Author Topic: Epilepsy and public seizures (Read 1053 times)

Chairboy · « **on:** November 20, 2006, 11:40:36 AM »

I read about something pretty crummy today:

http://www.epilepsyfoundation.org/epilepsyusa/beloungea.cfm

This person has epilepsy and was tasered, arrested, and commited to a psychiatric institution because of a seizure he had. He had a medic-alert bracelet that described his condition, but that wasn't read. I'm most troubled by the fact that it took 3 weeks for him to be released. These guys have it pretty tough, I had no idea that this could happen.

Ripsnort · « **Reply #1 on:** November 20, 2006, 12:30:05 PM »

I thought this thread was going to be about Howard Dean....

Debonair · « **Reply #2 on:** November 20, 2006, 12:33:54 PM »

strong words from a guy who lives inside 50nm from the One Flew Over the Cuckoo Nest hospital

x0847Marine · « **Reply #3 on:** November 20, 2006, 01:18:00 PM »

This article is complete rhetoric. The officers who responded are not trained doctors, or Jedi masters with the ability to look at someone acting nutty and just "know" wtf is wrong...

All they know is a citizen reported suspecious activity, upon arrival they were swung at by an unresponsive & disoriented person. They dont know hes a nice unarmed guy with Epilepsy having a seizure, he could be a violent gorp, or on drugs. When some guy is not responding AND starts flailing his arms around... what are the officers supposed to do?

I'd have tazed him too without blinking an eye.

Also I have seen medic alert bracelets that people have worn for so long, the paint, or ink, on the raised letters fades and is hard to read. There's no standard for these, pharmacies sell cheap ones off the shelf... but there are also high quality ones that never fade, we dont know which he had.

There's also a chance his bracelet was booked in with his property, non sworn (civilian) jailers are infamous for that, either way they need to verify his medical condition beyond what a $3 bracelet says, drug addicts wear them thinking it will protect them from arrest (ghetto myth)

"Mr. Beloungea was unresponsive to police direction, the bag he was carrying was kicked by police from his hand, and when he flailed his arms involuntarily, he was tasered, sending 50,000 volts of electricity through his body (risking serious injury or death); hit with a police baton; threatened at gunpoint; and handcuffed behind his back. (The handcuffing itself is dangerous for persons experiencing a seizure, as it can lead to further seizure-related agitation and struggling, possibly causing asphyxiation or even cardiac arrest.)"

lol..this dramatic paragraph says he was arrested in typical fashon for someone who "flails" at the po-lice... yawn.

Yeager · « **Reply #4 on:** November 20, 2006, 01:31:27 PM »

Y'ever see that episode of COPs where this one guy is not pulling over even though he has like six cruisers with lights on and sirens blaring following him. Its a slow speed chase, like 5 mph....finally the guy bumps into something and comes to a stop. Within seconds there are like 15 occifers pulling the poor SOB out of the smashed in drivers side corner window and the COPs are commencing to doing a massive pig piling the poor guy. Kicking and beating the snot out of this guy and he isnt even struggling back. He is unconscious suffering from diabetic shock. THe funny part is when one of the cops is attempting to cuff the guy and finds a medic alert bracelett stating he is a diabetic. Man, those cops were a funny bunch to watch as they got up dusted themselves off and commenced to looking about as innocent as a grandma in the front pew on church day.

Gunthr · « **Reply #5 on:** November 20, 2006, 01:35:46 PM »

Everybody, not just cops, needs to be educated about Epilepsy. I once saw 50 + college students standing in a ring around a seizing epileptic - watching him die - because he didn't have an airway.

B@tfinkV · « **Reply #6 on:** November 20, 2006, 01:52:28 PM »

police are only human. humans F-up alot.

mosgood · « **Reply #7 on:** November 20, 2006, 02:06:49 PM »

We had a guy at work that was prone to gran maul (not sure of spelling) seizures.

All he told us to do if he started having one was walking away and let him go through it.

x0847Marine · « **Reply #8 on:** November 20, 2006, 02:13:34 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by Gunthr
Everybody, not just cops, needs to be educated about Epilepsy. I once saw 50 + college students standing in a ring around a seizing epileptic - watching him die - because he didn't have an airway.

We had training on Epilepsy, diabetics, down syndrome, paranoid schizophrenia, alternative lifestyles, ASL training, prosthetics, depression... you fuggn name it, everything under the sun we got a lectured and tested on. At the end of the day its a person wearing the color of authority making a judgement call.. and nobody gets it right 100% no matter how many lectures.

Epilepsy is one of those medical conditions the dirt bag community, junkies, hypes, crackheads, have perverted for their own leverage. They think wearing a bracelet, feigning a seizure or claiming to have Epilepsy will keep them from getting arrested... and sometimes it works. The street people know which arrests cause the most hassle & paperwork, epilepsy is one of them. They cant be booked into GP, must be seen by an MD, then booked into one facility known as the "13th floor" at County USC. Its a giant PITA for some agencies.

Chairboy · « **Reply #9 on:** November 20, 2006, 02:54:51 PM »

I don't think there's any way to avoid being arrested in 100% of the cases because stuff happens. I'm really more flummoxed by the 3 weeks it took to process him out.

The arrest is bad enough, the 3 week detention in a criminal psychiatric institution is just apalling.

Red Tail 444 · « **Reply #10 on:** November 20, 2006, 03:16:28 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by Gunthr
Everybody, not just cops, needs to be educated about Epilepsy. I once saw 50 + college students standing in a ring around a seizing epileptic - watching him die - because he didn't have an airway.

Best thing you can do for someone who has a seizure, is to let it run its course (but call 911, it's a requirement that they get seen by a neurologist). If he didn't have an airway, there was nothing any non-EMT or medic could have done, anyway.

People with epilipsy must be seizure free for at least 2 years before being allowed to drive again, in some states

Chairboy · « **Reply #11 on:** November 20, 2006, 03:33:01 PM »

I've heard that the whole "stop them from swallowing their tongue!" thing is a dangerous urban legend, just as an FYI for anyone who might not have gotten the bulletin.

M36 · « **Reply #12 on:** November 20, 2006, 04:00:43 PM »

Quote

I once saw 50 + college students standing in a ring around a seizing epileptic - watching him die - because he didn't have an airway.

That sounds like typical college student to me. Helping someone who is dieing, is not "what we want to do". I think a police officer would have reacted a little different. And no, probably wouldn't have tased him either. But then again, there are many times when someone needs some serious help and the group, sheep mentality, everyone just stands there and watches without doing anything.

Out of curiosity, has anyone who is not an officer ever posted in this forum somthing that an officer did that was good? There is always a lot of negativity and bashing, but what about the good things?

john9001 · « **Reply #13 on:** November 20, 2006, 04:34:30 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by M36

Out of curiosity, has anyone who is not an officer ever posted in this forum somthing that an officer did that was good? There is always a lot of negativity and bashing, but what about the good things?

well offhand i can think of three times i wasn't arrested for possession of wacky weed.

Neubob · « **Reply #14 on:** November 20, 2006, 04:38:02 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by M36
Out of curiosity, has anyone who is not an officer ever posted in this forum somthing that an officer did that was good? There is always a lot of negativity and bashing, but what about the good things?

At least they're not screaming for stricter definitions of police brutality and pushing for a higher rate of conviction on cops who've overstepped their boundaries in the line of duty.

A plain-clothes cop in Delaware once helped me push my Tahoe to the side of the road after its engine died. It was very nice of him, especially in the dead of winter. Other than that, my only run-ins with police have involved traffic tickets, and as much as know fines are necessary, I can't say it made me feel all warm in fuzzy inside to get them.