An innocent black man was punched, Tasered and arrested by police officers. A jury awarded him $18.

2stepz_ahead
2stepz_ahead Guests, Members, Writer, Content Producer Posts: 32,324 ✭✭✭✭✭
DeShawn Franklin was asleep in his bedroom when police officers, with their weapons drawn, barged in.

He was punched several times, including three times in the face.

He was also Tasered, dragged out of his bedroom, handcuffed and placed in a police car.

“I didn’t even know what was going on. I was just asleep,” Franklin told The Washington Post. “It was just all a big shock and disturbance.”

One thing became clear immediately: Franklin, then an 18-year-old high school senior, had done nothing wrong. But he did fit the description of a suspect being sought by officers: a slender, African American man with dreads.

The incident, which occurred in the summer of 2012 in a northern Indiana suburb, prompted a civil rights lawsuit against the police officers and city officials. Earlier this month, a jury found that the officers violated Franklin’s constitutional rights by arresting him and entering his family’s home without a warrant.

Still, Franklin and his family feel that justice has been denied.

The jury ordered each of the defendants to pay Franklin and his parents $1 for the violations of their rights. The total award was $18 in damages.

The Rev. Mario Sims, a senior pastor in South Bend, Ind., where Franklin lives, said the small award sends a strong message to Franklin and his family: “Your rights are worth a dollar.”

Russell Thomas Jr., Franklin’s nephew, said the whole experience was a “slap in the face.”

“To me, it’s just solidifying that blacks in America, we have no rights,” he said. “How can we fight for something when the system was not made for us in the first place?”

Franklin isn’t a thug, Sims said, and he lacks a criminal history. Still the incident four years ago left the now-22-year-old distrustful of law enforcement and in fear that something similar will happen again. He does not want to be recognized, so he has declined requests from local media for a picture of his face.

“It’s traumatizing,” Franklin said. “It’s somewhat of a burden that you have to carry every day.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-nation/wp/2016/08/30/an-innocent-black-man-was-punched-tased-and-arrested-by-police-officers-a-jury-awarded-him-18/?utm_term=.cb599573539a

Comments

  • R0mp
    R0mp Members Posts: 4,250 ✭✭✭✭✭
    A spit in the face along with a big middle finger.
  • KingFreeman
    KingFreeman Members Posts: 13,731 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Couldn't be me. Really not sure I'd be able to let that go. Like I gotta run somebody for the disrespect.
  • LcnsdbyROYALTY
    LcnsdbyROYALTY Members Posts: 13,763 ✭✭✭✭✭
    DeShawn Franklin was asleep in his bedroom when police officers, with their weapons drawn, barged in.

    He was punched several times, including three times in the face.

    He was also Tasered, dragged out of his bedroom, handcuffed and placed in a police car.

    “I didn’t even know what was going on. I was just asleep,” Franklin told The Washington Post. “It was just all a big shock and disturbance.”

    One thing became clear immediately: Franklin, then an 18-year-old high school senior, had done nothing wrong. But he did fit the description of a suspect being sought by officers: a slender, African American man with dreads.

    The incident, which occurred in the summer of 2012 in a northern Indiana suburb, prompted a civil rights lawsuit against the police officers and city officials. Earlier this month, a jury found that the officers violated Franklin’s constitutional rights by arresting him and entering his family’s home without a warrant.

    Still, Franklin and his family feel that justice has been denied.

    The jury ordered each of the defendants to pay Franklin and his parents $1 for the violations of their rights. The total award was $18 in damages.

    The Rev. Mario Sims, a senior pastor in South Bend, Ind., where Franklin lives, said the small award sends a strong message to Franklin and his family: “Your rights are worth a dollar.”


    Russell Thomas Jr., Franklin’s nephew, said the whole experience was a “slap in the face.”

    “To me, it’s just solidifying that blacks in America, we have no rights,” he said. “How can we fight for something when the system was not made for us in the first place?”

    Franklin isn’t a thug, Sims said, and he lacks a criminal history. Still the incident four years ago left the now-22-year-old distrustful of law enforcement and in fear that something similar will happen again. He does not want to be recognized, so he has declined requests from local media for a picture of his face.

    “It’s traumatizing,” Franklin said. “It’s somewhat of a burden that you have to carry every day.

    https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-nation/wp/2016/08/30/an-innocent-black-man-was-punched-tased-and-arrested-by-police-officers-a-jury-awarded-him-18/?utm_term=.cb599573539a

    Infuriating...
  • nujerz84
    nujerz84 Members Posts: 15,418 ✭✭✭✭✭
  • babelipsss
    babelipsss Members Posts: 2,517 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited August 2016
    I read the link which took me to two other links.

    The cops busted in the home searching for the older brother who had just beat up his girlfriend. They wound up with the wrong brother.

    The prosecutor says the family attorney did a poor job of representing the case. The attorneys name is Ulmer and he took the case pro bono (free). Mr. Ulmer was a deputy sheriff for twenty years before becoming an lawyer. Hmmm. The family was offered an initial $15,000 settlement. Their attorney turned it down and didn't negotiate any further.

    They need to appeal and get a better lawyer.

    I couldn't find the demographics of the jury. I'm curious as to the makeup of the jury. It's always full of surprises.

  • iron man1
    iron man1 Members Posts: 29,989 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Racism doesn't exist though
  • King Ghidorah
    King Ghidorah Members Posts: 917 ✭✭✭✭✭
    $18 prolly didn't cover the gas to the court house, defy not enough for a court house sausage biscuit too
  • ShottaDaBeast
    ShottaDaBeast Members Posts: 6,372 ✭✭✭✭✭
    babelipsss wrote: »
    I read the link which took me to two other links.

    The cops busted in the home searching for the older brother who had just beat up his girlfriend. They wound up with the wrong brother.

    The prosecutor says the family attorney did a poor job of representing the case. The attorneys name is Ulmer and he took the case pro bono (free). Mr. Ulmer was a deputy sheriff for twenty years before becoming an lawyer. Hmmm. The family was offered an initial $15,000 settlement. Their attorney turned it down and didn't negotiate any further.

    They need to appeal and get a better lawyer.

    I couldn't find the demographics of the jury. I'm curious as to the makeup of the jury. It's always full of surprises.

    yeah dude need to sue that lawyer and the police department