You might not want to watch the video below. It scared the life out of me.
It shows hard of hearing cancer survivor Bill Berry, 52, being forcibly ejected from a courthouse in Alberta, Canada. His crime? Inadvertently walking into the building without being screened by security, then not responding to the warnings of a sheiriff…
If you’re anything like me, you’ll have watched that with your hands over your eyes.
Berry was in the courthouse to pay a speeding fine. Having recently undergone treatment for throat cancer, he was wearing a tube in his neck that was removed during the struggle, leaving him unable to breathe. Amazingly, it was decided that the sheriff should not be charged as a result of the incident. (Read a full report here.)
This is just one of a number of incidents where deaf people have been injured or killed because they haven’t heard a warning from a police officer or a security guard.
Last year, an elderly deaf cyclist in America died after a police officer Tasered him when he didn’t respond to verbal warnings. (Read the story in the Mail Online and Gawker.)
And let’s not forget the incident outside a US shopping mall where a deaf ASL user was held in a ‘choke hold’ by a security guard in an incident that went viral on YouTube.
Less seriously, but still worrying, was the story last year when a deaf man was arrested because his sign for “I’m deaf” was mistaken for the V sign by a police officer.
It’s about time people realised that those who do not react to what you say, or respond with gestures instead of words, may not be trying to annoy you. They may simply be deaf.
Apparently, one in six of us are.
By Charlie Swinbourne (Editor)
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Tony Nicholas
February 21, 2012
It’s not just Deafies tho, this police reaction seems to be pretty common….
Mary anne Fasullo
February 21, 2012
police know better !!! when bill berry walked forward when police call him should know quick in police s mind ” maybe he is deaf or what ” then walked and tag on his shoulder and ask whatever police like to ask any questions more polite he look not criminial he come to pay tickets!!!!!tsk tsk tsk
matSeattle
May 20, 2013
Agree with you about not aware of that maybe usher Syndromes with deaf man cannot hear from the security purposed to stop instead of lift him out of door. if he did not attack at security.
Mark
February 21, 2012
You could never accuse American cops of subtlety…
MR DSMC
February 21, 2012
THAT AWFUL WHAT THEY DID DO HIM!
I CONSIDER SHOULD GET NEW BY LAW AMMENDE 5000$ OR MORE MORE!
ALSO ALL POLICE OFFICER OR A SECURITY GUARD SHOULD HAVE A LICENCE ASL BEFORE GET IN WORK!
IT COULD HAPPEN KILL BY SHOCK ASTHMA!
PLEASE STOP THINKING LIKE ANIMAL!
PLEASE STOP AUDSIM AND RESPECT DEAF PEOPLE!
I CAN’T WAIT GET NEW ROBOT COPS THAN HUMAIN!
matSeattle
May 20, 2013
MR DSMC, you need to write small captial. if you written a large captial mean you yelled a people. your childlish english.
Wendy
February 21, 2012
Sadly, I think police officers need feel POWER, POWER AND POWER!!, and they CLEARLY have very, very, very and very LOWEST SELF-ESTEEM AND LACK OF USING YOUR BRAINS AND BE REPSONSIBLE. They look for a “short cut” by using their physical (harmful) ways to us and other innocent people WITHOUT THINKING. What they lack is…. BRAINS!! Quit drinking coffee.. and smell roses!
Any LAW OR POLICE OFFICERS (that applies you and every officer in the world), USE YOUR BRAINS AND THINK! I don’t care if you say, “Ohhhh, he or she is deaf” …or ‘OPPS’ ” That is NO DAMN EXCUSE. To be honest, I think you are MOST LOWEST & FEEBLE ANIMALS WITH STUPID EXCUSES. You STILL think the WHOLLLLLEEEEE world of HEARING PEOPLE.. HEY, USE YOUR BRAINS AND USE LESS YOUR FISTS and CUT YOUR DANGEROUSLY POWER!
YOU think you get away with law by your badges … but not your reputation as a police officer! You are not very responsible. Sorry, we look you ALL THE WAYYYYYY DOWNNNNNN!!
I suggest you, police officers, to lower your egoism and use your heart if you want to keep your reputation in a good, clean way. And take 101 Communication course for a year!!
Arista
February 21, 2012
This is disappionting considering that Red Deer is just 1.5 hours south of Edmonton (or 1.5 hr north of Calgary)! My stomach hurts seeing that this guy actually fought for his life “again” just because of the police neglience. No punishment for the Alberta Sherriff officer? That’s a shame! (Sherriffs in Alberta are new provincial police officers to cover rurual areas, highways, and other areas instead of the RCMP which is a national police force – that’s another story).
So far, I have had positive experience with the police – I usually smile and let them know that I am deaf. That’s when they realize that they have to back-track and find other ways to communicate with me. Gesturing and/or slowing down for me to lipread usually works – and a few times, they had to write things down.
