Hearing Impaired Man Tased by Police In Own Home

by Rob Walker | December 4, 2007 at 08:36 am | 578 views | 2 comments | 0 recommendations

This is almost as bad as the pregnant woman being tasered. At least no one died or was seriously injured this time around.

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.

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

Police forced entry into Williams home while responding to a shooting, but it turned out to be a false call. 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.

Deputy Chief Robert Lee of the Wichita Police Department says, "This one occurred on the worst of calls, that being a shooting. The first few minutes getting control of the scene are very, very important."

Once the facts were all sorted out, officers repeatedly apologized to Williams.

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LAURA HAYES PHOTOGRAPHY

It is sad these situations occur . I do believe Law Enforcement should have the best tool available to them .If a taser replaces a shooting and saves a life it is worth it .Just some additional info.Most people do not realize that some pepper spray is flammable . If a subject is pepper sprayed then tasered the pepper foam may ignite into flames. 

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deafloves.com

Sounds too bad.

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December 4, 2007 at 08:36 am by Rob Walker, 578 views, 2 comments

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