Man Tasered In Hospital Bed, Forced To Give Urine Sample

http://www.tallahassee.com/mld/tallahassee/11086873.htm

FDLE investigating Orlando cop's use of Taser in hospital

Associated Press


ORLANDO, Fla. - A police officer twice used a Taser stun device on a drug suspect who was restrained to a hospital bed because the man refused to give a urine sample to medical staff, authorities said.

Antonio Wheeler, 18, was arrested Friday on a drug charge and taken to an emergency room after telling officers he had consumed cocaine, police said.

Because Wheeler said he had used the drugs, Florida Hospital officials wanted a urine sample. A police affidavit said Wheeler wouldn't provide a sample on his own, so workers tried to catheterize him to get one.

The police document said Wheeler was handcuffed to a hospital bed and then secured with leather straps after he refused to urinate in a cup. When medical staff tried to insert a catheter to get the sample, Wheeler refused and began thrashing around, the affidavit said.

At one point, police officer Peter Linnenkamp reported, he jumped on the bed with his knees on Wheeler's chest to restrain him. When Wheeler still refused to let the catheter be inserted, Linnenkamp said he twice used his Taser, which sends 50,000 volts into a target.

"After the second shock (Wheeler) stated he would urinate and calmed down enough to be given the portable urinal," Linnenkamp wrote.

At the request of Police Chief Michael McCoy, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement is investigating the incident.

Linnenkamp, who has more than 18 years on the force, has no history of disciplinary problems, said Sgt. Barbara Jones, a department spokeswoman.

He has been relieved pending the investigation's outcome. Jones said officers in such suspensions usually are paid.

In a Tuesday interview at the Orange County jail, Wheeler acknowledged that he aggressively resisted efforts to insert the catheter because he was scared it would hurt. He said the police officer told him the catheter would be necessary if he wouldn't or couldn't urinate on his own.

"I feel I was basically raped," Wheeler said.

Said Amnesty International USA spokesman Edward Jackson: "If this had taken place in China, it would be an egregious violation of human rights, and the public would be outraged.

"I hope that they don't allow the fact that it happened on U.S. soil deter from the fact that this may very well be a case of torture."

Florida Hospital spokeswoman Melanie Trivento said in a statement Wednesday that hospital officials wouldn't be able to comment on the case until they have thoroughly reviewed it.

"This is a very unusual situation and we are examining all of the circumstances surrounding the incident," the statement said.

Earlier, another hospital spokeswoman, Samantha O'Lenick, said she could not speak specifically about the Wheeler case but said hospital protocol calls for urine samples whenever patients say they have taken drugs or alcohol.

Wheeler was being held on $7,500 bail on charges including possession of cocaine with intent to sell, escape and resisting without violence.

http://infowars.com/subject_archives...rs_archive.htm

tons of taser articles...how evil of infowars.com to have posted all of these in one place.

and people can do daily searches for tasers on reuters or AP or google...you'll get more than you ever wanted.

"torture"

i know a guy who was tasered 3 times in his stomach for pushing a cop over some bricks. the 2 other cops jumped on em and tasered em but the guy didn't resist.

maybe he wont push a cop next time?that is called assault and the cops had every right to taser his ass.i hate cops but people need to use their heads.

tasers are designed not to do any damage; they hurt like a sonofabitch and they will immobilize you, but it is NOT supposed to cause physical harm (of course, of you're twitching on the ground and get kicked in the head, that's a little different)

this is why they are now preferable to beanbag guns...too many 'unintentional deaths' with the beanbags

a young woman was killed by a taser in Boston during the world series last fall

I dont believe there is anything healthy about having electicity passed through your body at high ammounts...

Of course its always preferable to shooting someone, but for a guy refusing to have a tube stuck up his pisshole? I dont blame him.

http://www.infowars.com/subject_arch...rs_archive.htm

Tasers have been linked to heart problems and when misused (as they often are) can cause electrical burns.

That sounds barbaric, I agree with Epic. If somebody wanted to jam a tube up my urethra I don't think I'd be too keen on the idea either.

At the first sign of a cop being an asshole, he should be stripped of his badge, his pension, and his right to own a gun.

not a chance.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by smokinindausa

At the first sign of a cop being an asshole, he should be stripped of his badge, his pension, and his right to own a gun.

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ha. Half the work force would be fired. Just be cool with the cops and they will be cool with you. I also notice it depends a lot on how you present yourself. Vocabulary, how you dress, race, and I also notice if you're in college and have college books scattered in you're back seat like I do it also helps....