Summer's Shenanigans

Okay, I know it's been a while since I was arrested, tasered, went on trial, got convicted of three crimes that I didn't commit and jumped through a bunch of hoops for a judge so he could feel better about the justice system and his job, but I'm finally ready to write about what really happened. I havn't written or talked about it since the day the judge freeded me from my ridiculous sentence, in hopes that I could just forget about it, but unfortunately I can't. I think about what a fucked up justice system America has, every single day. It's like torture, because there is nothing I can do to fix it.

Here is what happened the night I got arrested:

On 12/2/06, I was arrested by Officer Christopher Karches of the Carlsbad Police Department, without just cause and charged with crimes that I did not commit. In addition, Christopher Karches used extremely excessive force and used his taser on me three times as I was face down on the ground and he was on top of me. For the record, I am a female that stands 5' 7" tall and weighs 115 lbs.

On the evening of 12/2/06, a group including myself was celebrating a birthday on the patio at Hennesy's in Carlsbad. At 11:15pm, my boyfriend and I prepared to leave. I wanted to use the restroom before we left and as I walked into the restaurant, I was grabbed by a bouncer and told that I could not enter the restaurant to use the restroom. When I asked, "Why can't I use the restroom". The bouncer replied, "Cuz I said so.". I informed the bouncer that it is illegal to not allow access to the restroom to patrons and he continued to argue with me. At this point, Officer Karches stood in the doorway, next to the bouncer. I said, "Okay, well why don’t we ask him (referring to Officer Karches)". Addressing Officer Karches, I said, "Why don't you tell them that what they are doing is illegal and that they have to allow customers access to a restroom". Officer Karches did not respond so I said, "You DO know the LAW don’t you?". My statement obviously angered Officer Karches, but he still did not respond. I was then told that if I did not leave the premises, I would be arrested for trespassing. I said, "You guys are both fucking morons", I turned around to walk out of Hennesy's, flipped off the bouncer and Officer Karches and proceeded to walk 5 or 6 steps. I had one foot inside the premises and was about to place my other foot on the public sidewalk when I was grabbed forcefully from behind, by the back of the neck and my left arm. The person that grabbed me from behind (later identified as Officer Karces) did not identify themself, and the force of them grabbing my neck whipped my head back so hard that my purse and hat went flying through the air. Since I had no idea who just grabbed me from behind, I pulled my arm from their grip and I was immediately thrown to the pavement with enough force to knock the barrettes our of my hair and scuff my knee. Still dazed from being hit from behind and not knowing who was on my back, I simply tried to get to my feet. The person on my back yelled that I was under arrest for "drunk in public" and then tased me in the back while I was face down on the sidewalk. Being tased in the back, flipped me over onto my back and I yelled, "Ow you fucking asshole". Officer Karches then proceeded to taser me at least two more times in the stomach. I screamed and yelled, "Ow, Jesus Christ, STOP IT." I was then flipped back over onto my stomach and Officer Karches handcuffed me and yelled at me to "STAND UP". I said, "I'm wearing 5 inch heels, I CAN'T get up.". Officer Karches grabbed my handcuffs, yanked me to my feet and placed me in the back of another officer's squad car.

Numerous Carlsbad police officers were on the scene at this point and I was removed from the car to be patted down by a female officer and to have my jewelry removed. Stefan Rest witnessed Officer Karches attack me and he was gathering other witnesses information when he was confronted by another officer. The officer asked what Stefan was doing and when he found out he was collecting witness information Stefan was ordered to leave or else the officer threatened to arrest him for loitering and DUI if he caught Stefan riding his bicycle home. The other officers left and I was put in the back of Officer Karches car with Officer Karches and one other male officer. Officer Karches drove around the block and dropped off the other officer. I thought this was incredibly strange that I was now handcuffed and alone with a man that had just attacked me and I started to get scared. So I started asking questions to Officer Karches:

Summer: "So, what's your name?"

Karches: "Karches."

Summer: "What's your first name?"

Karches: "I'm not going to tell you that!"

Summer: "How long have you been on the force?"

Karches: "5 years."

Summer: "Ah, I bet you havn't been in Carlsbad long, have you."

Karches: "1 ½ years in Carlsbad."

Summer: "So, where are we going?"

Karches: "The hospital, then you’re going to JAIL!"

Summer: "Why are we going to the hospital?"

Karches: "It's standard procedure when someone gets tased"

Etc.

At the hospital, I was marched into the Emergency Room in handcuffs where Officer Karches explained that they just needed to take my vitals and we'd be on our way. They hooked me up to an EKG and my heart rate was more then double my normal heart rate due to Officer Karches loss of control and using his taser on me at least three times. Doctor Bei went to talk to Officer Karches and said that there was no way that he could release me in this condition. Officer Karches got all huffy because he obviously wanted to go home and said, "Well, can I use your computer to finish my report then?". After approximately an hour of drinking cold water and resting in the hospital bed, my heart rate was still dangerously high and I was hooked up to an IV in an attempt to bring it down. Another hour passed and my heart rate still would not return to normal. The doctor asked if I had taken any drugs or drank any caffeine that night. I responded that I have never done drugs before and that I had not had any caffeine that entire day. Apparently Officer Karches did not believe me and ordered a drug test. I peed in a cup and the drug test came back 100% clean. I asked the doctor what my blood alcohol level was, but he said Officer Karches would not allow them to test my blood alcohol level. I asked for a blood alcohol test 3 times, but Officer Karches would not allow the doctor to test for alcohol. I then asked the doctor in private that if he could, to please perform a blood alcohol test on my blood from the IV needle since Officer Karches arrested me (and subsequently tasered me three times) for being "drunk in public", when it was obvious that I was not drunk. I am still waiting on my medical records to see if the doctor was able to test my blood for alcohol. After 2 hours, the doctor said that he would release me if I wanted to leave, but my heart rate was still very high and that I should rest until I felt better. I was also advised that I should immediately return to the ER if was experiencing chest pain or a fast heartbeat for more then 20 minutes. Unfortunately, I was unable to rest since I was immediately thrown in jail.

