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?

Two More Nooses Found in Long Island

Villagers, two more nooses have been found in the Long Island, NY area. The number of incidents continues to grow. The number of perpetrators being caught for these hate crimes is not growing fast enough.

Darren Bryant reported the nooses dangling from the back of a yellow forklift - one with a tarred stuffed animal hanging from the end - said it didn't register as a mere prank.

"I was shocked. I couldn't believe it was happening here in my own community. I don't know what message they were trying to send, but I felt it personally."

Click here for the full story as reported in Long Island newspaper.