Great-Grandfather With Alzheimer's Gets Tasered For Carrying Butter Knife - Sensationalist Headlines

[img_thumb]https://s.yimg.com/iu/api/res/1.2/YwVbvMzi4ekBjQHFbMepDQ--~C/YXBwaWQ9eXZpZGVvOzY1Njt4PTY1Njtyb3RhdGU9YXV0bw--/https://s.yimg.com/iu/api/res/1.2/htk9CA85NXHyQ3Lm3F0xbQ--~C/cm90YXRlPWF1dG87dz0xMjAwO2FwcGlkPXl2aWRlbw--/https://s.yimg.com/ea/img/-/170724/5975cbd04e9b1_maninline_5975cbc81d9e8.jpg[/img_thumb] [quote]Nursing home staff called on the police on David Litherland, 73, out of fear the advanced Alzheimer's sufferer, with no history of violence, would attack them. Horrified wife of 40 years Theresa, 62, was shocked to arrive at the home to see a police officer knock David who she says always keeps cutlery in his pocket to the ground with a taser. Theresa said: "He wasn't dangerous, he was just agitated, as I call it. They know he always carried cutlery in his pocket and this time was no different". "I did say to the policeman: 'what did you think he was going to do to you?' But he wasn't in any good mood to respond. "Obviously with his Alzheimer's, David hadn't any idea what happened and thought he was fine straight after but he's still in hospital." Grandfather David was rushed to hospital after he hit his head as a police officer attempted to fire 50,000 volts into his chest.[/quote] [url]https://au.news.yahoo.com/world/a/36480203/great-grandfather-left-fighting-for-life-after-being-tasered/#page1[/url]

Holy fuck was he planning on euthanising the dude? Says in the article the taser didn't go off so that probably helped him survive but a knock backwards like that is insanely dangerous at that age.

[QUOTE=Blind Lulu;52546559]I know police are generally supposed to take someone wielding a knife seriously but come the fuck on. I think they can afford to be lenient on a 73 year old in a nursing home.[/QUOTE] With a butter knife, no less.

[QUOTE=Blind Lulu;52546559]I know police are generally supposed to take someone wielding a knife seriously but come the fuck on. I think they can afford to be lenient on a 73 year old in a nursing home.[/QUOTE] I also can't imagine that a [I]butter knife[/I] can pose a risk as seriously as a sharp/regular knife.

I'd blame the staff more than the police to be fair, they actually know the guy. They just told the police he has alzheimers and had a knife. Why wouldn't they tell the police he's no history of violence? Why even call the police at all? They should have trained staff to deal with those types of situations instead of calling a general police officer IMO.

[QUOTE=Duskin;52546579]I'd blame the staff more than the police to be fair[/QUOTE] nah i'd blame the police too

Can a butter knife be considered a weapon? If yes, then how is a tree branch or stick less of a weapon?

[QUOTE=Kommodore;52546634]nah i'd blame the police too[/QUOTE] Why? Police are generally not experts in dealing with patients with mental disabilities. What is common sense to you after reading an article may not be as easy for someone in that situation. If you are engaged with someone when you get an armed person with a knife call you don't exactly have the time nor do you have super powers to see that the edge of a knife is dull. Any weapon has the potential to be dangerous. I've seen someone stabbed in a BIC Pen of all things before. Cops don't get the benefit of hindsight. Is what happened sad? It is terrible? But ultimately the staff at the care facility are at fault for escalating a situation. Most places have their own security and staff which can handle patients.

[QUOTE=Gorgus;52546575]I also can't imagine that a [I]butter knife[/I] can pose a risk as seriously as a sharp/regular knife.[/QUOTE] [QUOTE=Plaster;52546642]Can a butter knife be considered a weapon? If yes, then how is a tree branch or stick less of a weapon?[/QUOTE] Well, a butter knife might be blunt, but its still a rigid piece of thin metal, with enough force you can still stab someone with it. That being said a screwdriver is probably more dangerous though.

[QUOTE=AaronM202;52546666]Well, a butter knife might be blunt, but its still a rigid piece of thin metal, with enough force you can still stab someone with it.[/QUOTE] [url]https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC128406/[/url] Has X-rays if you guys want to read up on it.