As I was waiting to be booked into the Vista jail, there were numerous other officers and several men that were arrested for drunk driving present, so I was making small talk with the officers. An officer was administering Breathalyzer tests to the guys that were arrested for drunk driving and I asked if I could take a Breathalyzer since I was arrested for "drunk in public" and tasered three times, when I wasn’t even drunk. The other officers looked surprised to find out the I was arrested for drunk in public and was tased by Officer Karches three times. One officer turned to Karches and said, "You tased her three times?". Officer Karches looked embarrassed and said, "It's always the girls that are the hardest". I asked again if I could take a Breathalyzer and Karches erupted into childish taunting. He said, "Nanananana, don’t you ever SHUT UP? Your lucky I didn’t punch you and next time I'll use the taser with the barbs because it hurts worse!" I was taken aback by Officer Karches lack of professionalism and said, "Are you kidding? You really should be quiet because you're making yourself look stupid. Are you in high school or something?"

As my paperwork was being processed, the women that was processing it called Officer Karches over and asked if he got approval for "this". He said no and she said that he couldn’t do that. I’m not sure what he was trying to do, but I have a feeling that he wanted it so that I would have to post bail rather then be released on "OR" (own recognizance), because when the women announced that I would be realeased on "OR" he was visibly annoyed. I was then thrown into the "drunk tank" and held for 12 hours even though I was stone-cold sober.

In addition to being falsely arrested, I was admitted into the hospital were I was forced to receive treatment for my injuries caused by Officer Karches and have incurred medical bills of over $3000.

So that's what happened, plain and simple. The restaurant/bar I was at was violating health code and didn't like that I was actually informed (the bouncers that were involved were both fired after this incident), I asked an officer for help and he was too stupid to know what I was talking about, I got annoyed, flipped him off and he lost his temper to the extent that he put lives in danger.

Was I a bitch? Sure. Did I do anything illegal? Nope. I simply exercised my right to freedom of speech. Weather you like it or not, it's not illegal to call a cop a "fucking moron" or flip them off. It IS illegal for someone to jump on your back and zap you with a taser, even if they are wearing a badge. Which is why Officer Karches made up a report full of disgusting lies. If he admitted to what really happened, he would have lost his job as a police officer.

So, after this happened the District Attorney (of course) offered to drop everything if I agreed to plead guilty to an infraction "disturbing the peace". An infraction is like a speeding ticket, you pay a fine and go on your marry way. I refused to take any "deals" offered by the DA, because I knew what happened was wrong and I wanted to make sure that Officer Karches didn't pull this bullshit again. So, I went to trial. My lawyer was a bumbling newbie, but I was still confident since I knew that I didn't do anything wrong and we had 8 witnesses testify that what Officer Karches wrote in the police report was totally fabricated.

Then, something happened that I would have never believed in a million years.

I was convicted of commiting three crimes that I never commited.

I know that the 12 jurors were tired (trial is totally exhausting and the DA drug it out over two weeks) and if they didn't come to a decision within an hour, they would have to deliberate through the weekend. So, at 4:29 on Friday (court closes at 4:30), they decided to find me guilty of all three counts (trespassing, resisting arrest and drunk in public).

I was sentanced to a $1000 fine, required to attent AA meetings 3 times a week for 2 months, required to attend a 12-week anger management course and I was sentanced to 90 days (720 hours) of work service. The judge told me that he was so harsh with my sentance because, I "put an officers life in danger by choosing to wrestle with him in a place wear other people might have hurt him". So I was punished for the hypothetical actions of someone else? Awesome.

So, on top of the 80 hours I work per week, I had to jump through all of these little hoops for the judge. Which I did. And, he "let me off" after 45 days of the ridiculous AA meetings, anger management classes and 10 days of work service. I'm not even on parole. The judge also stressed that I should expunge my record. You have to pay the court to expunge your record. Ah, it's all making sense now. They just wanted more money.

The justice system is just a sick game. It has NOTHING to do with justice and it's simply about who knows how to play the game better. So, I was simply naive and didn't hire some pitbull lawyer because I believed that if you don't do anything wrong everything will turn out in the end. As a matter of fact, I wanted to represent myself, but the 1st judge I saw couldn't stress enough that representing myself wouldn't be tolerated.

Any how, another thing I learned is how incredibly dumb so many people are. I can't tell you how many anonymous assholes have commented on my posts during this entire episode with things like:

"Bitch, you deserved it"

"Maybe you shouldn't have flipped off a police officer!"

"Do what you're told next time!"

etc, etc, etc.

I'm not a sheep, nor am I a lemming. I don't following along blindly in life and do whatever I'm told just because. I will always ask questions and so should you. This experiance has shown me how many ridiculous sheep are really out there and most don't even know their own rights. I wasn't tried by a jury of my peers. I was tried by a jury of average Americans that sheep along in life and are brainwashed to believe anything a police officer says.

As Officer Karches said in court, he could have punched me in the face, but he chose to taser me instead. Why? Because if he left an external mark on me (such as a black eye or even bruises), civil rights activists and the media would be all over this. So the police now use tasers that cause internal damage, because since you can't see the injury, it's less sensational and safer for the police to abuse their power.

