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Cops Told Taser Victim's Worried Mom "Don't Worry. We'll Take Care of Him"

2008_09_morales2.jpgOlga Negron, who called 911 over concerns about his 35-year-old son Inman Morales's behavior only for him to fall to his death after being Tasered by the police, spoke out against the police yesterday. She said, "They could have done something better to protect my son. He didn't have a gun, a knife or any weapon. He was just sick. I want them to be held accountable. I want justice."

Yesterday afternoon, police admitted that the decision to stun Morales, who had been on a storefront ledge, holding a fluorescent light bulb while naked, violated department guidelines for Taser use which say "when possible, the [conducted energy device] should not be used…in situations where the subject may fall from an elevated surface." Police had called for an airbag to catch Morales, but it hadn't arrived when a lieutenant gave the order for another officer to stun Morales. Morales froze and then fell on his head, suffering injuries that later killed him.

A police source told the News, "It just wasn't a smart move. When you Taser someone, they drop like a stone. No muscle control. Under regular circumstances, the (suspect) could have jumped himself and been OK." The Brooklyn DA's office is investigating the matter, while Mayor Bloomberg said he was "not sure this was handled right." The lieutenant who gave the order was stripped of his badge and gun while the officer who Tasered Morales was assigned to desk duty. And the NY Times has a feature on how Morales was fine and seemed normal to his neighbors, but lately he started to act more bizarre.

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  • nycnyc

    Spiny I agree that cops must be courteous, professional and respectful....but they basically have to do their job. I don't expect them to genuinely care for someone who hates them. Yes if the person who hates them calls then for help they should help...but i don't expect, or hope, that they deep down inside care for a person who hates them. And trust me most feel that way.



    That aside I agree that a mistake was made here by the cops as far as providing a landing. However, just because you are emotionally disturbed does not mean that you can't be dangerous to others. The guy was waving a lightbulb pretty close to the cop on the fire escape. So even if you are calling for help it is possible the cops will have to use physical or even dangerous force to subdue you.



    spirit- when i say worst possible state i mean the guys condition getting to a point where he is on a ledge. Maybe if th efamily would have done more to maintain, watch over his health it would nt have gotten to the poits where they needed to call the cops. take care of your business and maybe the cops won't have to come fix you long term problems

  • NannyState

    I'm heartbroken for that poor mother who loved her son and tried to hold off these jackals.

  • Spirit of 76

    A very dull "Edge," indeed.

  • The Edge

    #26- And your point? Are you going to write more novellas trying to say exactly what I say with three words? Because, really, everyone enjoys reading them so much.



    Get over yourself, dude.

  • Spirit of 76

    i think you lack the brain cells to realize that even if a the NYPD says the procedure was wrong that others did not contribute to the cops being thrown a situation at its worst possible state...you imbecile.



    Worst possible state? He wasn't an immediate threat to anybody. They had plenty of time, plenty of options. Maybe in your eyes, any would-be jumper on a ledge should also be tasered immediately, and if he goes splat, that's just too bad because he shouldn't have gone out there in the first place.



    That's fucking hilarious, coming from you, Spirit.



    This, from a guy who's happy to be lumped together with babyhitler and Snoopy. Your comment history is nothing but a bunch of whining peppered with "fuck," "shit" and "douchebag."

  • The Edge

    "babyhitler is the poster boy for the clichéd self-centered New Yorker."



    That's fucking hilarious, coming from you, Spirit.



    Oh man.

  • Spiny

    nycnyc: Yeah, it's human nature, if you don't care about them then they might not care about you. But the problem is that it's their JOB and their responsibility to care about you, regardless of whether you're a little old lady who's been mugged, or a political protester shouting "pigs" at them, or a sick man standing naked on a storefront ledge. It's their JOB to treat everyone with courtesy, professionalism, and respect. And that includes criminals, who are still human beings and do not give up their human rights upon arrest.



    If you don't comply, yes, the police can use necessary force. But shouldn't the amount of force be tailored to the situation? "Not complying" can mean anything from pointing a gun at cops (which will get you shot) to resisting arrest while unarmed (which will get you a little bumped and bruised as they're forcing you into handcuffs). The cops wouldn't shoot an unarmed person who is merely struggling and shouting. If you're mentally ill and not capable of "complying" with the police, shouldn't the police take that into consideration when they're subduing you? Especially when they far outnumber you?



    Anyway, just reread citizenerased's comment. "We will try and HELP YOU but we may end up killing you." The cops weren't trying to arrest anyone for a crime in this situation. They had been called by a distraught mother to subdue her sick son before he injured himself, so that she could get him help. It was an emergency, just as any sick or injured person is an emergency, and the cops were first responders. If you're sick or injured, and you need help, do you want the people who show up to help you to use dangerous physical force on you if you don't -- or can't -- "comply"?

  • nycnyc

    absolutely,,, i'll say it again. Human nature...if you don't care about them...i am sure they don't care about you.



    "The NYPD should have a disclaimer when people call them for help that effectively says we will try and help you but there is a chance we may end up killing you."



    Another brilliant staeement by you citizenerased....um, yes they are th epolice. The carry guns....people call the police and people don't always comply so yes it is simple...if you don't comply..then th epolice can you necessary force..wow. That is a simple concept GENIUS ...haha...well i gotta step out, but i look forward to more genius statements when i get back citizen

  • citizenerased

    Haha, "They could care less"



    Thanks, you proved my point.

  • nycnyc

    citizenerased....i think you lack the brain cells to realize that even if a the NYPD says the procedure was wrong that others did not contribute to the cops being thrown a situation at its worst possible state...you imbecile.



    I did not say the cops could not have done some wrong. But blame all that should equally receive blame. And for all who hate cops, do them a favor and don't call them. They coudl care less...have your opinion...critique them...but they would do better without you calling them.



