“In the Fox Channel 5 online news reported on September 3. 2012, there is an account of an inmate at the San Diego County Jail who appeared to be unresponsive in his cell. When deputies entered the cell, however, it was reported the inmate attacked the officers. Shortly thereafter, the inmate was taken to the University of California, San Diego Medical Center. (UCSD Hospital). While having a computer tomography (CT) scan, the inmate slipped out of restraints. Then, the inmate started swinging a chain at deputies and a medical technician. A deputy fired a Taser dart at his torso and he was struck with batons. Nonetheless, the defendant was able to stand up and as he was charging at a Deputy Sheriff, he was fatally shot.
These situations only remind us how vigilant law enforcement must be when at work, whether on duty in the street, in the jail or hospital.. Sadly, there are individuals in society that do not or cannot respond to directions from law enforcement, whether it is a result of their mental condition, use or abuse of drugs and/or behavior that is otherwise unpredictable or uncontrollable. No one condones taking another person’s life, except where there are special circumstances such as “self-defense, which appears to be the case in the situation described by the online reporter. Neither the conduct of the defendant nor the officers can be assessed without all of the facts and information. Until that is available, the best anyone can do is to wait and see before rushing to judgment. At the same time, the account sheds light on the increasing challenges that exist in society today. We all must be mindful of these stresses and try to put sufficient balance into our lives regardless what we are doing and where we are, as well as to be more tolerant and have greater understanding.”
Sam Spital, Criminal Defense Lawyer