If it was 1955 and Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a bus, she would be tasered and thrown in jail for disturbing the peace. Bitch probably deserved it...Right?

Labels: Tasers, The Justice System

I've just completed my 6th day of "work service". Work service is a common part of probation that requires you to devote 8 hour days (7:30am - 3:30pm) to working for the city. If you are convicted of a misdemenor, chances are you will be required to complete 1 - 7 days of work service. Every day you show up at a pre-designated area at 7:30am and the probation officers divide the parolees into groups and distribute you across the county to do laborious tasks. So far I have:

Picked up trash at Escondido High School.
Picked up trash along a 5 mile stretch of the 78 freeway.
Hoed weeds in Spring Valley (in 90+ degree heat).
Hoed, raked and hauled weeds at the Palomar Airport.
Cut back iceplant (with a hoe), bagged tree/lawn clippings and swept Encinitas.
Hoed, raked and hauled an acre of tumbleweeds at Palomar Airport.

48 hours down, only 672 to go! Haha!

As I've mentioned before, I was sentenced to 90 days of work service (which after talking to all the other parolees/parole officers, I've been informed that 90 days is an absolutely absurd amount). It probably wouldn't be so bad had I actually commited a crime, but instead, I excerised my right to freedom of speech (or at least I thought I had a right to freedom speech in America. Unfortunately, I was wrong). Any how, I'm trying not to dwell on how I ended up in work service, so let's get back on track here...WORK SERVICE.

Work service is pretty damn entertaining.

I've hooked up with a couple of parole officers that always pick me to be on their crew (because they know I bust my ass) and they are good people that are just doing their job. Working for someone that is in a position of authority that doesn't abuse it has somewhat restored my faith in humanity. Actually, no. I take that back. I still think the majority of humans are walking sacks of shit that are miserable because they choose to be, but it does restore something in me.

I have also learned that I love hard work. Want me to pick up trash on the side of the freeway? Oh yeah? I'll pick up more trash than anyone else on the crew. GUARANTEED. I would MUCH rather work my ass off for 8 hours rather then sit around and do nothing for hours on end, which is what I see lots of people in work service do. Lazy is just something that does not compute with me. I've always known that about myself though. Unfortunately, people tend to judge me on my appearance which brings me to my next point.

The Paris Hilton factor.

I went to trial right after Paris Hilton was sentanced to 45 days in jail for violating probation by driving on a suspended license. I can't stand Paris Hilton. BUT, I also think Paris's sentance was a fucking joke. She was made an example because of who she was and the judge judged her by what he thought he knew about her (via tabloids and the media). The very 1st day of my trial, my lawyer was telling me how confident he was about the trial and I leaned over and said, "Yeah, I know. It's such a slam dunk case. I just hope I don't get the "Paris Treatment"...Funny enough, that's exactly what I got.

I've been compared to Paris Hilton more then once and quite honestly it annoys me. I know that when someone calls me "Paris" they mean it in the best way possible (we'll, usually...), but I think Paris is a dumb, skanky, trust fund baby that is not the least bit attractive if you take away her hair extentions, fake eyelashes, fake tan, blue contacts, stylist, make up artist and publicist. One of the parole officers calls me "Paris" and he told me that he didn't choose me for his crew the 1st day he saw me because he figured that I was "drama". He even called me out the 1st time I worked for him and said, "I want to see how you work". I know he was surprised that I ended up being almost completely the opposite of what he expected me to be like, after he judged me solely on the way I look.

Today one of the other girls that was on my work service crew (for her 2nd DUI) said to me, "Damn, you sure do have a good attitute for someone that got 90 days...". My reply to her was, "Well, I could be bitter and angry and make myself and everyone else here miserable, but I'd rather just laugh about the situtation.". I like to make people laugh, so I've found this to be a good opportunity to make work service at least a little bit more entertaining for everyone. Every day at least one person complains about how many more days of work service they have to do, so my story has become not only comic relief, but everyone feels better about the 10 days they have to put in, knowing that they didn't get nearly as screwed as I did...haha.

Labels: The Justice System

Monkey has decided to protest my sentence, by rolling over and playing dead until I'm vindicated!!

Labels: Animals, Dogs, The Justice System

- Probation for 3 years. (If I violate any laws, I will be sent to jail for 180 days).

- $1000 fine.

- Must attend anger management classes.

- Must attend Alcoholic Anonymous 3 times a week.

- 90 days of work service.

On a positive note, the judge said that he will review my "progress" in 30 days and that he may reduce my work service. Although, I've become a bit cynical about the justice system making promises that they have no intention of following through with. For example, when I was in jail they said that if I behaved I would get out early. So I sat there and stared at the clock for hour upon hour, waiting for them to release me early. It did not happen, nor was anyone released early. As a matter of fact, I was released at the same time as the drunk santa girl that threw up all over herself and screamed, threw a fit and repeatly told the officers on the duty that they were all, "Fat butch lesbian cunts".

I can't wait to write about what I've learned from this experiance! Unfortunately it's going to have to wait since the prosecutor used edited portions of this blog to paint the picture of what a horrible person I am. Sick. I'll tell you all about it when I've completed my sentance.

