After difficulties getting some of the kids ready and off to school today (cough Elliott cough), Gavin and I had to run a few errands.
One of these errands took us to the Stark County Courthouse. I don’t know if I’ve actually set foot in that building since the day Gavin’s abusive biological father signed away his paternal rights and I adopted Gavin on the spot.
I hate everything about this building, with the exception of Gavin’s adoption and walking into the building brought back a flurry of emotions I hadn’t felt in a very long time.
Thankfully, we were only there for the title office to deal with something for our car but we still had to go through security.
We had to empty our pockets and run everything through the scanner and the deputy said to just cover my watch with my hand but of course that didn’t work. This resulted in me being scanned with the wand and semi-frisked.
It was all great until Gavin set off the metal detector as well and he had to undergo the same procedure.
I didn’t even have a chance to say anything about him being Autistic before he was standing there with his legs spread apart and his arms straight out.
I was thinking to myself, OMG please let Gavin be okay with this because sometimes he can be unpredictable when it comes to being touched.
Gavin ended up doing great but the sorta funny part was that he thought he was being arrested. It’s not really funny but at the same time, it sorta is.
The point of this is that we’ve talked to our kids about how to interact with the police. We’ve told them to simply do whatever the police officers tell them to do, even if they didn’t do anything wrong because we can sort that out later.
Gavin did exactly what we had told him and frankly, there was no other way we could have seen how he would react to this type of thing without him actually being in this type of situation.
I feel good that he did so well.
I’m a huge fan of law enforcement. Having been a fire/medic, I’ve worked with law enforcement on many occasions and while there are bad apples in every profession, the overwhelming majority of police officers are here to serve and protect us.
With everything going on in this country over police violence against black Americans, parents of kids with Autism face similar fears. Kids with Autism may be considered combative or resisting by police because they don’t understand the situation. These situations can escalate rapidly and spin out of control.
I don’t mean to compare the two situations directly because both are major problems but instead I just wanted to point out why we work with our kids with Autism on how to interact with law enforcement.
THE SURVIVORS:
1) 13-Year-Old Unarmed Autistic Boy Shot Multiple Times by Police
September 4, 2020, Salt Lake City Utah:
SLC Police Officer: Matthew Farillas
Linden Cameron: Autistic. Age 13 years old
Linden’s mother called police to assist in locating Linden who was experiencing a mental health crisis. Her intent was to transport her child to the hospital.
Six officers chase down and surrounded Linden who is terrified of their flashlights and screamed orders for him to “Get on the ground!”
After a 40 second foot chase, Linden, who was unarmed, stops running and covers his face to shield his eyes from the bright lights. At that point, Officer Farillas suddenly and without warning draws his automatic pistol and rapidly fires 11 rounds in the minor child’s direction, hitting the teen a total of 6 times.
Writhing in pain and bleeding out on the ground, Linden moans, “I don’t feel good. Tell my mom I love her.”
Linden miraculously survives. The bullets shattered both of his ankles and permanently damaged his shoulders, intestines, and bladder. Three of the bullets can never be removed and he will carry them inside his body for the rest of his life. When he recovers consciousness in the hospital, he repeatedly asks, “Why did they shoot me? Why did they shoot me?”
Good question.
Salt Lake City officials make sympathetic noises that fall well short of an apology in the aftermath, framing the incident as “a tragedy” instead of excessive deadly force, gross incompetence, or other more applicable descriptive words. Simultaneously SLC refuses to transparently cooperate with outside investigators, release the names of the officers involved, or even body cam footage of what transpired.
Initially, they also bald face lie in the public record, claiming the 13-year-old child was “armed.” SLC Police Sergeant Keith Horrocks speaking for the SLC Police Department stated Linden was “making threats to some folks with a weapon.” They later have to retract these statements.
As Linden lingered in ICU, Salt Lake City refused to make any restitution for anything whatsoever, including the child’s mounting medical bills that resulted from the life-threatening injuries Officer Farillas inflicted. Linden’s parents eventually file suit. Salt Lake City immediately filed a motion to dismiss.
Public pressure forces SLC to release the body cam footage which is, to say the least, damning. Prosecutors from the state attorney’s office investigate and find the shooting was “unjustified” but simultaneously decline to charge officer with any criminal charges.
SLC eventually settles the case for $3 million taxpayer dollars with the stipulation of no admission of “wrongdoing” on anyone’s part.
Officer Matthew Farillas is still on the SLC police department payroll and has not been stripped of his law enforcement certification.
