Widow Vows Suit Over Taser Case (Williams lynching / GA)

[struggle4progress]

The widow of a man who died after being hit with a Taser gun by sheriff's deputies in Gwinnett County said she plans to file a multi-million lawsuit over the ordeal.

Yanga Williams and her attorneys held a news conference Friday to announce plans to file a civil wrongful death lawsuit. They would not specify the defendants in the lawsuit, but said plans were underway to file it by the end of the summer.

Frederick Williams, 31, died in May 2004 two days after a deputy used a Taser gun on him five times during a struggle inside the county jail. Williams had been picked up by police at his home after his family called 9-1-1 regarding erratic behavior.

District Attorney Danny Porter initially brought Williams' case before a grand jury but failed to win an indictment. Civil rights leaders said Porter failed to provide the evidence needed to get an indictment, specifically a videotape made of the incident. <snip>

http://www.11alive.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=65197

[jody]

1. Why do you call it "Williams lynching"? The article doesn't suggest

that or perhaps I missed something.

[sendero]

2. Lynching..

.... is probably an overstatment. Incredibly poor judgement amounting to criminal negligence is not.

[struggle4progress]

4. " ... His last words were: 'Don't kill me, man. Don't kill me.'

A videotape .. shows he was struck with a Taser stun gun five times within one minute. Within .. minutes, the .. man .. lost consciousness. Williams, .. arms handcuffed behind .. back, .. feet bound, was rocking back and forth in the back of the police car ... The deputies grabbed him .. and carried him into the jail ... Williams pleaded with deputies not to kill him. It was his last audible comment ... They placed him in a chair that resembles an adult-sized car seat ..."
<edit: forgot link> http://www.saveourcivilliberties.org/en/2005/04/1070.shtml

Sounds like a lynching to me ...

[ticapnews]

6. It's like on The West Wing...

in "The Midterms" when everyone is reacting to the shooting at Rosslyn:

Toby: Why does it feel like this? I've seen shootings before.

Bartlet: It wasn't a shooting, Toby. It was a lynching. They tried to lynch Charlie right in front of our eyes, can you believe that?

That sounds an awful lot like what happened here. They just used a taser instead of rope.

[lateo]

13. Indeed...

And it IS Georgia...so...

[bunkerbuster1]

14. Gwinnett county, middle/upper class, diverse population

heavily Reep, but changing--Yankee transplants moving in, along with immigrants from south of the border, some legal, many undocumented.

Danny Porter has wussed out of other challenges before, so it doesn't surprise me to see that he slithered out of pressing charges against these cops--and used the lamest of excuses for not showing the video to the grand jury (they didn't WANT TO SEE IT? WTF?).

This story has stirred up the usual racist bullshit from the local knuckle-draggers who are all up in arms that the SCLC is on this widow's side, and they're glad to see that Danny "stood up to them". Here are some entries in the AJC Vent:

"We need more Danny Porters in this country. I knew all the time you were the DA of Gwinnett, you proved it once and for all."

"If the SCLC tries an Gwinnett economic boycott... I'm going on a spending spree!"

"Danny Porter to the SCLC: 'You're not the boss of me!'"

Having said all that, I think the term "lynching" isn't very helpful, here.

[struggle4progress]

19. I use the word "lynching" after careful consideration:

... Williams was the second Gwinnett inmate in eight months to die after being shocked with a stun gun ... http://www.policeone.com/police-products/less-lethal/taser/articles/91690/

Let's look at the first case:

... Austin was shocked three times .. and restrained in a chair during the incident. Austin .. lost consciousness shortly afterward. The medical examiner ruled .. Austin died of a heart attack but could not determine what caused his heart failure ... http://www.policeone.com/police-products/less-lethal/taser/articles/91690/

This shows that the authorities were aware that someone might die if handled in this manner.

In the second case, Williams himself was certainly aware of the possibility of death in jail and appears to have accurately read the mood of his attackers:

... His last words were: "Don't kill me, man. Don't kill me" ... http://www.ajc.com/news/content/metro/gwinnett/0405/29taser.html

And what happened next was a replay of the circumstances leading to Austin's death:

... Williams, .. arms handcuffed behind his back, .. feet bound, was rocking .. in the back of the police car ... The deputies grabbed him .. and carried him into the jail ... Williams pleaded with deputies not to kill him ... They placed him in a chair that resembles an adult-sized car seat ... One deputy wrapped his arm around Williams' head and chin. Others were holding his arms and legs as Deputy Michael Mustachio applied the Taser to his chest ... Within one minute, Williams was shocked .. five times ... http://www.saveourcivilliberties.org/en/2005/04/1070.shtml

And surprise! We get essentially the same autopsy results as in the Austin case:

... Williams .. died of brain damage from a heart attack ... But investigators at the .. medical examiner's office were not able to determine what caused Williams' heart attack ...
http://www.policeone.com/police-products/less-lethal/taser/articles/91690/

Let's see. We have a device that's designed to interfere with ordinary muscle function by applying electric shock. And in a number of cases, when people are shocked repeatedly, their hearts malfunction. Whatever could it be?