Labels: The Justice System

I still have no idea what I'm going to tell the judge tomorrow. I think I'm just going to have to be honest and tell him that I'm completely floored and don't know what he wants me to tell him. According to the jury I'm a liar that goes out and gets wasted, throws tantrems, trespasses and fights police officers for no reason. Anyone that actually knows me is probably falling off their chair laughing at that description. In truth, I'm the most mellow person that rarely goes out, let alone hangs out in bars. I'm often the designated driver when I go out with friends and when I'm not, I'm notorious for sneaking home to go back to work. If I had actually commited a crime, this would be so much easier...

Any how, I've been trying to turn around the way I've been feeling and I've been trying to focus on the positive things I have going for me. I have an amazing family, boyfriend and future. I don't want to become a cynical, negative person just because I've seen the seedy, disgusting dark side of the justice system. Today, I tried out iMovie for the 1st time and put together this video for Stefan and my California 2 Puerto Rico blog:

Labels: Puerto Rico, The Justice System, Videos

I get sentanced tomorrow. This is where I'm supposed to pay my debt to society, even though I never did anything illegal. I have been advised by more then one friend that is a lawyer, that this is where I'm supposed to beg the judge for forgiveness. No matter what. It doesn't matter that I never commited a crime. Now I'm supposed to explain how sorry I am for actions that I never took and how sorry I am for commiting crimes that I never commited. I'm a horrible liar, I hate lieing and I can't do it convincingly. With that in mind, I will probably be sentanced to 3 years in prison. And no, I'm not joking. After what I've gone through in the last 2 weeks, I would not be the least bit surprised to be sentanced to hard time for crimes that were never commited. What an awesome country. I have to say that I'm absolutely disgusted with being an American. I guess I should go get some Macdonalds and then take some Paxil to make everything all better. What a sick fucking world. I can't wait to get the fuck out of here.

Labels: The Justice System

I spoke with my lawyer a few hours ago and to my utter surprise, I found out that I have been convicted of three misdemeanors. I'm still completely in shock. I can't believe this. I just got convicted of not one, not two, but THREE crimes that I absolutely did not commit. The prosecutor manipulated the jury into thinking I'm a criminal and a liar. Unfortunately, my lawyer is young and green and allowed the prosecutor to get away with this. I didn't even think twice about hiring an inexperianced lawyer because I have always been taught that the truth will prevail and that the justice system is right and good. I can't even explain the way I feel, after experiancing how disgusting and crooked the justice system really is. I can liken it to the way you feel after finding out that the father that you love, adore and is everything to you, is really a slimy child molestor. Everything that I have been taught about morals, justice and right vs. wrong has just crumbled around me into a disgusting sludge pile that is society. I feel sick and disgusted. For the 1st time in my life, to live or to die is indifferent to me. I'm numb.

Labels: The Justice System

After way too long in court (I've spent 40+ hours in court so far), the jury has finally gone into deliberations. Thank god this stupid trial is almost over. Now the waiting game begins...

Labels: The Justice System

If I end up dead in the near future, I know who killed me. A certain Carlsbad Police Officer that I'm involved in a court case with, did it.

Seriously though, I'm scared. Ever since this incident happened in December 2006, I've been weary and constantly looking over my shoulder. Whenever I run in Carlsbad (which is often), I now bring my knife. I was running in Carlsbad the other night and saw a Carlsbad cop car behind me, as it approached it slowed down significantly and I stopped in my tracks. Luckly, the police cruiser slowed down next to me for a speed bump, but it still made my heart jump and pulse race. Ugh. I can't wait to get out of town for good.

I (and at least 8 other witnesses) know that what happened to me on December 2nd, 2006, was totally wrong. The trial in not over yet, but I know that the police officer that arrested me knows that what he did was not only wrong, but what he did is illegal and I'm sure he knows now that he got caught and will probably lose his career. So at this point, he is packin' heat, trained by the state to kill, has nothing to lose, knows where I live and hates me. How would you feel right about now?

Labels: The Justice System

I'm physically and mentally exhausted. I honestly thought trial would take 1 day, but it looks like it's going to take 4 or 5 at this point. I now see why people usually take whatever "deal" the District Attorney offers in order to avoid trial. Too bad I'm not most people. I will NEVER plead guilty to something that I am not guilty of, no matter how much easier it will make my life. It's just the principle.

Nonetheless, I am unbelievably tired and worn out. I actually cried in court today. Not for any particular reason and I felt the tears coming at a totally inappropriate time. The judge was just briefing the jury and I felt the first inkling of tears welling up in my eyes. I tried as hard as I could to stop them, but once the first tear streams down my face, it's hard to stop them. I felt sort of stupid, but I got it together pretty quickly and hopefully not everyone noticed. My lawyer was absolutely shocked, to say the least. He said it was totally unexpected because I'm "such a strong girl". It's true, I am pretty strong and I've VERY good at suppressing my emotions if I need to. I just think the exhaustion I'm feeling, compounded with seeing the cop that tasered me again, plus hearing people blatantly lie to try and make me look like a bad person, got to me. I stuffed it down for as long and I could, I guess.

Labels: Health, The Justice System

I'm back from PR and I'm exhausted. JetBlue had some sort of mechanical problem that caused my trip home to take 19 hours. Weeee. Then I slept for 2 hours and went on trial today from 8am - 5pm. Now I'm working from 6pm - 2am and then I'm back on trial at 8am to start all over again...I can't wait until this week is over...blah.

Labels: Puerto Rico, The Justice System, Traveling

I really hate dwelling on my newfound disgust of police, but it's hard when they keep beating the shit out of people for no reason. Did you catch the end of the video where the newscaster said that a group of policemen trotted passed them, laughing and joking about beating people up (women and children included)? Gee, that sounds awfully familiar.

