majority of his career in a relatively low crime area truly give perspective on an incident that took place in a crime riddled part of our state? Did he have to deal with gang violence on a daily basis? What about walking into domestic disputes? I realize that things often get out of hand at the Nordstroms sale, but I’m going to go out on a limb and suggest that the crimes in Tacoma are a bit different than the ones seen by this Bellevue officer.
The incongruity with the consultant and the subject matter he was discussing is only one of the many problems that I had with this segment. I believe that the way the information that the woman was held for three days was presented in a manner to make Officer Koskovitch look at fault. Him and his partner were not responsible for the booking process and should not be at fault for the department’s misunderstanding with the woman.
This report also fails to fully examine the circumstances that the woman was in. It was stated that she was under attack by another person, but what was the state of that second person? What was the nature of their relationship? Was the attacker previously known to have violent tendencies? If so, than weren’t the police in the right to arrive at the scene prepared to deal with a volatile situation. They arrived on scene not informed fully of the circumstances and therefore had to protect themselves. Yes the dispatcher sent information that there was a deaf woman on scene, but is there any way to confirm that the officers saw or heard this information? Additionally, even if the officers were provided with the names of the assaulter and the victim, how were they supposed to identify which was which with out some sort of description? It could have been the assaulter running towards them, in which case they would have needed to defend themselves.
I will acknowledge that getting tazed is no fun, and I’m sure that the officers would agree with me. As part of their training officers must subject themselves to be tazed in order to appreciate how painful and debilitating it is. That being said, officers realize that it is a tool not to be used lightly. In this situation I believe that if a woman came sprinting at me with her arms raised I too would use the tools accessible to me in order to temporarily neutralize the threat until the commotion had subsided and it was possible to examine the situation more fully. The report does not mention the presence of the assaulter at this point. If she was there, and there were neighbors yelling down from the balconies it is easy to see how the officers could have become overwhelmed.
As to the other comments equating the officers to Nazis, I would like to point out that the woman was eventually released and all of her Miranda rights respected so this is a far cry from fascism.
I firmly stand behind officer Koskovitch. I believe that whatever action they took must have been deemed necessary in order to protect themselves. This report was so slanted that the Tacoma police must have felt that it was not worth their time to dignify it with a response. While it is unfortunate that this woman was in a violent situation, and that she was unfortunately tazed there has to be more to the story that what was reported.
- Posted by GhostFire32 at 7:58 p.m. Aug. 6, 2012
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To escher: Everything is 'potentially fatal'. An inch of water in a bathtub is. A pencil. Pie stuffed in the nose and mouth. Scotch tape, orange peels, baking soda, paint, oil, lamp cords, (you following the drift here mister?). Anyone can be a little aggressive, even a deaf person. Get a clue, the police are authorized to use the tools at their command in any particular situation.
- Posted by azjustin at 9:06 p.m. Aug. 6, 2012
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Officers tazed a deaf woman and placed her in jail for 60 hours.
Sounds like the deaf woman should be able to taze the officers for 60 hours while they're in jail.
Skippythedog would have us believe "The safety of the officers comes first." Really before the Constitutional rights of the public? Before the safety of the public. Let's consider that idea, the police officer had voluntarily took a job he thought was dangerous (although no as dangerous as they want us to believe) and the woman was calling police for help. So which one of the two had a greater expectation of safety here. Of course it's the woman. Cops are not more valuable than any one of us, and as long as we have high school drop-outs the hiring pool for police will be filled to the brim.
- Posted by MickyFernandez at 10:11 p.m. Aug. 6, 2012
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People ought not to blame the police who are equally physically challenged--they are blind.
Why are they blind? They have their heads so far up their asses that they can not see.
- Posted by ELCoolJAYE at 11:06 p.m. Aug. 6, 2012
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This lady is going to be rich!!!
The town where the clown-cops work: not so much. Probably bankrupt, actually. Your tax dollars at work, Tacoma!!
The clown-cops themselves: in a year or so they will be forced to sell everything to pay the huge damages this lady will have won from them in court.
Being mindless thugs they will not learn their lesson; instead you folks out there in Tacoma will see them by the side of the road holding "Will Tase for Food" signs.
- Posted by iluvnews7 at 11:23 p.m. Aug. 6, 2012
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victims have no rights in the state of Washington i was being abused and my life was threaten and when i went to court to get a protection order i was told to change my life style i was like what does that mean i have no criminal back ground i never even had a ticket i worked two jobs and went to school and i live in a very nice neighborhood so its not like was out being some wild child so what part of my life made me the prize winner to be attacked in my own home the laws here needs to change or there is going to be allot more of these stories and some may not end to well i guess i was suppose to just let him beat the snot out of me and not ask for help who knows maybe that judge beats his wife and thinks its ok
- Posted by Danny1045 at 12:15 a.m. Aug. 7, 2012
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This just goes to show, if trouble hits, don't call the police they will make it worse. This is the most deplorable case I have heard of in a long time. The cops were obviously informed about this lady being deaf. Where is the common sense anymore? I hope she sues the city into bankruptcy. Koskovich and Young should be fired and made to work for her the next 30 years. I am tired of reading stories like this. Police are supposed to serve and protect, not tase and lockup.