    Furthermore, i doubt the screaming bystanders genuiniely cared about this man..they wanted to see a show. If they so cared for him where were they (his family) when he was not medicating.

  • nycnyc

    Yes the cops were left to deal with this man who would have likely killed himself or others eventually. Of course because when a situation regresses to it worst possible state it is the NYPD left to deal with it. What about preventing this guy from getting to his worst possible state on a ledge. Where is the outrage for the family and doctors. Maybe something could have been done differently like waiting for an airbag..but it is likely this guy would have hurt himself or someone else anyway....and apparently the cop's felt he would imminently hurt himself (jump) or a cop with the lightbulb...



    and for the poster who will take care of his own business, trust me, i am sure the hardworking cops who get second guessed everday will appreciate you not calling the cops for what turns out to be typical nonsense.

  • citizenerased

    nycnyc - you sir are an idiot.



    Why are you trying to defend the NYPD on this? The NYPD isn't even defending the NYPD on this.

  • Reflect

    Sunday night there was a black couple outside my window. The man was punching her in the face like a dude. And pressing her up agianst the wall chocking her. Im on 22nd west called the cops they came about 5 mins later but were too lazy to get out of the fucking car.



    SO THEY LEFT because they didnt notice the guy in the buildings doorway. If they would have got out of the car they would have heard them. So they drive away he begins the beating agian yelling the woman now crying. I call them back they come agian in a unmarked car this time. The most they do when they finally spot them is make a woop woop noise and leave agian. THIS WOMAN COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED!



    I will make sure to take care of whatever situation im in especially if its a fucking weekend. Lazy bastards just sit in there cars all day getting fat.

  • Spirit of 76

    No, it is soooo easy to blame the cops because they were the ones who killed him and they were the ones who did not follow NYPD procedure. What would have happened if they waited a few minutes more for the airbag? What was the harm in waiting at all? No, the lieutenant decided he didn't have the patience and ordered the man stunned. And not one brilliant member of ESU thought to ask, "Wait, is that a good idea?" or even "Isn't that against procedure?"



    babyhitler is the poster boy for the clichéd self-centered New Yorker. Yeah, everybody would have run away, which explains all the witnesses who watched the situation and screamed when he fell, and explains the video. And, gee, I guess the police shouldn't have known better since it was only written down in black and white.

  • nycnyc

    babyhitler, you are so correct. Most people berating the cops would have been the first one to call the cops if this guys was next to them acting the maniac he was. I mean th eguy was on a ledge...i think he was very capable of harming himself. People just need a scapegoat...and it is SOOOOOOOO easy to blame the cops when a bad situation climaxes.



    What about all the years of this mentally ill person's health condition regressing. Who put the work in to prevent such result of this man going on a ledge? the family? No, they likely wait til it explodes , he gets on a ledge and the cops are left to deal with someone's problem. And if anything goes wrong...IT IS ENTIRELY the COP"S fault.

    That is a huge problem of this society,.....UNACCOUNTABILITY.... let other people (the police ) solve our already existing problems and if not lets blame others (the police) Now i know as in any profession there are good and bad apples, and cops do make mistakes as we do all....but they are so easy to blame.. cop haters are oppurtunists who need to get a life.

  • chris lee

    In your gut you know the city is better off without this guy, but no one will say that out loud

  • Mr Mel

    Reminds me of the story of the Chasidic guy in Brooklyn who was swinging a hammer and shouting at passers by and the cops unloaded a barrage on him. In that case any one of the men in blue could have taken him out with a stickball bat but they elected to shoot.

  • Phineas Gage

    The only surprising thing here is that the city and NYPD admitted they were wrong.

  • babyhitler

    I don't even understand all this moral outrage from all the gothamist readers when everyone would run the fuck away from this guy if they ever saw him. All this "the police should have known better" when you guys would shun the shit out of this guy. I curse access-a-ride every day.

  • citizenerased

    The NYPD should have a disclaimer when people call them for help that effectively says we will try and help you but there is a chance we may end up killing you.



    No thanks, i'll figure it out myself.

  • nycnyc

    Yes and this is entirely the cops' fault. Some people just want to blame the police for everything wrong in their personal lives. Might the police here have made mistakes? sure. But this is not entirely the cop's fault. What about the family, the doctors who should have looked over his health? The mentally ill person was on a freakin ledge...if the cops did not get there who knows what he would have done.



    Sure errors were made but blame the rest of the people who deserve blame too. The cops respond to situations on the street where there is no script. This ain't the movies. So many hypocrites out there who hate the police, but i bet you have called the police many times when you want them to fix a situation for you.



    IF YOU HATE THE POLICE...DON'T CALL THEM....THEY WOULD BE BETTER OFF NOT DEALING WITH HYPOCRITES WHO CALL THE COP'S but supposedly hate them.

  • Spirit of 76

    And remember folks, these are ESU, some of the smartest people in NYPD. Be afraid. Be very afraid.

  • while Mayor Bloomberg said he was "not sure this was handled right."



    Ya THINK?

  • PKinNYC

    at least they didn't shoot him...oh wait. way to go AGAIN NYPD...we'll take care of him...buncha a-holes!!!

  • ides_of_march

    I'm all for the tasering of Wall St investment bankers at this particular point in time.

  • antonius

    Stripped of the badge and assigned to desk duty ? I thought that they put you in jail when you murder somebody.

  • ugh

    IDIOTS



    a very sad story.

  • jink

    RIP Inman. may justice prevail. how sad.

  • Bubba

    At the very least, this is manslaughter.

  • ides_of_march

    "Don't Worry. We'll Take Care of Him"



    That they did.

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