The sick thing is, is that this is how police have ALWAYS treated people. The only reason they are getting in "trouble" now is because they can't lie and cover up their actions when they are caught on video (which is way more likely to happen, nowadays). For example, if someone had videotaped the incident where I got tackled from behind by a cop and tasered 3 times, I would not be nervous AT ALL about going to court because what he did was ridiculous, blatant brutality and subsequently illegal. But, since it's me and my witnesses against a cop (who has already demonstrated that he has NO problem lieing to cover up his actions, by what he wrote in the police report), it makes me wonder what else he's going to pull out of his ass to try and save his job.

Okay, again, I'm sick of dwelling on this...arg....rainbows and unicorns, puppies and flowers...happy thoughts, happy thoughts...grrrrrrrrrrrrrrr. I'm still pissed. I'm going running...

Labels: Police, The Justice System, Videos

The death of Martin Mendoza is officially "Homicide".

http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2007/05/01/news/top_stories/20_07_274_30_07.txt

So, the Vista police officers that killed Mendoza by taking turns tasering him 13 times, after he called them for help, have commited homicide. And guess what? It doesn't matter. Cops are apparently allowed to kill unarmed people for no real reason.

God, I can't wait to get the hell out of here...

Labels: Police, Tasers, The Justice System

Taser study explores effects on people, why some die

SAN DIEGO ---- A study underway in San Diego is aiming to determine why some people who are shocked with electric stun guns die, while others suffer no ill effects.

The two-year research effort is being challenged because it is being conducted under controlled circumstances and is using healthy trainees at the San Diego Regional Public Safety Training Institute at Miramar College.

Sixty San Diego County sheriff's deputies have volunteered to be monitored by researchers while they train to use the Tasers, which were purchased by the Sheriff's Department in 2006 as a less-lethal alternative to their firearms. The deputies are shot with tasers, which deliver a 50,000-volt electrical shock, during their training.

"In general, more research is good," said Kevin Keenan, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union office for San Diego and Imperial counties.

But he said his organization is particularly concerned about the effect of stun gun jolts on the heart, especially involving people who are under the influence of alcohol or drugs, the young, the elderly or those with medical conditions.

Research team member Gary Vilke, of the University of California at San Diego, who is a doctor trained in emergency medicine, said the fact that the study does not examine people under the same stress as that endured in a struggle with law enforcement officers is "always the criticism."

"We're trying to see if there are any changes in humans in general,"
Vilke said. "The first studies were done on pigs."

Deputies are being used because they have already accepted any risks from being stunned as part of their training, said the researcher.

He said the research team, which includes staff from UCSD and San Diego State University, originally wanted to use average people for the study.

However, Vilke said, the investigational review boards at the universities were concerned because stun guns hadn't been tested on humans yet, so they limited test subjects for the research to people who had already accepted the risks as part of their work.

As of March 7, Amnesty International lists 220 people who have died since June of 2001 in the United States after Tasers were used on them, said Mona Cadena, San Francisco deputy director for the western region of that organization.

Rick Poggemeyer, operations administrator at the San Diego County Medical Examiner's office, said there have been at least four deaths involving the use of a Taser during the past six years in this county.

Two involved Tasers used by San Diego police. The other two deaths were in North County.

Nazario J. Solorio, 38, died after Escondido police used a Taser on him in May of 2005. In February Martin Mendoza, 43, died after sheriff's deputies Tasered him in Vista.

Authorities said Solorio had schizophrenia and Mendoza appeared to have some "mental instability" when they struggled with police or deputies, and that both men had histories of drug use.

Custody deaths

Vilke, a 40-year-old Scripps Ranch resident, said people who become extremely excited have been dying in law enforcement custody for decades. More than 90 percent of those who die are on drugs and others have psychiatric disorders, he said.

"What we're seeing now is the same population, the same types of people, dying after they've been shot with Tasers," Vilke said. "It's getting more media attention because it's noteworthy, but it's been happening for years."

In recent years, Vilke said, there has been concern about whether the electrical shock would disrupt the person's heart beat, ability to breathe, or acid-based (PH) balances.

"We basically study those three things," Vilke said.

He and three other UCSD staff members who are also doctors trained in emergency medicine, as well as a San Diego State exercise physiologist, started the study in summer of 2005 when there was little research involving the effect of Tasers on humans.

The two-year project is funded by the National Institute of Justice with about $213,000 from the federal U.S. Department of Justice. The institute is the department's research, development and evaluation agency.

During the study's first phase, 30 deputies were monitored before and after a Taser shock to get baseline cardiac data, breathing and metabolic rates, Vilke said.

He said 30 deputies have volunteered for the second part to see how exercise affects a Taser jolt.

Before they're shocked, each deputy will pedal a stationary bicycle to get his or her heart rate up to 80 percent of predicted maximum in an attempt to simulate exertion that might happen in the field.

"It certainly doesn't answer the question, 'Well, they're not on meth either,' and that's always going to be the case," Vilke said.

So far, he said, the researchers haven't seen any physiological effects because of stun guns ---- no more acid in the blood, no more electrolytes or other changes.

The only change over time is that enzymes increase from muscle exertion "consistent with light exercise," the researcher said.

"There's nothing that we've found that would cause death with the Taser," Vilke said.

Repeated shocks

Both North County men who died after being shot with a Taser were shocked at least twice while struggling with police or deputies, according to officials.

The medical examiner's office said Solorio died because he couldn't breathe at some point during the struggle and he suffered irreversible brain damage. The autopsy on Mendoza hasn't been completed, pending laboratory results, officials said.