From what I have seen in newspapers and online, it seems like police are much more rough with deaf guys – can’t they do show the same respect to them like I do? I don’t know about deaf women’s experiences. Is there any bias here? I am just wondering… Any research numbers in this area??
sirgarg
February 22, 2012
I might get shot here but here goes!
Mr Berry I’d assume is a resident of Alberta, and is of some intelligence so therefor would be aware that checks are made when entering a courthouse.Surely his first action should have been to make his presence known..and therefor continue about his way.
He glances over and the officer holds his hand up to stop, and Mr Berry continues look closely 00.32.
Instead he is apprehended and due to attitude he resisted the escort out of the building, its quite visible once at the door he still protests.
Possibly knowing he has an audience played the “deaf card”…
Its plain to see why the sheriff was let off..they had a clown arrive that day…giving us all a bad name…
Editor
February 22, 2012
Er..
Who was his audience? The other staff at the courthouse?
The sheriff was the clown.
He dealt with a man wearing a neck tube to breathe very aggressively.
He did not consider that the man might not be able to hear him…
That he was not charged is, in my view a travesty.
Tim ( @TimRegency )
February 23, 2012
I’ve seen some unbelievable ‘blame the victim’ arguments in my time, but that will take some beating. The lack of empathy and compassion I find equally disturbing.
Arista
February 23, 2012
Update: as a native Albertan, I am still disappointed that this happened on our soil. This issue is being spread quickly on the Facebook. I have read comments from the Canadian friends/colleagues… Shame / sickened feeling are common feelings… Some are very upset. A few are hoping that this serves as a lesson to the Alberta Sherriff or police force; education is the key word to prevent this situation from happening over and over again. I am in a full support on finding solutions… A few had opinions on what this man could have done to avoid this situation – eg read the signs or use common sense. I disagree with those comments… Hearing persons could have made the same mistakes upon entering the wrong doors. It is the matter of how the situation was handled.
EhWhat Huh
February 24, 2012
Geez, whatever happened to, “Sir, you need to go back through security.” If it was obvious that the man was a threat and refused to comply, then I can understand the need for excessive force. I understand why they were concerned, because he walked in without going through security. Lord knows what kind of behaviors they encounter everyday. However, it was not as if he ran in screaming.
Also why make it easy for someone to walk in through an Exit door rather than security?
DON PRATT
February 25, 2012
THE GOVERNMENT PEOPLE ARE GETTING MORE POWER AND MEANER SINCE WE GAVE THEM THE MORE POWER TO CONTROL THE INNOCENT VICTIMS WITH NO MERCY !!! THATS BLOODY AWFUL !!
MAYBE , THATS PARTLY OUR(THE DEAFIES) FAULT BECAUSE MOST OF US NEVER OR DONT VOTE TO CONTROL THE GOVERNMENT !!!! OR DONT CARE TO GET INVOLVED WITH IT !!!!
THATS WHY THEY DONT CARE TO TRY TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE CULTURE OF DEAFIES’ LIVING !!!
THE DEAFIES SHOULD GET TOGETHER AND LEARN HOW TO REGISTER AND VOTE TO BUILD MORE DEAF POWER TO IMPRESS AND MAYBE SCARE THE GOV’T TO GET THEIR ATTENTION !!!!
BE TOUGH AND BRAVE TO PROTECT US LIKE THE BLACK PEOPLE DID AND THEY WERE VERY SUCCESSFUL !!!!!!
APART WE FELL … TOGETHER WE STAND !!! PLEASE THINK HARD !!!
THANKS FOR LISTENING DON PRATT
Penelope Beschizza
March 30, 2012
From the UK, being Deaf and as a wife of someone who has the big ‘C’ as well as being additionally disabled, I nearly vomited at the scene.
Empathy with the deaf man with his medical apparel being messed up by a crowd of police officers made the reaction worse.
One wonders how much does the police know about patients carrying tubes in their necks?
The blame lies with the line management of the police, by omitting appropriate Deaf Awareness (and Deaf handling) training.
Jane
December 31, 2012
I think deaf people should be careful with polices, they don’t know you’re deaf, don’t ever act wild to polices when they question you, keep calm around and safe from hurting. that’s reason my son is police and everytime he told me deaf people never to be careful to listen to polices, i am deaf. i never get any problem with police deaf people know better. no excuse !!! all is deaf’s fault. police just try to help at all but all deaf is wild like animal
Irene Thornett
October 31, 2013
What a shocking video!!! These court officials need to learn that not everyone is deliberately ignoring you. There is always a reason why someone does not respond immediately when shouted at, and a little sensitvity would go a long way towards making a difficult situation easier.
I hope the man made a formal complaint against the bully who tried to eject him. This official does not deserve to be employed in such a responsible position.
linda pratt
November 1, 2013
PLEASE READ THE NEWSPAPER FROM BELLINGHAM, WASHINGTON (THE BELLINGHAM HERALD) OF AUGUST 29, 2013 ITS FRONT PAGE ABOUT THE DEAF MAN WON 62,500 DOLLARS FROM THE SHERIFF … THANKS, LINDA