Caught on Video: Deputies Dump Man from Wheelchair

From MyFox Tampa Bay (February 12): 

Deputies dump paralyzed man from wheelchair

TAMPA – The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office said Tuesday that one of their own deputies is in trouble after she was caught on tape dumping a quadriplegic man out of his wheelchair while he was being booked into jail, and three supervisors were nearby at the time but did nothing.

Investigators say Deputy Charlotte Marshall Jones is suspended without pay after the January 29 incident, which involved 32-year-old Brian Sterner, who is a quadriplegic.  Video shows Deputy Jones dumping Sterner out of his wheelchair and onto the floor while she is booking him into the Hillsborough County Jail.  The tape also shows the deputy then searching Sterner as he lay on the floor...

...Read more.

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Watch the FoxNews video clip (no sound, no captions)

Comments

[Dee]

All the employes should be disciplined and Deputy Jones should be fired. No one should be treated the way Sterner was treated. That was very abusive.

[S. Miller]

These officers should be fired without hesitation. I agree with Sterner's attorney the original charge is ludicrous at best and asinine. If these officers will dump a quadriplegic out of his chair it begs one to wonder what else are they doing, and have done, when they think no one is watching? Their behavior in inexcusable - FIRE THEM IMMEDIATELY!!
They should not be afforded any kind of leniency or pension they deserve neither.

[Luis Morane]

This man who was treated worse than an animal has an obligation on behalf of all handicapped and all citizens to sue for tens of millions the Florida police dept and the INDIVIDUAL sadist who dumped him like he wasnt even human

[Sandra]

Florida police are out of control they have been for yrs. The COP WHO THREW THIS MAN ON THE FLOOR NEEDS TO BE PROSECUTED.
In NY they would be prosecuted in Florida they get a free pass as docking their pay is no punishment for such a vile act.
Vote AGAINST every do nothing incumbent politician who doesnt actively seek the cop going to jail. Florida police have become the worse in America a real disgrace.

[Sandra]

Law abiding good citizens should email the fed gvmt and request action against this cop because Floridas DO NOTHING politicians and DA will as USUAL DO NOTHING but give speeches .
Their constant lack of actions enables this type of abuse to continue by out of control police.

[Jim]

Where's Al Sharpton now ???? It's a good thing this wasn't 3 white sheriff's on a black inmate we would be hearing about it for the next 6 months. Talk about RACISM !!!I hope this guy sues them for every penny they have !!!

[Brian]

The sheriff and deputies should be fired immediately. You can be assured if it was an African-American being treated that way by white deputies that the deputies would have been fired on the spot. Not only that, the Revs Sharpton and Jackson would have demanded it and not stopped until it had been done along with a hefty lawsuit to follow.

Where are you Jesse and Al when the shoe is on the other foot? This is a total disgrace and the reason why African-Americans continue to get less respect than their white counterparts. Even in law enforcement, they can't obey the law!!!!!

[Mike]

Where is the public outcry of RACISM and HATE CRIME that would be on the front page of every newspaper in the civilized world if this was a black paraplegic being dumped out of his wheelchair by a white deputy? I am sick and tired of the double-standard that has become commonplace in our society. Of course, as we've all been brainwashed into thinking - It's not racist if it happens to a white guy....

[Sandra]

The DA has an obligation to press charges against this cop and the others present who did nothing however as usual they wont.

Please vote these do nothing politicians out its simple vote AGAINST them come election time.

[wesley]

I am sure Brian has attorneys who will see to it that Hillsborough Township pays for their dispicable actions of their employees. Fortunately it was caught on tape....case closed.

[Trav]

Okay, i agree that this cop needs to be fired no questions asked. But what is the point of suing? All it is, is a way for someone to gain money that they havent earned. I believe that the main needs to pay his fine, and his bail money (unless he fights it and the bail gets overturned). But the police should have to pay for any medical expenses that might be necessary and that is it. I absolutly hate how easy it is in this country to get money that isnt earned. You see people just trying to get hit by cars in city's to make a quick buck through a law suit, its disgusting. But yes, this cop needs to be gone.