"All the evidence that's out there is very clear that multiple shocks with a Taser would be equivalent to Russian roulette," Cadena said. "The studies that are out there haven't really explored the conditions that could exacerbate the situation."

Those conditions include epilepsy, heart pacemakers, people on medication or who have medical conditions, the mentally ill and substance abusers, she said.

Taser International, the Arizona-based market leader in stun guns, has successfully defended itself against almost 40 wrongful death or injury lawsuits.

Although the company routinely maintains that the Taser is a safer way to control people than using guns, it warned in a 2005 training bulletin that the stun guns should be used with physical restraint techniques.

That should be done in order to minimize the length of any struggle and the use of the Taser, particularly because someone in an "excited delirium" could suffer "significant and potentially fatal health risks" from prolonged exertion as well as impaired breathing, the training bulletin said.

Excited delirium is a disputed condition generally attributed to people who have mental conditions and are frequently under the influence of drugs or extreme stress.

They may appear to be sweaty, their hearts racing, disoriented, unaware of their surroundings.

"The answer is not there as to why they end up in that stage," Vilke said. "We just know it's going on."

He said excited delirium constitutes a medical emergency, but police get involved because the people have been acting irrationally, breaking things and causing other problems.

As far as the medical community is concerned, Vilke said, if someone isn't responding to the shock, that lack of response needs to be viewed as a medical emergency and the person needs to be taken into custody as quickly as possible.

Skeptics remain

John Parker, a former police officer who recently retired as executive director of the county's Citizens Law Enforcement Review Board, is skeptical of using healthy people in a very controlled situation for a Taser study.

"I wouldn't trust the study any further than I could throw it," said Parker. "I would never say you should take the Taser away."

It should be viewed as a less-lethal device with recognition that deaths have happened after Tasers were used, he said.

Parker said since the Sheriff's Department started using Tasers about a year ago the review board has received at least one complaint about use of the stun gun.

"That's a case where a person survived," Parker said. "We've also got the other one (Mendoza)."

Source

The real problem I see with Taser use is that Tasers were brought into police use as "a safer way to control people than using guns". But, cops are using tasers in situations that in NO WAY would warrant use of a gun. Each police department has different guidelines as to when a Taser should be used and San Diego Police can taser you for "non-compliance". Essentially if a police officer tells you to do something and you refuse, they can taser you. Does that mean if I refused to sit down when asked by a police officer, they could shoot me too? Cops need to learn a little restraint and think about the consequences before using their "fun" new toys...

Labels: Police, Tasers, The Justice System

My trial date has been set for some time in May (stemming from the incident where I was jumped from behind by a cop, tasered three times and thrown in jail.) My lawyer and my private investigator have been interviewing the witnesses and the latest witness statement really pissed me the fuck off. Apparently, cops think it's funny to throw a 118lb chick on the ground, jam their knee in her back and taser the fuck out of her for no reason (except for calling the cop a moron, but, hey, that's not against the law.). The latest statement we got was from a women that was returning to the scene on her way to her car. She just so happened to be walking behind two officers that were giggling like school girls over the fact that they got to taser me.

Yay! You got to use your new toy!! Fucking pig...

Honestly, I felt bad when I thought about the fact that I was going to strip this cop of his badge, job and livelyhood (I mean, really, what sort of career does a cop that got fired have? Security guard at the mall for $8 an hour?), but after seeing how sick in the head so many police officers are, I'm going to relish it. Just like I told him I would.

My only concern over this whole thing is that so many people (jurors included) honestly think that there is no way that a cop would do what he did to me for no reason. Even though we have 8 witnesses (many of whom I do not know and have never met) that completely discredit what this cop wrote in his police report, so much of the world is still wearing their "happy googles" and think that cops do no wrong. It makes me so mad when someone says, "Oh, well, you must have done something illegal to get arrest". Well, guess what, I KNOW my rights and I know what I CAN and CAN NOT get away with. I did not do anything illegal and not only was I arrested and imprisioned for 12 hours , but I was also tasered THREE TIMES, which could very well have killed me.

In other cops-are-shit-news, this following video made me sick to my stomach. It shows a 250lb off duty police officer beating the shit out of a 115lb female bartender that cut his drunk, fat ass off:

I guess the cop that arrested me was right when he told me that, "...you're lucky I didn't punch you and next time I'll use the taser with the barbs because it hurts worse!!!"

God I hate pieces of shit with no morals.

Labels: Police, Tasers, The Justice System, Videos

See! I told you Bill Gates was a criminal!!

Labels: Celebrities, Funny, The Justice System

The FBI busted four veteran police officers in Florida for taking thousands of dollars to protect a group that the officers thought was a criminal organization. Unfortunately for the police involved, the "criminal organization" was actually an undercover FBI sting and they are now facing life in prison for conspiracy and drug trafficking.

Federal prosecutors said the police officers escorted a load of heroin from Miami Beach, provided security for an illegal poker game aboard a yacht and delivered $1 million worth of supposedly stolen diamonds to New Jersey. Other deals involved purportedly stolen bearer bonds, watches, paintings and a tractor-trailer load of cigarettes.

Source

Sorry for dwelling on my new found disgust for police officers, but I'm SO sick of hearing people say that the police are always right and their victims are always wrong. Especially after reading through the comments left on this news story about a man being beaten/tasered to death by Vista police officers.

Labels: Police, The Justice System

Looks like the police are at it again. This time they killed the guy, I guess I got off easy, since I'm still alive...

http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2007/02/22/news/top_stories/1_02_252_21_07.txt

"VISTA -- The family of Martin Mendoza, an Oceanside man critically injured Sunday when Vista deputies twice used a stun gun during a struggle, turned the life support machines off Wednesday night after doctors told them he showed no brain activity.