2) “Felony” Stimming with String leads to Police Beat Down of Autistic Child
July 27, 2017 in Buckeye, Arizona
Buckeye Police Officer: David Grossman
Connor Leibel: Autistic. Age 14 years old
Connor was in a public park across from where his sister was attending a piano lesson. He was stimming with a length of string. Officer Grossman approached him and gave him repeated unlawful orders and insisted that Connor provide him with ID. Apparently, it had not occurred to him that minor children rarely carry ID. Throughout the 21-minute encounter, Officer Grossman never once informed Connor that he was being detained, even when he had him in handcuffs after dislocating the child’s ankle.
To the best of his ability, Connor answered Grossman’s questions, showing him that he held a length of string in his hand, and even complied with Grossman’s unlawful orders as he understood them, though he repeatedly attempted to walk away and disengage.
Grossman went hands though he had seen the child held only a string in his hand, and with no crime being committed or having been committed by Connor, took him to the ground (dislocating the boy’s ankle which later required surgery) and handcuffed him. He remained in handcuffs with the officer bearing down on him for the better part of 20 minutes until “backup” arrived to assist Grossman in subduing this dangerous criminal.
After the incident, the Leibel family sent Buckeye Police Chief Larry Hall a letter with three requests: (1) Grossman apologize face to face for his actions (2) Grossman perform community service in the autism community (3) Buckeye institutes autism training for officers. This letter was ignored. The Leibel family filed suit.
After years of denials and intentional obstruction on the part of the Buckeye PD, and some rather astonishing legal maneuvering by government attorneys, in March of 2023, the U.S. District Court in Arizona completely cleared Grossman and the Buckeye PD of any wrongdoing. Despite clear video evidence to the contrary, the court ruled that Grossman had not deprived Connor of his constitutional right to be free from excessive force; that Buckeye had not violated Connor’s rights under the Americans with Disabilities Act; and that Grossman had not committed unintentional battery against Connor under Arizona law.
Buckeye PD has not instituted autism training. Grossman has not been stripped of his law enforcement certification, and has indicated that he has no plans to ever apologize to Conner or his family.
3) Vacaville Police Officer Punches Autistic Teen Repeatedly
April 21, 2021, Vacaville, California:
Vacaville police officer: Deliberately Withheld by Vacaville PD
Preston Wolf: Autistic. Age 17 years old
Unnamed Vacaville police officer rolls up on Preston Wolf and without warning or explanation, snatches and throws the boy’s scooter away. He then grabs Preston wordlessly, which the officer claims is when he was attempting to apply hand cuffs to the minor child. When Preston pulls away from him, the officer tackles him, shoving him partly onto the sidewalk and partly onto the pavement. Once supine, the officer straddles Preston’s torso and begins to throw punches at the boy’s face. The boy reaches up to protect his head which action is later listed in the police report as “resisting arrest” though the officer did not at any time inform Preston that he as being detained, much less arrested.
A neighbor–whose RING camera captured the entire event and is now visible on social media–informed the officer that Preston was special needs. This did not slow or stop the abuse the officer inflicted upon Preston Wolf.
The City of Vacaville characterized the officer’s actions as “forcibly bringing [the child] into compliance” and not excessive.
In lieu of ongoing legal battles, in March of 2022, the city of Vacaville agreed to make a one-time payment of $170,000 to Preston and $30,000 to the Puzzle Project on the stipulation that they admit “no wrongdoing.”
Thus, the Vacaville PD has not fired the officer, nor has the officer been stripped of his law enforcement certification.
4) Kansas Deputy Fired for Tasing Handcuffed, Shackled Autistic Boy
February 23, 2022, Jackson County, Kansas
Jackson County Deputy: Matthew Honas
Boy identified as L.H.: Autistic. Age 12 years old
On February 23, the 12-year-old minor child identified as L.H. reportedly ran away from home. He encountered Jackson County Deputy Matthew Honas who accosted the child, subdued him, and “restrained” him.
NOTE: According to the Kansas Commission on Peace Officers’ Standards and Training report, Deputy Honas had previously encountered L.H. and was aware the child was autistic. During the prior encounter there was also a physical struggle, but no details are provided.
According to L.H., Honas tackled him, kicked him, elbowed him, and applied numerous “pain compliance methods” without giving him any instructions until he had had forced the child into handcuffs and leg restraints. Honas then connected the cuffs and leg restraints thus “hogtying” the child.
NOTE: Kansas falls under the 10th District. The 2008 case, Weigel v. Broad, out of the 10th Circuit, denied qualified immunity to police officers for hogtying arrestees. Basically, it holds that hogtying is almost never reasonable, as it poses a high danger of positional asphyxiation.
