[The first picture below shows Bill Trask today. Second and third pictures below show Bill Trask independent, active, and employed, prior to his jailing].
From King 5 Television (Seattle, Washington):
Investigators: Tapes Reveal Treatment of Jailed Disabled Man
By LINDA BYRON
PORT ORCHARD, Wash. – In July 2006, a frightened mother called 911 to get help for her developmentally disabled son.
But that phone call set off a chain of events that landed him in the Kitsap County Jail and altered his life forever.
Bill Trask walked into that jail healthy and left so damaged he can't even feed himself. His story opens a window into the treatment of the developmentally disabled behind bars in Washington State...
...Read more.
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View local news footage (uncaptioned video) of Bill's ordeal.
I am an advocate in Tampa, FL for the disabled and this story is horrifying to watch. Were they ever informed that this man who looks normal that he had a disablility? Sometimes you can not tell unless there is a physical way. The mom asked for help? Why did she not call the Paramedic's instead of the police. If my son was to get sick or act out I would call the paramedics not the police becuase I know he is disabled and that is why he is doing what he is doing. She knew he was starting to get out of hand before the full blown act happened. You can not blame one person for this mishap. I would like to say you can but realistically you can't. The police should have better training to know the signs of a person attacking up or maybe showing signs of autism or mental illness. The mom should have told them he is not always like this and she thinks he should get baker acted and evaluated. He had never been in trouble with law before why now all of sudden. My son is 23 and his brain started malfunctioning and it was a nuerologist who declared he was having a problem and calmed him down with meds. His brain was sparking when it should not have been sending a message to be aggressive and hurt himself or others. I do beleive that this society should be more aware of disabled people and maybe due some volunteering and work with these disabled people so you can understand at little better what they are really going thru. Just don't think everyone is like that.
But as for the blame it is society, police,mom, and anyone who is not willing to learn more and say I don't care...It's not me or my family!!! No but you can remember one think out of this comment is your only one step away from a serious accident and possibly in the same condition as a disabled person is...
Posted by: Joanna | February 22, 2008 at 02:47 PM
Joanna & Others,
This is a complex situation that shows, the local police are poorly trained and insensitive to the needs of people with disabilities. First of all, when parents of mentally ill or developmentally delayed do need to call for medical versus police. Also, to make an arrest in a case like this in an abomination. They area should have a mental health court that works. Jail diversion is positive, works and gets people out of holding quickly.
Treatment works when you can afford it and if it's available. The police are not the brightest of people to begin with.
Mental health courts take money and will.
Posted by: Philip B Kirschner | February 22, 2008 at 05:29 PM
I am a person with a invisable disability as well as an advocate for persons with disabilities, if police do not even know what to do when one suffers a seizure, how are they going to understand about persons with developmentr5al disabilities?
Posted by: Joel Sheffel | February 22, 2008 at 06:32 PM
What I find particulatly disturbing is that this is standard treatment for prisoners with a mental illness. This is only getting attention because the person also had a developmental disability. This is happening in alarming numbers across the nation to individuals with a psychiatric disability.
Posted by: Liz Stone | February 22, 2008 at 11:15 PM