"Basically, he's brain dead," said his daughter Jasmine Martinez, as she wiped away tears in the hours before the family turned off the machine. "He had a lot of bleeding to the head."

She said doctors told her they didn't know if the bleeding occurred as a result of Mendoza striking his head on the pavement or from the stun gun. Martinez said doctors told her an autopsy will determine how he died.

San Diego County medical examiner's Investigator James Buckley said Mendoza died at 8 p.m. Wednesday, and that the department had an investigator at the hospital with sheriff's investigators.

The San Diego Sheriff's Department has said deputies responded at 10 p.m. Sunday to a service station at 145 North Emerald Drive after Mendoza called to report that "someone was out to get him."

Sheriff's Lt. Dennis Brugos said no evidence was found to support the man's report that someone was after him.

When deputies tried to talk with Mendoza, he appeared to have some kind of "mental instability" and was placed in the back of a patrol car, Brugos said.

Mendoza allegedly began kicking the rear window, and so deputies took him out to try to restrain him further, Brugos said. Mendoza allegedly struggled with the deputies and one of them used a Taser to try to immobilize him. When that didn't seem to work, he was stunned a second time and then handcuffed and put in the patrol car again. Shortly afterward, deputies noticed he had stopped breathing and began life-saving efforts. Mendoza was taken to Tri-City Medical Center in Oceanside, where he remained until his death.

Martinez said she is concerned because her father had so many injuries including bruising to his arms, legs and cheekbone. She said his arms were swollen, particularly where the handcuffs were, and he had burn injuries from the Taser on his torso and a big gash on his head.

"I think it was unnecessary force," Martinez said. "I feel the cops did way too much. They shouldn't have done what they did. If they thought he was (mentally) unstable, they should have brought him to a hospital to get him evaluated."

The Sheriff's Department started using Tasers after deputies fatally shot three Latino men in separate incidents within five days in the summer of 2005 in Vista. About half of the county's 1,300 deputies have been trained in Taser use so far, officials said.

The Taser delivers a five-second electrical shot that briefly immobilizes most people, although not everyone. The stun gun is commonly described by law enforcement as a "less lethal weapon."

Its use has been questioned in some instances, particularly on people who appear to be mentally unstable or under the influence of drugs.

A nurse told the family that once Mendoza died, they would need to leave the room because the death was being investigated as a homicide and sheriff's and medical examiner's investigators would take over from there. Sheriff's homicide team members were at the hospital to accompany the body to the medical examiner's office."

Vista is close to where I live and that is where the jail they threw me in is as well.

Lucky for me, there were about 30 witnesses present when I got attacked by a police officer. Perhaps that's why I'm still alive. The sad thing is that these police officers murdered this guy and will probably get off free as a bird. Why? Because the only witnesses are the police officers that were involved and the guy they killed. It's fucking sick. Police officers are like the mafia, they can do whatever they please, lie about it and skip off into the sunset collecting their paycheck that I pay into.

Perhaps if they got off their fat asses and got into shape, they would be able to do their job. I guess killing people is easier...You wouldn't want that poor cop to strain his back trying to restrain someone!

Labels: Police, Tasers, The Justice System

This is just getting ridiculous. First, I got tasered 3 times after a cop threw me on the ground and jumped on my back. Why? Because I called him a "fucking moron". Now Josh Gandy gets tasered by cops for skateboarding. It's so obvious that power tripping cops are using tasers as a form of punishment for people that don't respect them. I just emailed NBC, so hopefully we'll get some more exposure to this total abuse of power by police officers.

Here is the article about Josh getting tasered by SDSU police:

"SAN DIEGO -- A videotaped altercation between campus police and a skateboarder has led to student outrage at San Diego State University. A cell-phone camera captured the end stages of the confrontation,
during which Josh Gandy, 21, who was shocked with a stun gun, can be heard screaming. Video of the incident was posted on YouTube, reported NBC 7/39.

The campus rally held on behalf of the skateboarder was organized by a Carlsbad skateboard shop. "I don't blame any cop, you know, for anything, but [expletive,] you know, there's a difference between having power and using power,"
Gandy told NBC 7/39 on Thursday. Campus police want people who see the video to understand that what they are watching is the end of the incident -- which took place at about 11 a.m. on Tuesday -- and not what led up to it. Officials said that Gandy is not an SDSU student. According to campus police, he became belligerent after refusing to get off his skateboard. The campus does not allow skateboard or bike riding on campus, and there are signs posted throughout the school..
Clearly, however, a lot of students break the rules: NBC 7/39 videotaped several students riding skateboards on campus on Thursday. Campus police said that on Tuesday, however, an officer was asking people to get off their skateboards. They said that about five to 10 people complied, but Gandy did not, they said. Authorities said that a second officer responded after Gandy had been asked to stop skateboarding and that he used the Taser gun in response to what campus police called a perceived physical threat. "The guy became, initially, verbally argumentative, and then a physical confrontation ensued, and then, obviously, somebody captured probably the last 15 seconds of this contact, not the two to two and a half minutes that led up to it," said SDSU police Lt. Bob McManus. One witness NBC 7/39 spoke with disagreed with that assessment. "The skateboarder kind of was making a scene, and you can tell people were starting to come in from everywhere, and it looked like the officer was kind of rattled and kind of just went after the skateboarder," said witness John C. The two officers involved will not be placed on administrative leave while the investigation continues, reported NBC 7/39. Campus police said that skateboarding is one of the major problems on campus and that during the last two years, officers have issued 198
citations."