[karen]

I am so appalled! These officers should be charged with a hate crime no question about it. This is the most cold-hearted thing I have ever seen. I agree, where is Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson? I don't believe that Al and Jesse really care about people's civil liberties, only about their black supremace agenda. If this officer is not fired, then maybe the white people should start picketing for their rights, or do white people have rights anymore?

[Jenifer Simpson]

Special Comment On The Need For Enhanced Training of Law Enforcement On How To Address The Needs of Suspects And Victims With Disabilities – A Response To The Treatment of Mr. Sterner By The Hillsborough, FL Sheriff’s Office

By Marc Dubin, Esq.
Thursday, February 14, 2008

As one examines the footage of Mr. Sterner being dumped out of his wheelchair by a Sheriff’s Deputy in Hillsborough, FL, one is inclined to wonder how such a thing could occur in a professional, certified Sheriff’s Department. To the Sheriff’s credit, his Office immediately issued a statement calling the action indefensible, and immediately suspended the officer and three others while the investigation is undertaken. The State Attorney is reportedly investigating the Deputies for possible prosecution, and the community is outraged and shocked. The disability community rightfully identifies the need for enhanced training and collaboration, and calls on the prosecutor to charge the officers for battery and other crimes.

I ask, how many other encounters have these deputies had with suspects, victims, and witnesses with disabilities, and what happened in those encounters? How many other incidents have occurred that have been unreported? How many times have victims of domestic violence and rape been denied the services of a qualified sign language interpreter because Deputies have chosen not to wait for them to arrive? How many suspects, victims, and witnesses have been treated with disrespect, and how many cases have been compromised as a result? How much training, if any, have Deputies received as to how best to interview people with disabilities? How many other encounters have people with disabilities had with members of the Hillsborough Sheriff’s Department, and what were those experiences like?

According to Sheriff Gee’s website:

Sheriff Gee commands the 10th largest suburban sheriff's agency in the United States, with an annual budget of $361 million and nearly 4,000 employees. HCSO is an award-winning agency with national and state acclaim in traffic education/enforcement, gang enforcement, tactical operations and solutions to teen-age drinking and driving. http://www.hcso.tampa.fl.us/

The actions this week have tarnished the reputation of all 4,000 employees. The story has made the national news, and Sheriff Gee is undoubtedly concerned about how many others in his Department harbor the attitudes exhibited this week, and concerned about how to ensure that all 4,000 of his employees will learn how to treat people with disabilities in the future.

Sheriff Gee issued the following statement regarding the incident: (http://www.hcso.tampa.fl.us/)

Statement from Sheriff David Gee

Reference incident at Hillsborough County Jail

Involving Mr. Brian Sterner

"As Sheriff of Hillsborough County, I want to assure Mr. Brian Sterner, as well as the citizens of Hillsborough County, that this incident will be investigated to the fullest. I am personally embarrassed and shocked by the horrific treatment Mr. Sterner received. I cannot and will not even try to offer an explanation for what is seen on the video, other than to say, that once it was brought to my attention, I immediately initiated an internal investigation. The deputy responsible for dumping Mr. Sterner out of his wheelchair has been suspended without pay and the three supervisors that were on duty during that time are also placed on suspension.

The incident involving Mr. Sterner was not caused by a lack of training or procedure. It represents aberrant behavior that is totally out of context with policies, practices and standards of the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office. Last year over 72,000 inmates were processed through Central booking, more than 230 of them came to jail in wheelchairs.

I offer my personal apology to Mr. Sterner for the treatment that he received while being processed through Central Booking. I want to assure him, and the public at large, that this incident is not indicative of the behavior of the over 3,500 men and women of the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office who perform their duties with pride and professionalism on a daily basis."

It is apparent from the Sheriff’s background, as set forth on his website, that he is a professional, and deeply committed to serving the community. That said, however, one has to ask whether the incident is indicative of a lack of training, contrary to the Sheriff’s assertion. One has to ask, if the Deputies were properly trained, how could this have occurred? If they were properly trained, why did the other Deputies fail to report the incident that they witnessed? If they were properly trained, why did the other Deputies allow a crime committed against Mr. Sterner go unreported? Assurances that the incident is not indicative of the other employees of the Sheriff’s Office notwithstanding, shouldn’t the disability community, and their families and allies, be suspicious?

