Epileptic man mistaken for drug abuser beaten by Indianapolis police, lawsuit claims

[MrScorpio]

INDIANAPOLIS - A seizure patient has filed a lawsuit against the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, claiming officers beat and arrested him after mistaking his symptoms for being high on drugs.

In his federal civil rights lawsuit, Randy Lynn of Indianapolis claims he suffered an epileptic seizure after shoveling snow from a sidewalk in the 2500 block of West Washington Street on Feb. 2, 2011. He fell to the ground and suffered a bloody nose, prompting paramedics to be called.

When IMPD officers arrived, Lynn's lawsuit claims officers immediately assumed that he was intoxicated.

He accuses Officer Timothy Huddleston of forcing him back to the ground during a struggle, and then Officer Nathan Challis is accused of using a Taser to jolt him three times during his arrest.

Lynn also accuses the officers of striking him on the head several times, while shocking him with a Taser on the neck, the lower back and his leg.

His lawsuit claims he was entirely unaware of what was going on due to his medical condition.

http://www.theindychannel.com/news/local-news/epileptic-man-mistaken-for-drug-abuser-beaten-by-indianapolis-police-lawsuit-claims

[geek tragedy]

1. If true, indefensible conduct by the police. nt

[Comrade Grumpy]

2. ...again.

[Bake]

13. What else is new?

Screw the police. Thugs in uniform. Oh wait ... these must have been "bad apples."

Of course.

Bake

[AnotherMcIntosh]

3. Let me guess. If the police were not selling med marijuana, Eric Holder and his DOJ will do nothing.

[PotatoChip]

5. ?

What does Eric Holder and the DOJ have to do with this particular police brutality case?

[AnotherMcIntosh]

6. That's what Eric Holder, who heads the agency for protecting civil rights, would say.

At a minimum, police should not violate the civil rights of the citizenry by delivering unnecessary and excessive violence.

Apparently there are some people, who like Eric-I-don't-have-to-enforce-the-Civil-Rights-laws-Holder, agree with that.

[PotatoChip]

8. Still not following you.

I 'get' and agree with this part...

At a minimum, police should not violate the civil rights of the citizenry by delivering unnecessary and excessive violence.

I just don't really understand what either Holder or the federal DOJ have to do with a local police brutality case.

Oh well, whatever.

[AnotherMcIntosh]

19. You really don't understand that AG Holder and his DOJ have the responsibility to enforce the

laws prohibiting police actions which violate Civil Rights?

Are you unaware that other US Attorney Generals have enforced the law against Civil Rights violations?

Who do you think has the authority to enforce the laws against Civil Rights violations?

Who do you think has established a reputation in the last several years for going against State-approved medical marijuana dispensaries while not going against the police who violate Civil Rights?

Do you not know that when police use unnecessary and excessive force, they are not just being unnecessarily brutal but they are violating Civil Rights?

You're not aware of any of this?

[PotatoChip]

21. You make an awful lot of assumptions

as to what I am or am not aware of. Which is really very funny in regard to the subject matter that you brought up here. But you clearly don't know me, and that is more than ok with me.

Have a nice day.

One last thing though: You are wrong on a number of counts as it relates to this case. I suggest that you read the entire article. That is all.

[AnotherMcIntosh]

22. Asking questions in reponse to your "Still not following you," is not making assumptions. You say

that you don't know. OK, I believe you. The issue then involves the question of how much do you not know.

[PotatoChip]

23. Lol! (nt)

[Bake]

14. Duh. The only thing that gets Holder excited is prosecuting med marijuana cases.

He sure as hell has no interest in prosecuting the Wall St. banksters.

Holder needs to GO. NOW.

Bake

[PotatoChip]

16. Don't disagree with you. At all.

The only thing that gets Holder excited is prosecuting med marijuana cases.

He sure as hell has no interest in prosecuting the Wall St. banksters.

Just trying to understand what Holder has to do with this case.

[Bake]

17. Holder has nothing to do with this case.

It just seemed like a good opportunity to respond to the poster.

Bake

[PotatoChip]

18. Oh, ok.

Has Holder been in the news for something akin to this recently? If so, I'd better understand why not one, but several people brought him up here. I was not trying to be snarky, just truly didn't know why something seemingly unrelated was coming up.

I've been busy today, only popping in and out, so I may have missed out on- whatever. I'll look later.

[AnotherMcIntosh]

20. (1) The police use of excessive force is a federal Civil Rights violation.

(2) The US Attorney has the authority and responsibility to prosecute violations of the Civil Rights laws.

(3) Holder has developed a reputation for prosecuting those who sell State-approved medical marijuana, and a reputation for being indifferent with respect to the violation of the Civil Rights laws by the police.

(4) To the extent that Holder "has nothing to do with this case," that is a result of his choice to not prosecute police violations of the Civil Rights laws.

(5) To the extent that some overlook violations of Civil Rights laws by the police and do not want the police to be prosecuted for such activity, Holder is their man.

[Bake]

24. Good point, actually.

Bake

[midnight]

4. Another reason to stop the war on drugs..

[rurallib]

7. Truly. Even if this guy was smoked on something

physical brutality is a hell of a response by the police.

[midnight]

9. I agree.....

[Bake]

15. But typical.

When all else fails, beat the hell outta somebody.

Bake

[TheKentuckian]

10. Why would it be okay to beat someone down IF they were high?

This shit has to end.

[HereSince1628]

11. When we empower an ignorant and bigoted LEO to intervene to "secure the peace"

this is what results.

The list of victims is really quite extraordinary...and runs the entire gambit from deaf whittler killed for not responding to persons in diabetic comas being beaten for non-responsiveness.

DEAR LAW ENFORCEMENT,

THE PEOPLE ARE NOT ALWAYS THE FUCKING ENEMY! Sometimes the people are in desperate need of medical attention, and you dumb fucks with badges privilege your perspectives and interest in the preciousness of your own assholes to just act like precious ASSHOLES.

[frylock]

12. fuck tha police