View Full Version : County Won't Pay Medical Expenses For Toddler Hit With Police Grenade



Jersey Boss
08-21-2014, 10:06 PM
Can you believe this? What is going on in this country?
County will not pay medical bills for toddler hurt in... | www.wsbtv.com (http://www.wsbtv.com/news/news/local/lawyer-county-refuses-pay-medical-bills-toddler-hu/ng3s9/)

MadMonk
08-21-2014, 10:13 PM
Who brings a toddler to a riot?

Snowman
08-21-2014, 10:32 PM
Who brings a toddler to a riot?

It is totally unrelated to the recent riots, it was from a SWAT raid on their home, a flashbang that had been thrown landed in it's crib.

Jersey Boss
08-21-2014, 10:44 PM
Nor did the SWAT team find the person they were looking for at the house. The address to the suspect was provided by a CI, which makes one question the validity of the information in the first place.

ylouder
08-22-2014, 02:56 AM
This is a horrible case. They can afford to storm a house but not even conduct any surveillance to know thst who they are looking for doesn't even live there anymore.

All over drug charges they throw a flash bang grenade into a crib and walk away like it's not their problem.

No charges to cops and refusing to pay the baby's bills.

BBatesokc
08-22-2014, 04:52 AM
This is incredible - but doesn't surprise me.

Had someone from the south side contact me the other day out of frustration. Police kicked in their door and tore their house apart while the resident was at work. They came home to an unsecured house that they thought had been burglarized - that is until they saw a copy of a search warrant on their table. Problem is, the person whom they were seeking evidence on was a former renter and the current renter doesn't even know them.

They claim they contacted the city with their landlords information to prove the person they were seeking hadn't lived there in awhile. The city offered no relief to fix the door, clean the house (many bottles were emptied to reveal their contents and laundry soap powder dumped on the floor, and a few things broken).

In another case, a friend called me because he drove past his commercial building on Robinson and saw a ladder fire truck parked next to his building and it was extending its ladder over his roof. Also saw several police cars. He was detained and told a CI informed them his shop was a chop shop and several stolen cars were inside and they wanted to see inside. He asked for a warrant and they just laughed at him and told him he was welcome to sit in handcuffs for a few hours while they get one - and the standard "if you're not a criminal then you shouldn't mind letting us in." Apparently the ladder truck was so the police could hoover over the property and look down into an unroofed court yard attached to the building. I'm guessing you'll be seeing police drones do this in the future.

He has severe asthma so he decided not to let himself get worked up and went to open the door to the building. That's when he noticed all the kick marks and dented front door where they had already tried to kick the door in. Their response...... "Did you see us kick your door?"

When he opened the door they saw what he told them they'd see - a basically empty shop with some family belongings being stored there.

No apology from the police, they just told him they were keeping an eye on him.

ylouder
08-22-2014, 06:47 AM
I've always have been a police supporter, but this type of behavior really bothers me.

There is no accountability and no consequences. You would think that they would need to search records or atleast have surveillance on the place for a few days before breaking down the door and storming in.

I just really feel for the family (i have small children myself) and the thought of this actually makes me at a loss of words.

kelroy55
08-22-2014, 07:27 AM
If the information used was bad or if it was for somebody that didn't live there anymore the city should pay for all damages and the judges who sign those search warrants need to be asking if the info has been verified by other means than a CI. I don't know about the legalities of looking down into a courtyard or if that's protected by the 4th Amendment, that seems to be the same as looking into a window of somebodies home.

bombermwc
08-22-2014, 07:57 AM
And all of these things are when it's time to sue the city. If the police aren't acting properly, then they should be taken to court to pay up. There has to be a check and balance to every branch. I dont want to say that a few bad apples are true for the entire force, but the mentalities of these officers are a good example of the a-hole attitude a lot of officers have because they think they are untouchable. Liek the lovely "just do what i say" officer. How about, "don't be a prick just because you're in the cop car"? I've had plenty encounters with officers that show that there are plenty great people out there doing great work. Unfortunately, you dont hear about them, you only hear about the pricks. But those pricks needs to have their behavior corrected and suing their butts is a good way to do it. There isn't a shortage of lawyers that will take it up...

Jersey Boss
08-22-2014, 09:07 AM
The bottom line in this example and the two examples Brian cited are examples that the police have virtually no accountability for their actions. This is the sort of thing that goes on day in day out in cities across this country. Usually these actions take place in the lower socio economic areas where people do not have the means to take this to court and even if they do, they will get some retribution. I laugh when I see people criticize other nations for a lack of freedom and not being a nation of laws, when I see blatant disregard of the 4th amendment and no repercussions.

Jersey Boss
08-22-2014, 09:09 AM
And all of these things are when it's time to sue the city. If the police aren't acting properly, then they should be taken to court to pay up. There has to be a check and balance to every branch. I dont want to say that a few bad apples are true for the entire force, but the mentalities of these officers are a good example of the a-hole attitude a lot of officers have because they think they are untouchable. Liek the lovely "just do what i say" officer. How about, "don't be a prick just because you're in the cop car"? I've had plenty encounters with officers that show that there are plenty great people out there doing great work. Unfortunately, you dont hear about them, you only hear about the pricks. But those pricks needs to have their behavior corrected and suing their butts is a good way to do it. There isn't a shortage of lawyers that will take it up...