What training did the Deputies involved in this incident undergo? Why didn’t it take? How many other Deputies received the same level of ineffective training? How many other incidents remain unreported? How many future encounters will occur, and what will they be like?

In my view, the following actions should be considered:

1. The State Attorney should immediately investigate the officers, and charge them criminally.
2. The Deputy who dumped Mr. Sterner should be charged with a felony, as she committed a crime against a person with a disability;
3. The Sheriff should refer the matter to the Attorney General’s Office for investigation as well, for possible state civil rights violations, and to the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division as well.
4. The Sheriff should ask his Internal Affairs Division to review all cases in which the Deputies had contact with people with disabilities, as victims, suspects, or witnesses. Interviews should be conducted to determine how the individuals with disabilities were treated.
5. The Sheriff should reassess how his employees are trained on disability issues, including ADA compliance and disability sensitivity.
6. The Sheriff should consider reaching out to the disability community to work more collaboratively with them, and to hear from them about their concerns, and should use the expertise of the local Center for Independent Living to bring other disability organizations to the table.

I would be glad to be of assistance, if needed. This is an opportunity for change, and this tragic and embarrassing incident should be the impetus for improving the training throughout the Department and for improving relationships with people with disabilities. The reputation of the Department has been sullied, but it can be improved, with a commitment from the top. And other law enforcement agencies take notice – how many Deputies are on your payroll who have received inadequate training, and how many reports are out there waiting to be exposed?

Marc Dubin, the author, serves as Director of Advocacy at the Center for Independent Living of South Florida, and formerly served as a Senior Trial Attorney at the Justice Department, where he was responsible for nationwide enforcement of the ADA on behalf of the United States. He also served as Special Counsel to the Office on Violence Against Women at Justice, and serves as Executive Director of CAVNET (www.cavnet.org), a nationwide victims’ rights organization addressing violence against women and crime victims with disabilities. He can be reached at [email protected] and at 305-896-3000.

[Day in Washington (Day Al-Mohamed)]

Law Enforcement and Disability - The Bigger Picture of the "Wheelchair Dumping" Controversy.

On February 12th the story about how Charlette Marshall-Jones, of the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, tipped Brian Sterner out of his wheelchair and searched him on the floor was all over the news wires and is now all over the disability blogosphere.

What happened was a terrible event. But it is more than that. This isn't one event. There is a bigger picture here that as a community we need to grasp.

Perhaps not so publicized yet just as heinous, if not more so is what happened to Bill Trask, a developmentally disabled man who, after his time in the local jail has been left so traumatized that he is no longer independent at all.

The same week, Jason Swift, a man with a mental health condition who was in crisis, was shot dead by law enforcement officers who responded with force rather than make attempts to de-escalate the situation and reassure the terrified man. His mother had called 911 for assistance in getting her son taken to a nearby psychiatric facility.

This lack of knowledge of disability and the callous disregard for people with disabilities is more than just a single event of “wheelchair dumping” and as a community we should be more than just outraged because of a single incident. We should be advocating for a broad solution to deal with what is a pervasive, and (in the case of Jason Swift and many other individuals with mental illness) potentially life-threatening problem.

www.DayinWashington.com

[JDeMoley]

Landmark. Many incidences have been reviewed before, but few as shocking as this. It is Mr. Sterner's and his attorney's duty to, shock and awe. I should hope, punitive, will be considerable.

[Margaret]

This is just a stark example of the "they're just faking it" attitude towards persons with disabilities. The next time I am challenged by ignorance, I will challenge the person to stop "practicing medicine without a license." They are not our doctors and have no business asserting that they know more than our health professionals. We are constantly robbed of dignity through these type of insults and accusations. It is time for the defamatory actions and statements to stop. Threatening with legal recourse might be a good solution.

[gene]

business as usual for disrepecting anything white and male.even the white male police in this country are all afraid of al and jesse white basher/killers of white society.the white community is no better then animals after a feeding frenzy.double standards,what was you'r first clue?