|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
Police Taser Disabled Teen at Traffic Stop SALINAS, Calif. -- A Salinas high school student who said he was beaten by police five months ago has filed a civil claim against the Monterey County Sheriff's Department and the Salinas Police Department. Brandon Jones, 16, claims officers beat him excessively and used a Taser gun on him during a traffic stop in February. Jones' attorney said his client has been disabled since he was 2 years old. "He said he couldn't breathe and the officer said, 'If you can scream you can breathe' ... that's when he had his knee in his back," attorney Tom Worthington said. Worthington said his client panicked when officers tried to pull him over for reckless driving. But authorities said Jones resisted arrest, punched a deputy and tried to run away. Worthington said he doubts that could have happened because Jones in disabled, and that officers were too quick to use the Taser gun. "Brandon has a limp because of a very serious brain injury he received when he was 2 years old. He wasn't' running away from any police officer. He wasn't a threat to anyone," Worthington said. "We feel the Taser was badly misused by Salinas police." According to medical records, Jones tested negative for drugs and alcohol on the day of the incident. In the claim, the family asks for money for damages resulting from Jones' physical and emotional injuries. The city and county have 30 days to respond. The claim could be settled out of court or make its way through the legal system. |