... Melvin Johnson, the family's attorney ... said it is hard to believe Williams' death "had nothing to do with him being hog-tied and shocked five times with a Taser and placed in a restraint chair" ... http://www.policeone.com/police-products/less-lethal/taser/articles/91690/

They killed him deliberately. They had a scenario that they knew would be fatal, and they had a medical examiner who they knew would cover up for them. They had an African American victim who knew perfectly well what they were about to do. The bogus autopsy came in as planned. And then there's the DA with the usual legalistic smarts: he minimally mentioned key evidence to the grand jury but encouraged them to think there was nothing there.

The whole heap stinks. Why shouldn't I call it a lynching?

[bunkerbuster1]

22. best reason I can think of not to call it that?

the Williams family does not want this to "be about race," per the AJC article I'd read last week (sorry, I couldn't find a link). They just want some kind of justice as can be eked out of a civil case at this point.

I don't think it helps them for the incident to be referred to as a lynching. And I do want them to prevail; if not in the criminal courts, then in the civil courts.

JMHO.

[struggle4progress]

23. Well, you could be right. This case just makes me so angry ... eom

[bunkerbuster1]

24. Understood. And mind you, I think there IS a racial component

certainly among those Gwinnett County voters who think that Danny Porter really gave "them n*****s" what for by not seeking an indictment, but the bottom line is, the family is seeking justice, and I hope they get it.

Furthermore, as ugly as that incident may have been, and as angry as I get when I hear people defending that kind of ugliness, I don't think there was an intent to kill this man. In a lynching, there is, quite clearly, intent to kill.

[struggle4progress]

3. In this case, there is a video tape that shows the victim begging ..

.. a crowd of deputies not to kill him, as they force him handcuffed into a specially designed "restraint chair" and shock him repeatedly until he lapses into a coma ...

<edited for accuracy>

[Media_Lies_Daily]

5. DA Porter should be brought up on charges for concealing evidence....

...namely the videotape...from the Grand Jury. I could understand missing and/ot not presenting facts not relevant to the case, but NOT showing the videotape???

[jody]

8. The video link says Porter provided the tape to the grand jury but

the jury declined to view the tape.

Link to video:
http://wm.gannett.speedera.net/wm.gannett/wxia/carnes_042905.wmv

[Eloriel]

9. DA refuses to re-open the investigation. The SCLC is calling for a

boycott, which I hope they pull off.

I've seen a portion of that tape and it's shocking and heartbreaking. Gratuitous violence. Might as well have been a lynching.

[jody]

7. The story says a taser was placed against Williams five times but

does not say he was shocked five times. Other stories say the same thing.

The taser was used as a conventional stun gun, not fired as is one common use of the taser.

The video tape shows Williams making a statement as he is taken into the station and before the stun incident occurred. Could that be the "don't kill me" statement?

The grand jury refused to indict the police officer. Does anyone know the racial composition of that grand jury?

[struggle4progress]

10. I'm having no trouble finding links that say explicitly Williams ..

.. shocked repeatedly. Here:

... Williams .. was shocked five times .. and placed in a restraint chair before he died, according to the Sheriff's Department ...

http://www.ajc.com/news/content/metro/gwinnett/0105/28taser.html

... In Williams case, the medical examiner did not find drugs .. but reported .. bruising .. and five burns .. attributed to the Taser ...
http://www.policeone.com/police-products/less-lethal/taser/articles/91690/

[jody]

11. Suggest you search again. I stand by my statement. n/t

[struggle4progress]

15. Sheriff says 5 shocks & M.E. finds 5 burns. If you claim fewer, you prove.

[jody]

16. Proof below that the number reported in the media is suspect .

From the Gwinnett Daily Post, "DA says he won’t reopen Taser case" dated 21 June 05.

“Williams appears to be bucking and straining to get out of the chair as he is stunned two to five times with the Taser.”

Have a nice day. :hi:

[MrSlayer]

12. What is this woman, a chimney sweep?

What's with the soot all over her?

[struggle4progress]

17. I suppose a dark-skinned woman photographed in partial shade ..

.. could remind certain morans of a chimney sweep. But then nothing's more fun than ridiculing someone who's tragically lost a loved one, just because that person is unflatteringly photographed under less than perfect lighting conditions -- especially if the woman doesn't meet your narrow notions of what "real people" should look like, eh? :puke:

Here's the couple in happier times:

[MrSlayer]

18. It's in both pictures on that site.

I was just making a humorous observation is all. To imply that I'm a racist or whatever by this simple joke is ridiculous and resorting to a personal attack over it is just temper tantrum childishness. I did not make fun of her grief, her looks or her husband. It just looks like she came out of a chimney with smudges on her face. You are raging against the wrong machine here chief.

[struggle4progress]

20. Somehow, I must be missing the larger humorous context here:

Me. Dark-skinned widow, photographed in partial shade, announces lawsuit over death of husband.

You. Ha ha ha! She looks like a chimney-sweep!

Me. Uh, :puke:

You. "I was just making a humorous observation ... I did not make fun of .. her looks ... It just looks like she came out of a chimney with smudges on her face ..."

Me. :puke: :puke:

[MrSlayer]

21. Well I am sorry you were offended.

For that was not my intent. One man's humor is another man's tragedy I guess, or projectile vomit inducer as the case may be. Good evening.