- Posted by CallousD at 2:07 a.m. Aug. 7, 2012
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WOW ! Cops lying on official reports !!! Who ever heard of something like that ? And the cops wonder why ordinary citizens regard them with distrust ?
Regarding to DeafProSe's comments (and few others),
First of all, I never mentioned that a TTY/TDD was used. I used the word "video phone" to describe the VRS because not everybody would know what VRS is. To call 911 through VRS is slow compared to just picking up the phone and dial 911 and before you assume that I must be one of those people who knows nothing about things related to the deaf people...sorry to say but I am well versed with the "Deaf Culture and their Community/World" as they like to call it so I am very familiar with how they can react in situations and how they can be treated by others whether it is unfairly or justly.
Yes, there are some people who truly would not understand what is going on and be scared to death and all confused (like the son who is severely autistic) however it is clear that the deaf lady in this story has the ability to grasp of what is going on so she has the responsibility to herself and others to react in reasonable manner. For all we know, she could have been playing a role of the victim...How do we know that those pictures that were provided were truly taken at that night and that all of those cuts and bruises were caused by the cops and not from the beating? Where is the information on the second woman? Again, the report did not have all information from everybody involved. NOW I am not saying that she was not beaten up..No one should ever be beaten up by anyone however it is not okay to go off and point fingers when it is clearly that not all information was provided in the story.
Yes, there are some dirty cops out there who abuse their position and they are the ones who deserves to be punished however the law sees it but there are also a lot of cops who truly are trying to do their job correctly and make it to home alive everyday. Stop blaming the cops for everything that goes wrong. Those 2 cops were not the ones who were responsible to call for interpreter to go to the jail to assist with the communication so why aren't people blaming the people who work at booking station? Or what if there were no interpreter available... so are you going to still blame the cops?The list goes on...
Bottom line is... the story was not reported how it should have been reported which should have included ALL information.
There are so many of loopholes and horrible laws that do not protect people at all so why don't you guys go and work on getting it changed and vote for people who would do their jobs in right way. Even if every cop was fired and the "perfect robot" cops were hired- there will still be tons of problems because of the rules and laws and the lack of knowledge.
- (To DeafProSe) FYI, I am in no way involved with "Law Enforcement Industry" as you call it.
73 Comment(s)
Comment(s) 61-73 of 73 << first< previous
COME ON everybody- read the police report. I finally was able to open and read the police report and it states that Ms. Lashonn White was the Offender (primary aggressor)which it means the other lady was the victim so that is why the deaf lady in the story (White) was arrested and booked for assault. The reporter made it sound like White was the victim when it was the another way around. The second woman,Johnson, had no problem being calm and was able to talk with the cops even that she was deaf too and she was in middle of explaining what was going on when White flew out the door and ran wildly toward the cops and Johnson (who tried to get behind the cops) so the cops did the right thing by protecting the victim and themselves. Even if White was the victim of a beating, the cops reacted the way they did due to what they observed and it is White's own fault to get in this situation by running like a madwoman toward the cops.
It is clear that White tried to make it sound like she was "a poor victim" by trying to place the blame on the cops. She is not going to win a lawsuit in this case. Miranda was waived by White too..so don't even start on how she could not understand anything.
I can't believe that the news made this story into something else..actually I can believe it because media loves to twist things around to make stories sound more dramatic than what it is really is. The story is only about 2 women who got in fight with eachother- that is all!
If the reporter wants to dig into why the interpreter were not called to booking/jail for 3 days (that is if it is true) then go and investigate the booking dept and find out the truth. Jeez!
- Posted by rawiron1 at 4:48 a.m. Aug. 7, 2012
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Ask anyone from a third world police state why they don't call the police. Answer: because the police get mad that you made them work and for that they victimize you again. Welcome to Police State Amerika. When your local cops are running around dressed like Darth Vader and armed like Delta Force you have got a problem.
JJ The Fed
- Posted by MranMrsAmerica at 5:07 a.m. Aug. 7, 2012
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This is not the first time this happended. Innocent civilians getiing hurt or killed by the police, Look what happended to Kenneth Chamberlain, before he was shot by the police they used a racial slur. Don't call them, let the cowards sit in their donut shops and get fat and die young.
- Posted by SamAdams1776 at 5:45 a.m. Aug. 7, 2012
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The two A$$h0l3 cops, their supervisor AND the chief of police ALL need to be fired.
There is this horrific culture in police departments of using Tasers at the drop of a hat, because they are two damned lazy and worse, because they are cowards. Also they shwowed poor judgment. And apparently are so scared of ANYONE approaching them.
