Published on Alternet (http://www.alternet.org)
Home > 77-Year-Old Blind Man Calls 911 for Help, Cop Shows Up, Beats &
Arrests Him for No Reason
________________________________________
77-Year-Old Blind Man Calls 911 for Help, Cop Shows Up, Beats & Arrests Him
for No Reason
By Matt Agorist [1] / The Free Thought Project [2]
November 1, 2015
Denver, CO - Philip White was traveling back home from a conference on
technical advancements to assist the blind on May 22, 2012, when he missed
his bus in Denver. White, who was 77 at the time, and blind, called the
police after the bus station security guard told him he had to leave the
station. This call would prove to be detrimental.
White was told that the bus was full and he couldn't get on board. He only
wanted to discuss options with staffers at the terminal, but he eventually
was told by a security guard that he was "trespassing" and he'd have to
leave the terminal, according to court documents.
"Philip White missed his bus to the mountains, when he asked Greyhound staff
for help in catching the next bus home, he was told by a security guard he
was trespassing and had to leave the Greyhound Bus Depot," said White's
attorney Mari Newman. "This is a Master's Degree holder and long-time
educator who was set upon with excessive force as police violated his civil
rights, all over a bus ticket."
After being told to leave, White declined and then called the police.
Officer Kyllion Chafin of the notoriously brutal Denver police
[3]department showed up.
Though White had placed the call to police, Chafin escalated the situation
to violence. White, who did not know Chafin was a police officer since he
couldn't see him, asked to feel Chafin's badge to confirm he was an officer.
"He told me 'You aren't touching me,'" said White.
According to KDVR, [4]
The cop grabbed his arms, forcing them behind him, then cuffed him so
tightly he suffered nerve damage in his fingers - or eyes, for him. He was
then slammed into the ticket counter leaving his head bleeding.
When Sgt. Bob Wykoff arrived, instead of trying to defuse the situation and
offer the blind man help, without reading White his Miranda Rights, he began
to videotape a bus station interrogation without White's consent.
White was then brought to the downtown jail where he sat for eight hours
before police realized they had no reason to keep him. He was then released,
bloodied and bruised, without charges.
"I thought they would have killed me if they thought they could get away
with it," said White. "I always trusted cops, but now my confidence in them
is shaken. I felt so bad I wanted to leave the USA."
On Friday, Denver taxpayers were held liable for Chafin's violence. A jury
awarded White $100,000 in compensatory damages and $300,000 in punitive
damages.
Chafin faced zero discipline and his department defended his brutal actions.
"We respect the court and we respect the jury's decision," said Sonny
Jackson, a police spokesman. "We reviewed the case. We didn't find any
violations of policy. We are always looking for ways to improve."
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[6]
________________________________________
Source URL:
http://www.alternet.org/civil-liberties/77-year-old-blind-man-called-911-hel
p-cop-shows-beat-arrested-him-no-reason
Links:
[1] http://www.alternet.org/authors/matt-agorist
[2] http://thefreethoughtproject.com/
[3]
http://thefreethoughtproject.com/denver-police-department-set-stifiling-prot
ests-pepper-sprayed-12-year/
[4]
http://kdvr.com/2015/10/31/blind-man-awarded-400000-in-police-brutality-suit
/
[5] mailto:corrections@xxxxxxxxxxxx?Subject=Typo on 77-Year-Old Blind Man
Calls 911 for Help, Cop Shows Up, Beats & Arrests Him for No Reason
[6] http://www.alternet.org/
[7] http://www.alternet.org/%2Bnew_src%2B
Published on Alternet (http://www.alternet.org)
Home > 77-Year-Old Blind Man Calls 911 for Help, Cop Shows Up, Beats &
Arrests Him for No Reason
77-Year-Old Blind Man Calls 911 for Help, Cop Shows Up, Beats & Arrests Him
for No Reason
By Matt Agorist [1] / The Free Thought Project [2]
November 1, 2015
Denver, CO - Philip White was traveling back home from a conference on
technical advancements to assist the blind on May 22, 2012, when he missed
his bus in Denver. White, who was 77 at the time, and blind, called the
police after the bus station security guard told him he had to leave the
station. This call would prove to be detrimental.
White was told that the bus was full and he couldn't get on board. He only
wanted to discuss options with staffers at the terminal, but he eventually
was told by a security guard that he was "trespassing" and he'd have to
leave the terminal, according to court documents.
"Philip White missed his bus to the mountains, when he asked Greyhound staff
for help in catching the next bus home, he was told by a security guard he
was trespassing and had to leave the Greyhound Bus Depot," said White's
attorney Mari Newman. "This is a Master's Degree holder and long-time
educator who was set upon with excessive force as police violated his civil
rights, all over a bus ticket."
After being told to leave, White declined and then called the police.
Officer Kyllion Chafin of the notoriously brutal Denver police [3]department
showed up.
Though White had placed the call to police, Chafin escalated the situation
to violence. White, who did not know Chafin was a police officer since he
couldn't see him, asked to feel Chafin's badge to confirm he was an officer.
"He told me 'You aren't touching me,'" said White.
According to KDVR, [4]
The cop grabbed his arms, forcing them behind him, then cuffed him so
tightly he suffered nerve damage in his fingers - or eyes, for him. He was
then slammed into the ticket counter leaving his head bleeding.
When Sgt. Bob Wykoff arrived, instead of trying to defuse the situation and
offer the blind man help, without reading White his Miranda Rights, he began
to videotape a bus station interrogation without White's consent.
White was then brought to the downtown jail where he sat for eight hours
before police realized they had no reason to keep him. He was then released,
bloodied and bruised, without charges.
"I thought they would have killed me if they thought they could get away
with it," said White. "I always trusted cops, but now my confidence in them
is shaken. I felt so bad I wanted to leave the USA."
On Friday, Denver taxpayers were held liable for Chafin's violence. A jury
awarded White $100,000 in compensatory damages and $300,000 in punitive
damages.
Chafin faced zero discipline and his department defended his brutal actions.
"We respect the court and we respect the jury's decision," said Sonny
Jackson, a police spokesman. "We reviewed the case. We didn't find any
violations of policy. We are always looking for ways to improve."
Error! Hyperlink reference not valid.
Error! Hyperlink reference not valid.
Report typos and corrections to 'corrections@xxxxxxxxxxxx'. [5]
Error! Hyperlink reference not valid.[6]
Source URL:
http://www.alternet.org/civil-liberties/77-year-old-blind-man-called-911-hel
p-cop-shows-beat-arrested-him-no-reason
Links:
[1] http://www.alternet.org/authors/matt-agorist
[2] http://thefreethoughtproject.com/
[3]
http://thefreethoughtproject.com/denver-police-department-set-stifiling-prot
ests-pepper-sprayed-12-year/
[4]
http://kdvr.com/2015/10/31/blind-man-awarded-400000-in-police-brutality-suit
/
[5] mailto:corrections@xxxxxxxxxxxx?Subject=Typo on 77-Year-Old Blind Man
Calls 911 for Help, Cop Shows Up, Beats & Arrests Him for No Reason
[6] http://www.alternet.org/
[7] http://www.alternet.org/%2Bnew_src%2B