[QUOTE=MR-X;52546656]Why? Police are generally not experts in dealing with patients with mental disabilities. What is common sense to you after reading an article may not be as easy for someone in that situation.[/QUOTE] I don't think police should be given a free pass for being poorly trained to deal with the basic and most predictable parts of their job and I don't see any common sense in electrocuting an infirm old man because he was holding a butterknife. It speaks for itself, really.

[QUOTE=MR-X;52546671][url]https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC128406/[/url] Has X-rays if you guys want to read up on it.[/QUOTE] That's a very "sharp" butter knife compared to the ones we are used to over here, at least in my area. In that case I agree, that's totally a valid weapon.

[QUOTE=Kommodore;52546682]I don't think police should be given a free pass for being poorly trained to deal with the basic and most predicable parts of their job and I don't see any common sense in electrocuting an infirm old man because he was holding a butterknife. It speaks for itself, really.[/QUOTE] You're damned if you do and damned if you don't. There is no pretty way of taking someone down or controlling them regardless of what the age is. If you read the article it clearly says... [quote]Fortunately the taser fired by the police officer, who had no knowledge of David's health condition, did not deploy an electric shock which could have easily killed him. "They asked David three times to take his hands out of his pocket and when he eventually he did, he produced the butter knife and they fired a taser at him."[/quote] Seems like the officer wasn't taking a chance to figure out how sharp the object is. Its pretty hard to tell how sharp or what exactly is being held in someone hands from several feet away. Regardless going back to what you say - the officer isn't in charge of his training nor does he control the funding his department gets for training. So what is he left to do? Just walk away? Close his eyes? Pretend nothing is happening? Just my two cent though seems like the care staff are at fault for not informing the police of the patient's history or illness & taking the patient of his meds that were helping him. Could have been any cop that showed up...again it is easy to discuss and talk about the matter now that we have hindsight. Police are not medical experts and you cannot expect them to be, if you do then you're living in a dreamworld. The staff at the care facility should be trained on this matter and be able to deal with patients who become agitated because that is their primary job and duty. The staff failed for patient and because of their actions and are more then likely going to be liable for this situation.

I totally understand that we werent there and we dont know for sure what went down and that nursing staff are clearly also at fault But we're talking about a nursing home, a butterknife, and alzheimers. Come on. There's no "damned if you don't" here. Don't what? Bring him a dr pepper and wait for him to remember where he is?

[QUOTE=Kommodore;52546860]I totally understand that we werent there and we dont know for sure what went down and nursing staff that are cleary also at fault But we're talking about a nursing home, a butterknife, and alzheimers. Come on. There's no "damned if you don't" here. Don't what? Bring him a dr pepper and wait for him to remember where he is?[/QUOTE] not how it works, i've seen my grandfather rip a door off its hinges to walk out of a room when he had alzhemiers. people with it can literally forget everything at times. still shouldnt have tazed him though.

yeah and i've watched my grandparents grieve over their loss of memory and patiently waited for them to come back, don't care what kind of hypothetical fantasies are possible in the absolute extreme. you owe them that.

[QUOTE=MR-X;52546671][url]https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC128406/[/url] Has X-rays if you guys want to read up on it.[/QUOTE] What an excellent article. Thanks for posting this. 50% of people that commit suicide saw a physician within a month of their death.. And suicide is the most common cause of death in schizophrenics.. Wow.

[QUOTE=Kommodore;52546634]nah i'd blame the police too[/QUOTE] In all honesty though the staff knew the situation with cops these days, should've known that calling them would've been a death sentence (glad that wasn't the case here)

The british police and their fear of cutlery.

In Canada, WCB and WorkSafe would crucify you if you tried to disarm an old man wielding a butterknife and he still managed to get a jab in you. I've been noticing a lot of these mild to extreme cases of excessive force are starting to stem from regulations basically having stupid overreach.

[QUOTE=Duskin;52546579]I'd blame the staff more than the police to be fair, they actually know the guy. They just told the police he has alzheimers and had a knife. Why wouldn't they tell the police he's no history of violence? Why even call the police at all? They should have trained staff to deal with those types of situations instead of calling a general police officer IMO.[/QUOTE] Are the police blind and stupid? I always see how "the police didn't know it was only x " but they are supposed to be alert and trained not just a bunch of idiots who follow orders from anyone who can dial 911.

Great grandfather not so great after getting tazed.