Source

(I like how they say that "skateboarding is one of the major problems on campus". Yeah, what a MAJOR problem...)

How about this one. Cops tasered this kid for refusing to remove his hat at a city counsel meeting. Then they charge him for injuring a police officer because he went into seizures from being shocked and kicked an officers finger.

And, this is a good one. A UCLA student handcuffed and THEN shocked 5 times with a taser gun, for not producing a student ID in the library. UCLA also gives out awards to police officers for using tasers. No, I'm not kidding...

So what do these people have in common, rather then getting tasered by a cop? All of them (Mostafa Tabatabainejad, Summer Hogan, Josh Gandy and Charles Littleton) are young and appear to be "punk kids". I strongly believe that these cops have judged all of these people on their appearances and know that most "punk kids" can't afford to defend themselves. Luckly, I just look like a punk kid. I've already spent $3000 on defending myself and I'm prepared to spend a lot more...

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Labels: Police, Tasers, The Justice System

I can't even explain how incredibly ANGRY I am. This is supposed to be the best time of my life. I just bought an awesome new car, I'm in escrow for my first house, I'm in love with the person I'm going to spend the rest of my life with, my business has grown beyond my wildest expectations, for the 1st time in my life, I have a decent amount of money saved and...I'M INCREDIBLY FUCKING PISSED OFF.

While all of these amazingly awesome things are happening, I just can't get over the pathetic loss of control of one Carlsbad police officer. Essentially, what happened that night was that my big mouth embarrassed officer (edit: I removed the officers name until I get the correct spelling) to the point where he lost control. He was so pissed off that I called him a moron and flipped him off in front of a group of people that he tasered me THREE TIMES and arrested me. Obviously, tasering a 118 pound girl with no reason is not really acceptable, so he made up some charges in order to arrest me and to try to (weakly) justify his actions. I'm being charged with the following three crimes:

- Drunk in public

- Trespassing

- Resisting arrest

Can someone please explain to me how I could be "drunk in public" and "trespassing" at the same time? Any one? And for the "resisting arrest" charge, that is just fucking pathetic. I stand 5'6" tall, weigh 118lbs and I got hit from behind by someone that did not identify themselves as a police officer. Yes, I was slightly dazed and tried to get to my feet. I hardly think that should scare a police officer enough to think that his only resort was to taser me while I was layed out, face down on the sidewalk and he was on top of me.

I spent 2 hours in the hospital. When the officer took me to the hospital for "routine vitals" since I got tasered, my heart rate was DOUBLE what it normally is and the doctor would not release me. Since drinking fluids did not bring down my heart rate, I had to be hooked up to an IV. When that still did not bring my heart rate back to normal levels, I was given a drug test (and, yes, that came up 100% clean, of course).

There's plenty more to this story that will make you think, "You have to be fucking kidding...", but the more I talk about it the more pissed off I become, so I'm going to try and get some work done before I toss and turn and continue to stew about this...In the begining I was (almost) fine because I believed in the justice system and thought that the officer that did this will get what's coming to him because HE IS GUILTY and I AM INNOCENT, but the more I think about it and the more stories that people tell me, the more worried, sad and angry I get. I tried asking some simple questions to the police chief of Carlsbad and he was totally rude an elusive. He told me that I could not get a copy of my police report and that I would have to hire a lawyer to get it (which is complete bullshit). So basically, to defend myself against these incredibly stupid, false charges, I have to hire a lawyer and private investigator, which will cost me about $20,000 out of pocket. Which I might be able to recover a year or two down the road, if I sue the Carlsbad Police Department. But, winning a case would mean that the judge and jury would have to believe me and my witnesses over a police officer and his witnesses. Even though I am an outstanding citizen and Carlsbad business owner, I am instantly at the disadvantage of a cop that will obviously lie in order to save face.

Now can you see why I'm incredibly fucking pissed off?!

Labels: Police, Tasers, The Justice System

After I got arrested, I got to kick it in the drunk tank with a few other women. One women had been pulled out of a ditch where she was passed out and had thrown up all over herself. Apparently she had just come from a Christmas party and was wearing a red velvet skirt and a wife beater (covered in puke, at this point). Another women was most likely homeless and definately crazy. One minute she was calling us bitches and the next she was telling us "God bless you". She had obviously been there before as she was smart enough to steal all of the toilet paper to use as a pillow. Another women I was talking to started drinking vodka at 8am that morning and didn't remember anything after 11am. She didn't even remember getting arrested or booked into jail.

One thing that I found especially interesting was that these women (all self proclaimed alcoholics) were given medication by the jail so they wouldn't feel sick. By 6am they were all pacing around, calling the nurse and saying, "Oh my god, I'm going to be sick if they don't get me some meds!". Well, no fucking shit, you're going to be sick, you just told me that you drank a GALLON OF VODKA today. Maybe if they didn't medicate these people, they would learn their lesson and that alcohol ='s hung over at some point. But then, what do I know. Apparently I'm a criminal...haha

Labels: The Justice System

So I just got back from jail. Sitting in a holding cell and staring at a wall for 10 hours is boring.

What do you think of my mug shot? It was taken at 3am, since I had to be held at the hospital for 2 hours since I got hit with a tazer three times and they couldn't get my heart rate back to normal. I guess a 118lb girl really scared the cop that arrested me. The poor guy is already the laughing stock of the police dept...haha. Any how, more on how I ended up in jail later. I have to get back to work. I was without my computer for almost 24 hours and I have work to do!

Labels: The Justice System