Taser Death: Dainell Simmons (Suffolk County, NY)

It happened again. This time an autistic 29-year old Dainell Simmons was in need of help. The folks at the group home where he lived called 911 to seek assistance. Three unidentified Suffolk County police officers arrived. The officers initially were able to calm Simmons after they were summoned to the Maryhaven Center of Hope facility, a tidy, two-story house with brown shingles and black and white trim in Middle Island. [SOURCE]

But when they told Simmons they were taking him to a hospital for a psychiatric evaluation, he began kicking and punching them ... and within minutes one officer began to pepper spray the mentally-ill man, while the other two police officers unleashed their taser guns on Mr. Simmons. He was tased at least twice by the officers.

Simmons became unresponsive. He was transported to John T. Mather Memorial Hospital, where he died.

The police told reporters that Simmons was acting "violent and uncontrollably" and that the decision to use a Taser appeared appropriate under the circumstances. Of course, that is usually how the police try to justify the unjustifiable. There were multiple police officers at the scene. Mr. Simmons was unarmed and he was autistic. Perhaps there are better ways to handle the situation then to pump 50,000 volts of electricity into his body on multiple occasions?

Perp Walk: NY State Sen. Malcolm Smith

I visited my grandfather's office on Capitol Hill back in the day. I was dressed business casual. My grandfather asked if I was coming to his office from my workplace. I said, 'Yes'. My grandfather shared a word of wisdom with me -- "...you are a Black man. Never think for a moment that you can get away with the same things that your white colleagues get away with...".

Nobody shared that memo with New York State Senator Malcolm Smith. Evidently he thought he join others in plot to rig the upcoming mayoral election in New York City through fraud and bribes. He was arrested earlier today as part of an ongoing corruption case. There were others arrested ... but, it always saddens me when a powerful Black official takes the fall.

Smith is a long-time Democrat. He got together with some other Republican politicians to form an alliance based on cash payments and fraud. Smith was trying to buy off Republican leaders because he needed the party’s support in at least three boroughs in order to run as a GOP candidate without even changing his own party affiliation.

Smith met with his alleged co-conspirators as recently as February. Now, we're in the first week of April and Smith is making that perp walk. Sad.