People on AFF seem to demonstrate unreasonable prejudice against NTs. Had the cops known about HF's autism, the tasering might not have happened. But of course they couldn't have known.
It was an unfortunate incident, but let's remember how much worse the outcome might have been. Nobody died, and hopefully some new understanding was created.
Link to story here
I have to say I was more upset by some of the negative comments people have written. It is frightening to see what a poor attitude towards and understanding so many people have regarding autism.
How can we every make them understand and respect us?
what kind of comments were there?
as all comments on the story have been erased.
What I want to know is where cops get off electrocuting people as a first option and children at that.
A. A 5'11" bearded fifteen-year-old is hardly a "child."
B. Tasing is a hell of an improvement over bodily force, clubbing, and shooting.
Now, like most "news" stories, this one is notably devoid of information, but what I surmise is that the police confronted a suspicious character, said suspicious character ran into traffic (thereby endangering himself and others), police subdued the suspicious character without causing any real injury, nobody was hurt, nobody was charged, kid went home, everything's good...except that now the parents want to *** about the pigs who didn't treat their precious little boy like the angel he surely is.
The "autism" part of the story is completely irrelevant, as is anything about the deputies' awareness (or lack thereof) of a missing person report. It wouldn't have made a lick of difference, nor should it have.
Don't get me wrong, I have some real problems with the way police behave, particularly the current fashion for intimidation (which is escalatory, in my opinion), but I just don't see any problem here with the story as told.
I see a glaring problem. Use of the Taser.
Tasers, as we are finding, aren't exactly the magical tool we thought they were. They hurt like a b****, are used too quickly, and replace all other methods of capture and restraint with zapping someone and clapping cuffs. They've killed people, are dangerous, and are becoming the first line of defense for police. Tase first and stop to think later. And more than one person on the spectrum has felt the sting of their bite.
He had run onto the road, and they got him there. They then surrounded him, and conviently didn't mention numbers. They jolted him a second time when he didn't show his hands. How many officers do they need to check the hands of a facedown person who's been hit with a taser? And will hitting him with the Taser again make him comply? Nope, it'll just zap him and make him hurt even more. They need the number of officers there, and they need the numbers now. A lone officer could be justified. Two, they could've restrained him with the things they evidently were taught in the police academies, and anything more than three officers is over the top. Whatever happened to Serve and Protect?