Sovereign Immunity. Another way to avoid accountability.

CuatrodeMayo
08-22-2014, 09:22 AM
This is incredible - but doesn't surprise me.

These stories and the OP I find incredibly disheartening and deeply disturbing.

Midtowner
08-22-2014, 09:55 AM
And all of these things are when it's time to sue the city. If the police aren't acting properly, then they should be taken to court to pay up. There has to be a check and balance to every branch. I dont want to say that a few bad apples are true for the entire force, but the mentalities of these officers are a good example of the a-hole attitude a lot of officers have because they think they are untouchable. Liek the lovely "just do what i say" officer. How about, "don't be a prick just because you're in the cop car"? I've had plenty encounters with officers that show that there are plenty great people out there doing great work. Unfortunately, you dont hear about them, you only hear about the pricks. But those pricks needs to have their behavior corrected and suing their butts is a good way to do it. There isn't a shortage of lawyers that will take it up...

What lawyer is going to take a case where the damages are maybe $300 for a door?

JIMBO
08-23-2014, 02:36 PM
Small claims court. You don't need a lawyer.

BBatesokc
08-23-2014, 02:52 PM
Small claims court. You don't need a lawyer.

The damages will far exceed the limits of small claims court ( if referring to the original post). I wonder if this would fall under any sort of tort claim?

Bounty hunters kick in doors and break out windows all the time and don't have to pay to repair the damage if they got their fugitive in the process.

And, while you don't have to have a lawyer in small claims court - if the other side has one, they can make it a miserable experience for you.

JIMBO
08-23-2014, 03:27 PM
The damages will far exceed the limits of small claims court ( if referring to the original post). I wonder if this would fall under any sort of tort claim?

Bounty hunters kick in doors and break out windows all the time and don't have to pay to repair the damage if they got their fugitive in the process.

And, while you don't have to have a lawyer in small claims court - if the other side has one, they can make it a miserable experience for you.

I wasn't referring to the original, I was referring to your post #6. The break-in trashing of an apartment.
A quick trip to the Oklahoma Court Clerks web site tells me the limit is $7500.
As far as facing an attorney, just present the facts and let the $150 dollar an hour lawyer try to deny.

BBatesokc
08-23-2014, 03:49 PM
I wasn't referring to the original, I was referring to your post #6. The break-in trashing of an apartment.

I thought possibly so, that's why I mentioned a possible tort claim regarding the minor damage(s).


As far as facing an attorney, just present the facts and let the $150 dollar an hour lawyer try to deny.

It can go relatively easy in small claims and it can be a nightmare. I know, I've been there a few times with my own cases and I've watched literally hundreds of cases.

When lawyers are involved - either representing whomever you're suing or defending themselves from being sued, it OFTEN is not that simple. They'll file multiple motions, they'll request special hearings (to be conducted at a later date and time and without the public present), they'll often pull every trick in the book from claiming bad service of the summons to you name it.

It SHOULD be a simple process of simply two people presenting their perspective of the case and letting the judge decide - sometimes that how it goes and sometimes not.

JIMBO
08-23-2014, 04:48 PM
True, but at some point it costs more to defend against the claim than the claim is worth.

Bunty
08-24-2014, 01:39 AM
Can you believe this? What is going on in this country?
County will not pay medical bills for toddler hurt in... | www.wsbtv.com (http://www.wsbtv.com/news/news/local/lawyer-county-refuses-pay-medical-bills-toddler-hu/ng3s9/)

What can people do about it? Elected officials seem to look the other way about such tragic matters, while cops face little to no disciplinary action. Once again, what it boils down to is that the war on drugs is really a war on people, too often totally innocent ones.

Bunty
08-24-2014, 01:42 AM
Who brings a toddler to a riot?

Do you at least sometimes read the links before commenting?

Bunty
08-24-2014, 01:58 AM
While I was on the strip in Stillwater the other day, a 61 year old man told me the story of what happened to him after he realized he just got swiped by a pickpocket in one of the bars. He raced outside yelling loudly at the thief and then at the police for help, who were just up the street. When the police arrived they ended up arresting the old man, because they thought he was drunk from doing all that yelling. The old man claimed he wasn't drunk and the lady bartender backed up his story. Yet, he was jailed and wasn't allowed to contact his credit card company about the theft. Wondered what the police side of the story was, though.

BBatesokc
08-24-2014, 05:37 AM
True, but at some point it costs more to defend against the claim than the claim is worth.

EXACTLY. But that works both ways. Often it costs too much time, energy, frustration and money to try and collect an outstanding debt in small claims court.

If you're a small business or self-employed and can take the hit, its often just better to take the tax write-off, save your sanity and move along.

kevinpate
08-24-2014, 08:00 AM
Winning a judgment in small claims court = qualifying for a position at the starting line of a multi-lap race to collect. There is no assurance of finishing the race, let alone having one's picture taken with an over sized check in the winners circle, and there is a definite potential for an expensive crash or two along the way, but one does at least get to try after they qualify.