Will Grigg?s Liberty Minute

August 7, 2012

Tacoma resident Lashonn White is deaf. On April 6, White used a specially equipped video phone to call the police after being attacked by a visitor in her home. Six minutes later two officers arrived. They had been informed that White was the victim. They were also informed that the victim was deaf.

After the cops arrived, White ? who couldn?t hear them ? was instructed, via an interpreter, to exit by her front door. When she did, she was immediately tasered by Officer Ryan Koskovich. When she hit the pavement, White suffered severe injuries to her face, ribs, neck, and arms. As horrified neighbors looked on ? some of them shouting that White was deaf and helpless ? the victim was handcuffed and arrested for assault and obstruction. This was done in spite of the fact that the police admitted that there had been a misunderstanding.

White spent the next three days in jail before the city prosecutor dropped the charges. In their official report, Officers Koskovich and Michael Young did what police always do in situations like this: They lied, depicting the victim as an aggressor and justifying the potentially lethal assault in the name of that holiest of all considerations, officer safety.

In the name of all that?s holy: Never call the police.

Let us take back the liberty wherewith Christ has made us free.