Upset people won't keep their cool, so GOOD cops NEED to keep THEIR cool. These idiots demonstrated poor judgment and the inability to keep their cool. And HAD she been attacking them? THEN USE you HANDS. If your not big enough to force compliance when REALLY needed and maybe take a few bruises, you need to get out of the cop business.
TAZERS need to be removed from the police arsenal.
And I definitley see a lawsuit--and I hope it's big enough to hurt that departmentt's budget so much that they have a real culture change.
- Posted by Founders1791 at 7:28 a.m. Aug. 7, 2012
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Nah....TYRANNY....couldn't happen here in the United States?
EVERYONE must purchase a SEMI-AUTOMATIC HAND GUN to protect themselves FROM THE POLICE (Ice-T) who have no respect for the Citizenry.
Dozens of our fellow Citizens are MURDERED with no knock ATTACKS against the WRONG HOMES in search of the ...contraband de jour... and nothing is done about but it ...so sorry.
- Posted by tempestofevil at 7:36 a.m. Aug. 7, 2012
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officers are trained in all forms of ways but i do think they should be trained on this as well .... after the lawsuit
- Posted by GuestFromTTown at 11:56 a.m. Aug. 7, 2012
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I Live In This Apartment Building. Lashonn White, is a Wonderful Person and All of us know she is Deaf. She Joins in With Activities and is Well Liked. I Know Margaret Sims and Geraldine Warren, Our Representative For The Apartment Building. These Women Don't Lie. I Didn't See What Happened but Know Tacoma Police. I've Called Them At Least Three Times on a Tenant who Attacks me. Tacoma Police Told me "Don't call Us Anymore or We'll Arrest You."
- Posted by GuestFromTTown at 12:37 p.m. Aug. 7, 2012
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Note, Our Representative For The Apartment Building, Geraldine Warren, Knows Tacoma Police, Are a Slack Bunch.
****************
This is Her Daughter, That Cops won't Go After The Ki l l er.
...... "Video from Chopper 7 showed searchers at the scene, looking for evidence.
According to investigators Crawford was found barefoot with her shoes and wallet tossed on the ground next to her body.
Deputies said the death is suspicious. An autopsy is scheduled for Monday.
Crawford joined her family in University Place after losing everything to Hurricane Katrina.
Her daughter, Nikkia Crawford, told KIRO 7 Eyewitness News last month that she thought her mother's boyfriend might be involved in the disappearance
.When Tanya Crawford moved, she brought her longtime boyfriend, convicted felon Bobby Turner."...........
http://www.kirotv.com/news/news/missing-university-place-woman-found-dead/nKfZd/
- Posted by Dillinger86 at 3:38 p.m. Aug. 7, 2012
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typical Piggery
- Posted by retone at 5:05 p.m. Aug. 7, 2012
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NeverForget-KIA_MIA_POW- Unfortunately it looks like you are the only one who actually took the time to look into the facts of what happened. Your logic and common sense do not seem to fit in with the other comments. Even the consultant doesn't seem to cover the facts you have listed. It seem so many people expect results as quickly as they get their fast food in the drive-thru. I think from now on when I read comments, I will just look for yours to get a better understanding and skip all of the other nonsense.
- Posted by damox at 6:37 p.m. Aug. 7, 2012
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It's really sad to say, but these days, you cannot really trust the police to do the right thing . Up until the past several years I have always trusted law enforcement, but as I've seen increasing corruption and misconduct in law enforcement (and I am someone who experienced police corruption as a teen some 40 years ago, but continued to trust law enforcement over the years) I do not trust them any more. I know there are some good people out there serving to protect us, but there are so many more bad ones. I think the officers involved should be removed from the force, and their whole chain of command should be disciplined, but of course, that will NEVER happen. I don't know what we can reasonably do about this except to elect leaders who will keep these thugs in check. I've lost faith in law enforcement, and I'm quickly loosing faith in our government. The best this I can hope to do is to stay out of trouble and pray that I am not a victim. Things in America are getting REALLY bad!
- Posted by PoliceChiefDavidCoupe at 8:36 a.m. Aug. 9, 2012
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So how do police improve? And what could cause improvement to happen? Of course it is a lot easier to talk about improving police than doing it. For the most part, police throughout the world are the same. And the same insights and direction for improving them hold true. Police should be well-trained, restrained in their use of force, honest, and courteous to all. To take a look at how to improve police, see “Arrested Development: A Veteran Police Chief Sounds Off About Protest, Racism, Corruption and the Seven Steps Necessary to Improve Our Nation’s Police” (Amazon.com in US and EU). My blog is at http://improvingpolice.wordpress.com where I discuss these and other current police improvement issues. Good luck and may we all experience not just good but great policing!
- Posted by Dave1942 at 4:25 p.m. Aug. 9, 2012
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Someone needs to tase the dam cops over & over & then sue the crap out of the cops & the city & then see the cops are fired & not just get a slap on the wrist & say you were a bad boy. Time to get tuff on these clowns. Does anyone really trust cops