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Kansas.com | 12/06/2007 | Police to discuss Tasers, deaf
Wichita police plan to meet with local advocates for the deaf today after police used a Taser last month on a virtuallydeaf man who could not understand their commands.
Donnell Williams, 39, walked into his living room wearing only a towel Nov. 20 to find two police officers who had responded to a report of shots fired at 2614 N. Estelle.
Believing a shooter and possible victims were in the house, the officers repeatedly shouted at Williams to put his hands where they could be seen, Deputy Police Chief Robert Lee said Wednesday.
"He walked out of their field of view and then came back," Lee said.
When he still would not comply with their orders, one of the officers used a Taser on Williams, Lee said.
"It was at that point he told them he was hearing impaired," Lee said.
After police realized the call was a false report, "they apologized numerous times for the breakdown in communication there," Lee said.
Williams had either just completed a bath or was about to take one when officers forced their way into his house, he said.
"I regret that it happened," Lee said. "I certainly wish that it would not have. At the time of the Tasing they did not have any idea of his hearing condition."
Officials from police field services and training will meet with representatives from the Wichita Association for the Deaf and Sign Language Interpreting Services at 3:30 p.m. at City Hall.
Lee described it as a preliminary meeting to "explore who all needs to be at the table" for a discussion on how similar incidents can be avoided in the future.
Williams has not filed a complaint against the department and local advocates have not voiced anger, Lee said.
But blogs around the country have lambasted Wichita police for the incident.
One gave the department its weekly award for "most outrageous abuse of a Taser," and another dubbed Wichita police "The Barney Fife Police Academy."
No one answered the door at Williams' home, and he could not be reached for comment.
Lee said police have opened an investigation to determine whether the officers involved in the call used an appropriate level of force, given the circumstances.
Officers are trained in how to work with the deaf, but those scenarios typically deal with routine situations such as traffic stops, Lee said.
Reports of shots being fired are especially hazardous for police until the threats are contained, Lee said.
Wichita police plan to meet with local advocates for the deaf today after police used a Taser last month on a virtuallydeaf man who could not understand their commands.
Donnell Williams, 39, walked into his living room wearing only a towel Nov. 20 to find two police officers who had responded to a report of shots fired at 2614 N. Estelle.
Believing a shooter and possible victims were in the house, the officers repeatedly shouted at Williams to put his hands where they could be seen, Deputy Police Chief Robert Lee said Wednesday.
"He walked out of their field of view and then came back," Lee said.
When he still would not comply with their orders, one of the officers used a Taser on Williams, Lee said.
"It was at that point he told them he was hearing impaired," Lee said.
After police realized the call was a false report, "they apologized numerous times for the breakdown in communication there," Lee said.
Williams had either just completed a bath or was about to take one when officers forced their way into his house, he said.
"I regret that it happened," Lee said. "I certainly wish that it would not have. At the time of the Tasing they did not have any idea of his hearing condition."
Officials from police field services and training will meet with representatives from the Wichita Association for the Deaf and Sign Language Interpreting Services at 3:30 p.m. at City Hall.
Lee described it as a preliminary meeting to "explore who all needs to be at the table" for a discussion on how similar incidents can be avoided in the future.
Williams has not filed a complaint against the department and local advocates have not voiced anger, Lee said.
But blogs around the country have lambasted Wichita police for the incident.
One gave the department its weekly award for "most outrageous abuse of a Taser," and another dubbed Wichita police "The Barney Fife Police Academy."
No one answered the door at Williams' home, and he could not be reached for comment.
Lee said police have opened an investigation to determine whether the officers involved in the call used an appropriate level of force, given the circumstances.
Officers are trained in how to work with the deaf, but those scenarios typically deal with routine situations such as traffic stops, Lee said.
Reports of shots being fired are especially hazardous for police until the threats are contained, Lee said.
