Family Calls Shooting Absolutely Pointless
Family Calls Shooting Absolutely Pointless
SACRAMENTO (CN) - Showing "total lack of awareness," a Sacramento County sheriff's deputy awoke a mentally ill man and then shot him to death in his own bedroom, the man's family claims in court.
Theodore and Karen Rose sued Sacramento County, its Sheriff Scott Jones, and Deputy David McEntire for the wrongful death of their son Johnathan Rose, in Federal Court.
The Roses called 911 on Jan. 17, 2012, to report that Johnathan, 24, who suffered from paranoid schizophrenia and obsessive-compulsive disorder, had become agitated after his first meeting with a new psychiatrist.
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"Johnathan was sleeping on a mattress in the living room because he had given up his own bedroom to his sister, who was staying at the house temporarily," the complaint states.
"During the entire interaction between Deputy McEntire and Johnathan Rose, his mother Karen was in the bathroom and Johnathan's brother Theodore Jr. was in his bedroom. Although they could hear much of what was happening, they were not able to see most of what transpired.
"Deputy McEntire went directly to Johnathan, who was sleeping on the mattress, and yelled 'Get up' twice.
"Johnathan, although startled, stood up as directed. Johnathan faced the wall and put his hands behind his back, apparently expecting to be handcuffed.
"Deputy McEntire then ordered Johnathan to get on the ground."
But Johnathan's illness included an extreme phobia of germs. The Roses say that while their son started to get on the ground, he was psychologically unable to lie down on a dirty floor - and he stood back up and asked to be arrested.
"This was not a sufficient response for McEntire," the complaint states. McEntire, without warning or reflection, bear-hug tackled Johnathan into the wall with sufficient force so as to cause Johnathan to bust a hole through the wall. McEntire then hit Johnathan on the head with his metal flashlight, again without warning. Johnathan, with McEntire on top of him, fell onto his mattress on the floor. McEntire, on top of Johnathan, started to pummel him with punches. At that point, Johnathan attempted to defend himself by trying to block McEntire's blows, and he also threw some punches in response to McEntire's blows in a desperate attempt to try to stop the attack.
http://www.courthousenews.com/2013/07/09/59178.htm