From Brian Lockhart, CT Post:
The Police Department’s Office of Internal Affairs is investigating whether cops used excessive force, including painful shocks from a Taser, on City Councilwoman Karen Jackson’s son.
The 15-year-old was apprehended after he and other teenagers in late June fled from police officers investigating allegations they had broken into a yard in the Nob Hill Circle neighborhood.
At the time, Jackson’s son received an infraction for interfering with an investigation.
… “The bottom line is they abused their authority,” Jackson told Hearst Connecticut Media this week of the police response. “Attacking him in that fashion, I can’t even think about it because I get angry.”
Full story here.
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Karen Jackson’s three sons are incredibly respectful and polite. The alleged crime was trespassing and a taser was used on a 15 year old.
I question the judgement of the police officer (s) in question.
That’s your boy A.J. and the BPD. Ganim’s Greatest liability. Just hang in there Joe. Delay any investigation until after the primary.
Then a little slap on the wrist that you can spin like a top and don’t worry about the minority’s community.
This is disgraceful! Thank goodness is was a taser and not a gun! Bad judgment by the police seems all too common when dealing with African-Americans. A 15 y/o child who was cooperating does not deserve this, let alone an outstanding citizen like Karen Jackson son(s) are. We need major changes at 300 Congress street; and if Ganim had any sack he would be demanding it!
The CT Post story is based on an interview with the mother, a city council member. She apparently requested the interview with the newspaper.
According to Chief Perez, the 15 year old fled from the scene and twice refused a directive from a police officer. The mother gave a different account.
Did the CT Post check the Police Officer’s report? Or, did they base their story only on the ‘interview’ the council member requested and comments from the politically connected police chief?
Has she hired an attorney yet? Is a protest march planned featuring ‘Lunch Bucket Joe’ and Richard Blumenthal?
Maybe Mom and Dad should review their parenting responsibilities. We’ve all heard “Show me who you associate with and I will tell you who you are”.
I agree with Tom White. Is Maria Pereira and Bob Walsh illiterate? If the Police was the problem in this matter, why was only one of three taken into custody in such a way? Under Finch, several relatives of City Council members got some very special treatment from the Police Department.
I agree with Mr White where is in the police report and were there any witnesses to this incident? Rather than rush to judgement let’s wait for the facts. The chief said he was not comfortable with a 15 year old being tazed. He was not there either has he read the police report?
Facts before acts.
You two have got to be kidding me. At worst it is a case of simple trespass and a stolen ball. And the police feel justified in using extreme force to apprehend the perp.
Give it a break.
People have died from being tazed and what is an official report going to say??? The police officer was in fear of his life?
When I was around that age myself and a couple of friends set of some firecrackers and the cops came. We took off running thru back yards, climbing over fences and I would have gotten away but for a 10 foot cement wall. But that was 50 years ago.
Today I am supposed to be prepared to be tazed or shot at or killed???
Oh, wait a minute, I’m not black. None of that would happen sense i’m White not black.
And all these years I thought you were Puerto Rican.
Where is the video from police came? Was the police officer in danger or did he fear for his life or was someone else in danger from this 15 year old boy and that’s the reason he was tazed? And what was the crime again and what is the police department policy and rules and regulations for this type of crime?
Ron Mackey, I believe that the Police Department can not release videos, names, etc. of minors.
Since 2000 more than 1,000 people in the U.S. have died after police stunned them with Tasers.
According to Ken Barone, a researcher at Central Connecticut State University’s Institute for Municipal and Regional Policy, Connecticut’s police used Tasers 650 times last year. He found that black men were about three times more likely to be Tased than simply warned.
Whatever this young man did it wasn’t punishable by death which could have certainly been the outcome.
*** All I’ve heard is personal opinions based on a news story given by the alleged victims mother who’s son was arrested. Nothing official in writing or a web-cam video nor testimony of the events by a witness on the scene! I’ll wait for some official info. & facts, thank-you! ***
The Walsh, Mackey and Day remarks suggest they did not even read the CT Post story.
Tom being White, what did I miss? A 15 year old kid supposedly jumped on someone trampoline, ran when confronted by the police and then tased by said police. Whatever this young man did it wasn’t punishable by death which could have certainly been the outcome from being tased which has happened over 1000 times in the last 18 years.
I know Tom being White, the only good Black kid is a dead Black kid. Got it.
The CT Post story includes a statement by the police chief indicating the police officer used the shock feature of the stun gun, not the discharge of probes. We should wait to see what the official report details.
To OIB readers; Isn’t it amusing that a black person could accuse a white person of suggesting “the only good Black kid is a dead Black kid”? What is the basis of this comment? Oh, Donald Day is black. It’s okay then.
Tom being White, it’s not ok because I’m Black it’s just that everytime you write I hear that Dog Whistle. Loud and clear.
Don, it’s no longer Dog Whistle, it’s a Bullhorn.
A few weeks ago I ran into Tom White. I asked him if what he had hanging from the chain on his neck was Dog Whistle. He told me it was a Bitch Whistle.
Here’s one big factor l have not heard in the comments. How much will this investigation will cost the tax payers of Bridgeport CT. Investigations should be wrapped up in no more than 60 days according to the policy. As we have seen IA have milked investigations which have inflated their salaries. Remember pensions are now based on the best 3 years of an officers salary. As for what occurred nothing in the article talks about the officer’s police report. I would like to read it first before passing judgement.
OIA doesn’t only investigates complaints against police officers. They also do background checks on recruits, political appointees, etc.
Well aware of that Joel I was in OIA and never made the money they’re making now.
Police pensions at normal retirement ages are based on the highest three years of COMPENSATION (including overtime) NOT SALARY. That happened several years ago when Bridgeport dropped its Plan B Pensions for police and fire and moved to Municipal Employee Retirement System (MERS).
At the same time the role and responsibilities of members of the civilian Police Commission were reduced.
Finally, the Police Cheif has held meetings for almost two years in order to lay out a basis for “community policing” where the community understands and expects what the public safety officers will do under different circumstances. Have you noticed any progress? Are the members of the Police Commission open and accountable in communication with the public? Time will tell.