I think the Mobile Police Dept did what they had to do to protect themselves and others in that store. I think that the Mobile PD should NOT have put any officer on Admin Duties, THIS JUST SHOWS THEY DO NOT BACK UP THEIR OWN OFFICERS. These guys are not psychic, had no idea this man was mentally challenged.. for all they know he could have just been on CRACK or some type of drug to make him act in the way this man did. Every week we watch the news another Dollar Store is getting robbed, another officer is getting shot at or killed. This man should have been taught that he is to RESPECT authority, he may have been HEARING IMPAIRED but obvisously NOT DEAF! He knew the police were at the door. I am GRATEFUL this didnt go the other way for these men, had this man had intended on robbing that store and had a GUN, when they opened that door we would be burying these officers!! I do hate it for this mental man that it happened to him, but his family should understand what these officers have to face everyday to protect our community rather then trying to get rich off an unfortunate incident.

Do we know that it WASN’T a last resort? They tried to get him to come out from the reports by knocking on the door, with pepper spray and prying the door open according to these reports. We don’t know what actions the DG employees took prior to calling for help.If he was so “well known,” then why not call his family? Did he not know his phone number? If he was covered in poop, would YOU attempt to wrestle him if he was combative? Ultimately,this is the family’s negligence that caused the problem and I truly hope that the appropriate agencies are checking THEM thoroughly. I might even call APS myself-because this was pure and simple abuse/negligence on THEIR part. A very preventable incident had they given a flip about his welfare,before they saw dollar signs.

I shop at Dollar General and wal-mart regularly myself. It doesn’t mean that the folks who work there remember me week to week-they see tons of people. I agree that there is too little known at this point to place blame as to whether it was handled correctly or not. The main concern I have is that someone with this amount of mental disability would be allowed to cross a very busy,dangerous highway to begin with, and with a health problem (stomach issues) that SHOULD have rendered him staying at home for the health and welfare of all. I did not see the Fox and Friends report, but jmo-just because it makes “national” news, does not mean that the police were in the wrong(or right). It could just as easily come back to bite the family for negligence on their part-which is MY gut instinct. There was a VERY good report on another local channel as how the people at MARC are meeting with the police and KNOW that they are there to help them. It stated that all the folks when asked, what do you do when you are scared or in trouble? All responded in unison, call 911. It also asked what would they do if they saw a police officer-they all responded they would say “hi,officer-my name is…” Having worked with people of different abilities before, there is a special place in my heart for them-they tend to be very trusting,loving people. Something smells with this case, and I am not convinced that it was a “police error or misjudgment.” Maybe-we will see…

I agree that this situation should and could have been handled in a better manner. Like BamaBob stated, supposedly the man shopped at the store regularly. I also agree that just because you have a handicap that does not mean that you can not have some form of independence. However, there had been previous issues with his mental ability which would make one think that the safest scenario would be for him to be accompanied by someone when going out. It states in the interview that he thought the devil was coming into him and that is why he did not answer the door and kept shutting it when they were trying to open it. Police have to prepare for the worse in every situation. So someone holding the door shut, throwing water under the door and holding the umbrella as a weapon is going to come off as a little suspicious. However, I am not sure if tazing the man three times was the way to go. I think that the ball was dropped on more than just one parties end.

Too much we don’t know about this one.  The man’s condition could be rapidly deteriorating as far as we know and his care may need to be reassessed.

But, that kind of force should have been a last resort, imo.

I am looking at this from a point outside of the law enforcemnt if they had been aware they MAY have made different choices.I am speaking as a father,family member,I had a mentally challenged cousin who lived to over forty years of age long beyond what his doctors thought but he was always monitered by a family member even though he was highly functioning,the house could catch on fire.With the society we live in today it’s not IMO to leave the canary cage open.
Alabamaoutlaw

After they arrested the guy, knew he was disabled and the judge turned him loose the cops just dropped him off in the middle of a parking lot.  They must not have thought he required any supervision.

Law Enforcement deals with these kind of folks all the time, so it is nothing that new to them.  Every week vans pull up at govt. plaza and 10-12 people are walked into to court so a judge can decide if they should be on the streets or sent to Searcy.  They don’t pepper spray or tase them.  They just calmly deal with it and get the job done.

I guess having a disability such as he has would just about require a full time supervisor.Wonder if someone is getting a check for the care of this disavantaged individual.His brother says that sometime he doesn’t even reconize him,I am not one to shrug my repsonabilites and it seems that this young man needs to be monitered ,It’s not the police or the Dollar Stores job.The Dollar Store has more than likely had to clean up the bathroom area before from some unsanitary and unsavory situations and could have been genuinely concerned with his health.An hour in the head you
do need some help.
Alabamaoutlaw

The family was just on Fox & Friends and said they shop at that store regularly.  Also said the manager and cashiers know the man is deaf.  Something sure went wrong with this deal.

Would a blind person be subject to this much scrutiny, for simply trying to be independent?? The man had to use the bathroom. He was hearing impaired. The police were only called because, well, we all know…