In the time that followed, Deputy Honas refused and cancelled assistance from two other available officers. He chose not to use de-escalation techniques; he failed to use other options in restraining the child. He said that he was going to call a transport van, but did not. On several occasions, Deputy Honas continued to apply pain compliance techniques without telling the child what he was supposed to do. He told the boy, “When the other guy gets here, you’re going to hurt more.”
Honas had not activated his body cam but subsequent events were captured by his issued vehicles dash cam. Honas basically tortured the child for nearly 10 minutes while he is restrained and hogtied in the rear compartment. Then, without warning, Honas uses his taser on the restrained boy.
Honas then declares, “Here’s the deal, you do anything you’re not supposed to do I will tase you again.”
The Kansas Commission said Honas used the Taser on the boy without warning as he was sitting in the patrol vehicle with his feet outside the vehicle. At the time, L.H. was handcuffed behind his back, with the handcuffs connected to shackles on his ankles (i.e.: “hogtied”).
Honas was terminated from the Jackson County Sheriff’s department in March after a public records request resulted in the release of the dash cam footage that captured most of the event and corroborated the 12-year-old’s account of what happened. However, the Kansas Commission on Peace Officers’ Standards and Training chose not to revoke his law enforcement certification despite finding that he used excessive force against the minor child.
5) Cops Shoot Unarmed Caregiver with His Hands Up While He Helps Autistic Man
July 18, 2016, North Miami, Florida:
North Miami Police Officer: Jonathan Aledda
Arnaldo Rios-Soto: Autistic. 27 years old
Caregiver: Charles Kinsey, North Miami behavior therapist. Age 49 years old
An adult autistic patient, Arnaldo Rios-Soto, of the MacTown Panther Group Homes ran away with a silver toy truck in his hand and was followed by his therapist, Charles Kinsey, who hoped to calm Arnaldo and bring him back into the therapeutic setting.
North Miami police responded to an anonymous 911 call in which the caller who apparently observed the two men sitting and talking claimed to have witnessed a man “walking around with a gun threatening suicide.”
When police arrived, they trained weapons, including rifles, at the two men. Kinsey laid flat on the ground and extended his empty hands in the air and began shouting responses to the police who are ordering them to “drop their weapons.”
Jonathan Aledda aimed an AR-15 rifle at them during the encounter.
“Sir, there is no need for firearms.” Kinsey said, restating what can also be heard on cellphone video taken by a third party of the event. “I’m unarmed, he’s an autistic guy. He got a toy truck in his hand,'”
Without warning, Jonathan Aledda opened fire with his semi-automatic rifle, firing a total of three shots. All of the rounds missed the unarmed and sitting down Arnaldo Rios-Soto, but one round struck the unarmed and supine Kinsey in the leg.
With his hands still in the air, Kinsey yells, “No! I just got shot!”
Police surround the two men and wrestle the gunshot victim from his back to his stomach before applying handcuffs.
A moment later, Kinsey pleads, “Sir, why did you shoot me?”
The officer replied with the incontrovertible justification, “I don’t know.”
The officer who shot Kinsey would later revise his justification for the shooting to say he had been aiming at the patient, who the officer believed was threatening Kinsey with a gun.
Just over twenty minutes later, EMS arrive to treat the gunshot wound.
Jonathan Aledda was arrested in 2017 and charged with attempted manslaughter, a felony, and a misdemeanor negligence charge. In June 2019, Aledda was found guilty by a jury of one misdemeanor count of culpable negligence. One day after being found guilty, Aledda was fired from the North Miami police department, though his law enforcement certification was not removed. He was sentenced to probation and required to write a 2,500 word essay on policing. He ultimately completed a total of five months of probation and no prison time. After Aledda was found guilty, Kinsey and the City of North Miami reached a settlement for an undisclosed amount in a federal lawsuit Kinsey had filed.
Arnaldo Rios-Soto suffers trauma and nightmares from the shooting incident to this day.
In February 2022, Aledda’s conviction was overturned.
That’s great that Gavin didn’t freak out when he had to be searched. My mom had to throw away her Mountain Dew that she had to have (Luckily I had my Ginger Ale in the car) due to her being sick with a cold and still wanted to support me at my divorce hearing almost 10 years ago ( April 30, 2022 marks 10 years that I’ve been divorced. I’ve only remarried just 4 years ago).
My son gets pulled over all the time, because he drives a red car, he works late hours, and looks younger than he is.
We’ve educated him to say yes sir, no sir, my licence is in ky back pocket, may i reach for it?
If they ask if he has weapons in the vehicle, he will say he hax a tool box in the trunk, also in the trunk are knives he made in welding classes.
