Man Gets 4 Million Settlement in Police Beating, After Loss of Eye and Use of Hand

The Black Cross blog reports,

Freddie McCollum Jr. poses at his attorney’s office in Laurel, MD. A federal civil jury in U.S. District Court in Baltimore recently ordered Prince George’s County (MD) and three of its police officers to pay McCollum $4 million after a finding that the officers violated his civil rights in 1997 when they beat him so badly that he lost his right eye, suffered a broken leg, two cracked ribs, bites from a police dog and other injuries. In addition to the loss of an eye, McCollum has only partial use of his left hand. The incident began with a routine traffic stop. The Baltimore jury ordered the officers to pay the 53-year-old McCollum $3.6 million to compensate for his injuries, pain and lost income and an additional $400,000 in punitive damages. more.

Tasered To Death in Louisiana

"It is our intention to show at trial that Mr. Nugent caused the death of Baron Pikes by 'Tasing' him multiple times, unnecessarily and in violation of Louisiana law, and by failing to get him medical attention when it was apparent he needed it," Nevils said in a statement. "In a civilized society, abuse by those who are given great authority cannot be tolerated."

- Winn Parish District Atty. Chris Nevil



Tasered While Black publisher says: "Back on July 12th we reported on how 21 year old Barron Scooter Collins, was Tased to death nine times over the course of 30 minutes. It appears that the advocacy work by the family of Baron Scooter Pikes, and the work of Radio Talk Show host Tony Brown, along with the national reporting of the Baron Scooter Pikes case by Howard Witt have caused Winn Parish District Atty. Chris Nevils to obtain an indictment of a former cop in a Taser death in Louisiana."

As reported by Howard Witt, "a ruling in a racially explosive case that some forensic experts have described as police torture, a grand jury in the small Louisiana town of Winnfield indicted a white police officer Wednesday on charges of manslaughter and official malfeasance for repeatedly shocking a handcuffed black suspect with a Taser device, resulting in the man's death due to cardiac arrest.

After two days of closed testimony, Winn Parish District Atty. Chris Nevils announced that the grand jury had indicted Scott Nugent, 21, for the death in January of Baron "Scooter" Pikes, 21, while in police custody. Two other Winnfield police officers who were present during the incident were not charged.

Nugent, who was fired from the police force in May, could face up to 45 years in prison if convicted on the charges. He surrendered to sheriff's deputies immediately after the indictment was issued, a spokesman for Nevils said, and a $45,000 bond was set."
Read more HERE

Cross posted on African American Political Pundit
and Electrocuted While Black

Coming to a Airport Near You... Taser Bracelets?

As posted by African American Political Pundit, and the blog Tasered While Black, the publisher of those blogs is wondering if The U.S. Department of Homeland Security is seriously thinking about, Taser wrist bands for U.S. Arline Plane Passengers?

He notes, Dave Demerjian wrote a piece for Wired.comIn the article Dave wrote, "Check out the video from a Canadian company called Lamperd Less Lethal is promoting the EMD Safety Bracelet. It's equipped with electro muscular disruption technology, which effectively short-circuits the central nervous system. Zap someone and they'll be completely immobile for several minutes.

The technology isn't new -- cops and security guards have been using it for years in tasers. What's new is the marketing approach. Lamperd is hawking the EMD bracelet as the ideal tool for fighting terrorists intent on taking over an airplane.

And they're doing so with a blatantly exploitive promotional video.

You can watch the five minute video, which has gotten more than 33,000 hits at YouTube."

You see the website FreeMarketNews.com is reporting on this situation and writes, "A senior government official with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has expressed great interest in a so-called safety bracelet that would serve as a stun device, similar to that of a police Taser®. According to this promotional video found at the Lamperd Less Lethal website, the bracelet would be worn by all airline passengers."

This bracelet would:

• take the place of an airline boarding pass

• contain personal information about the traveler

• be able to monitor the whereabouts of each passenger and his/her luggage

• shock the wearer on command, completely immobilizing him/her for several minutes
More HERE

Click Here For The Full Story

Also check out Wired: How About Taser Bracelets For Passengers?

On Wednesday July 30th 2008, black bloggers and other interested bloggers from across America, Canada and around the world held "A Day of Blogging for Justice - Blogging Against Extra-Judicial Electrocution" with Tasers

We are now making this a national campaign that will last beyond today. We are asking bloggers of all colors and backgrounds to join us by placing a widget on your blog or website.



The blog Tasered While Black has been tracking the issue of black folks being tased for some time now. We are blogging today against police and other security entities across America, Canada and around the world involved in Extra-Judicial Electrocution by Tasers.

The U.N. says: Tasers Are A Form Of Torture Tasers a form of torture, says UN The Daily TelegraphU.N. Calls Tasers Torture : NPR

We want to give you and other members of the general public, awareness on the issue of taser abuse by police. It's important that the general public understand the 'use of force continuum' used by law enforcement officials, and how it is abused by many in the law enforcement community. (See the use-of-force-continuum provided by Villager at Electronic Village) Although there is a Justice Department Review of TASER-related Deaths the on-the-spot pre-trial electrocutions continue.

Here is a partial list of bloggers involved in "A Day of Blogging for Justice - Blogging Against Extra-Judicial Electrocution (Tasers)"

Note: This list will be regularly updated during the day.

African American Opinion - A Day of Blogging for Justice ...

African American Political Opinion - "A Day of Blogging for Justice ...

African American Political Pundit - A Day of Blogging for Justice - Blogging Against Extra-Judicial Electrocution via Tasers
All About Race - A Day of Blogging for Justice

Ancestralenergies - Day-of-Blogging-For-Justice

Black Perspective.com - Taser Awareness - Blogging Against Extra Judicial Electrocution

Christina Springer Blog- Wish-I-Had-More-Time

Eddie G. Griffin (BASG) - Officer may be indicted for Tasing Death of Scooter

Electronic Village - Day of blogging for justice - Against Extra-Judicial Electrocutions

Electrocuted While black - Electrocuted While Black: "A Day of Blogging for Justice

From My Brown Eyed View - Blogging For Justice 07/30/08

InkogNegro - Day of Blogging for Justice - Don’t Tase the Bros to death

Jack and Jill Politics - Extra-Judicial Electrocution - Jack & Jill Politics

Jena 6 Blog - Barron-pikes-tasered-while-handcuffed.html

Police Brutality Blog - "A Day of Blogging for Justice

Purple Zoe -A Day-of-blogging-opposing-pre-trial Electrocution

Regina's Family Seasons - "A Day Of Blogging For Justice" - Tasers

Republic of T - Held Suspect

Slant Truth - Blogging For Justice - Police Abuse (Tasers)

Tasered While Black - Tasered While Black: A Day of Blogging For Justice

Ultra Violet Underground - Day Of Blogging Opposing Pre-Trial Electrocution aka Tasering

What Tami Said - A day of blogging for justice

Wonderland or Not - Taser-lets-get-a-clue

The Black Snob - A Fight Against Taser Abuse and Other News

The Super Spade - A Day of Blogging for Justice - Against - Extra - Judicial Electrocution