Always answer, “no sir, i dont know why you pulled me over, is something wrong?”
Slow movements, pull wallet out with two fingers, keep hands on the wheel, ask for permission to reach anywhere.
He does so well, but getting pulled over is very stressful for him. He wants to do the right thing, so it’s hard to explain why you don’t admit to anything. He’s such a good heart, he would admit to something to keep someone else from getting in trouble… it’s hard.
Glad it went so well for your guy. It is funny, but not funny….
I am so happy to hear that Gavin was OK.
I am a police officer. I subscribed to your page, because every tidbit of information helps me with my next encounter with someone that is autistic, their family’s concerns and helps me be successful.
Here in Connecticut, we get training for special needs.
Many officers have autistic children or children with mental health struggles. My brother had schizophrenia. It’s not an us verse them scenario. We are in this together.
@ Ellen Beck… this is just half the story. Police officers are also more likely to be injured or killed by people with mental illness. A violent patient with the same mental health problems as my brother tried taking my gun three separate times during a short struggle. He was close to succeeding. There was no one more sympathetic to this patient’s plight or anyone that wanted to help more than me. Fortunately, when this incident was said and done, everyone was okay.
Believe me when I say the vast majority of officers want to help.
In the future, if you are concerned about going to the court house or through security at an airport, call ahead and let a supervisor know your concerns.
I’m sure they will attempt to make special accommodations so that procedures are less stressful for Gavin.
People with mental illness 16 times more likely to be killed by police http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2015/12/10/people-mental-illness-16-times-more-likely-killed-police/77059710/ (that is just one example there are many)
I wouldnt even compare the racial stuff with the police encountering a person with a mental health problem. Yes, they might overlap, but a 16 times chance is very significant.
The police do have some training, but they are not trained professionals, nor do they know or can they know unfortunately if the threat they perceive is real or something that can be diffused or if the person is confused, or doesn’t or can’t understand commands given quickly enough.
I dont know the answer to this, but here at least there is at least two on duty at ll times who respond to cases when they get a call about someone who might not be a threat, but is instead mentally ill. It has helped here. It doesn’t matter if someone is white, black, Latino or whateever, sixteen times liikely is 16 times more likely.
I am glad Gavin made it through, and you were there to talk to him about how to respind to police or other authority (most courthouses are manned by a hired securty firm some carry weapons most dont) I would love to see the schools/parents/facilities educate how to reespond and have practice scenerios, it would ultimately save lives.
I guess I wasn’t intending to compare to race related issues. I wanted to acknowledge both, so as not to offend anyone.
People with mental illness 16 times more likely to be killed by police http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2015/12/10/people-mental-illness-16-times-more-likely-killed-police/77059710/ (that is just one example there are many)
I wouldnt even compare the racial stuff with the police encountering a person with a mental health problem. Yes, they might overlap, but a 16 times chance is very significant.
The police do have some training, but they are not trained professionals, nor do they know or can they know unfortunately if the threat they perceive is real or something that can be diffused or if the person is confused, or doesn’t or can’t understand commands given quickly enough.
I dont know the answer to this, but here at least there is at least two on duty at ll times who respond to cases when they get a call about someone who might not be a threat, but is instead mentally ill. It has helped here. It doesn’t matter if someone is white, black, Latino or whateever, sixteen times liikely is 16 times more likely.
I am glad Gavin made it through, and you were there to talk to him about how to respind to police or other authority (most courthouses are manned by a hired securty firm some carry weapons most dont) I would love to see the schools/parents/facilities educate how to reespond and have practice scenerios, it would ultimately save lives.
I guess I wasn’t intending to compare to race related issues. I wanted to acknowledge both, so as not to offend anyone.
I am a police officer. I subscribed to your page, because every tidbit of information helps me with my next encounter with someone that is autistic, their family’s concerns and helps me be successful.
Here in Connecticut, we get training for special needs.
Many officers have autistic children or children with mental health struggles. My brother had schizophrenia. It’s not an us verse them scenario. We are in this together.
@ Ellen Beck… this is just half the story. Police officers are also more likely to be injured or killed by people with mental illness. A violent patient with the same mental health problems as my brother tried taking my gun three separate times during a short struggle. He was close to succeeding. There was no one more sympathetic to this patient’s plight or anyone that wanted to help more than me. Fortunately, when this incident was said and done, everyone was okay.
Believe me when I say the vast majority of officers want to help.
In the future, if you are concerned about going to the court house or through security at an airport, call ahead and let a supervisor know your concerns.
I’m sure they will attempt to make special accommodations so that procedures are less stressful for Gavin.
I am so happy to hear that Gavin was OK.