Sheriff Joe Arpaios
Deputies Torture Retired Paramedic
http://www.sheriffjoecorruption.com/
(Story edited thanks to Jon at Jon's Jail Journal Jan 10,2010)
This is an account of my arrest on 12/27/2009, at 12:24 pm, where I was
stopped, detained, cuffed, abused, roughed up, threatened, and denied
medication in the middle of a medical emergency. This was all for quading on
the wrong road and failure to produce a drivers license or ID in the Lake
Pleasant Maricopa County Park.
I was proceeding north on the Lake Pleasant bypass road off SR 74 Peoria, AZ in
my 2009 Polaris Razor S side by side quad, when two sheriff vehicles drove head
on at me from the north and signaled to pull over. My friend Alison was my
passenger.
I was immediately yelled at, intimidated, threatened, told I was trespassing
and asked if I wanted to be arrested by Deputy W.H. (Bill) Coleman. I was
apologetic for my stupidity for being on the wrong road, cooperative and
jovial, which my passenger Alison can attest to.
Coleman stayed in the truck and was immediately overly angry, aggressive and
demeaning, demanding many things in a very serious, bulling manner. I got out
right away, meeting his request for personal and vehicle identification. I went
to the rear of my quad to my storage box, looking for my wallet and quad
insurance. In the process of finding my insurance, I pulled out my asthma
nebulizer, medication for that, and my puffers in a Ziploc bag, and put them
out in the open in case I needed the medication during the altercation. I
advised the officers I had a serious pulmonary medical condition that might
require medication at any time if the asthma flared up and my pulmonary system
closed down. I also advised them that because I had been poisoned with H2S
(hydrogen sulfide), that my throat dried out quickly and closed up if I did not
have water all the time and access to my throat lozenges or my Ice Breakers
candies to keep my throat lubricated.
Deputy S. E Osborn was in my face ranting and raving he was a paramedic and
knew all about everything. He made me pull off my glasses to see if I was
impaired from medication, ranting that some steroids cause impairment. When I
put my glasses back on, he demanded I remove them again. I mentioned I had very
sensitive eyes to sunlight and needed to wear them, and eventually was allowed
to put them on after he badgered me over and over about how I could be stoned
on my asthma medication.
In the process of finding the insurance, I was being badgered and bullied by W.
H. Coleman, who threatened to arrest me, saying things like, Oh, you really
want to be arrested dont you? You are going to jail, over and over. I took
the insurance to William H. Colemans truck and handed it to him. My attitude
was pleasant and cooperative and jovial, desiring to meet all of Colemans
demands. In the process of looking for my information, I realized I only had my
Visa credit card, as I hadnt put my wallet in the quad. I explained this to W.
H. Coleman and apologized, showing him the insurance certificate and my credit
card.
He immediately accused me of possibly possessing a stolen Visa card, and that
this was no assistance to him in identifying me. Over and over he kept
threatening to arrest me, and asking me If wanted to be arrested. He gave me a
pad and pen, and demanded I write my name, DOB and Social Security number. I
complied. W. H. Coleman became increasingly angry, boisterous and abusive about
my name, Don, and accused me of trying to lie and deceive him. He insisted that
my name must be Donald or Donny and was not Don. I assured him it was my legal
name. He increasingly became irritated, and abusive, escalated his aggressive
manner and threats of imprisonment.
Absolutely nothing I could tell him or say to him upon his requests were good
enough as witnessed by Alison before they separated us, and took her where she
could not see the abuse the officers were doing and was going to do further
once she was out of my sight. W. H. Coleman and S. E. Osborn wanted me to kiss
their asses, belittling me constantly with aggressive words, movements towards
me and threats. It was obvious to me William H. Colemans intention was to
escalate a simple driving down a restricted road to an aggressive arrest and
detainment. That was his goal the whole time of his inappropriate questioning
and detainment.
He then became even angrier after I wrote the information for him. He demanded
I write it again clearer for him. I immediately complied and gave him my legal
mailing address in Cottonwood. He was irritated he could not find me on his
computer system. I told him I had a British Columbia drivers license, and
recently within the last month registered a vehicle in Cottonwood, AZ and he
should be able to find me on the DMV database. He could not find my vehicle or
my information. I told William Coleman I was camped over at Lake Pleasant RV
Park, and my wallet must have been left in the RV. I offered to get it for him
if he required.
Deputy S. E. Osborn was standing close to me at the back of my quad during the
interrogation. Coleman and Osborn became increasingly aggressive, demeaning,
and overly excessive in their questioning and my treatment. My throat started
drying excessively and I requested to get my Ice Breakers so my throat would
not close up. When I made a move to get my candies for my throat, Osborn chose
to put the handcuffs on me. He tightened them up way too tight, cutting off my
circulation in both wrists, causing me pain and started roughing me up, and
pushing me into my quad with my chest against my quad. I could see concerns of
my asthma flaring up with the increasing police abuse and rough physical
treatment.
I explained that if I had an asthma attack that I would need my
medication and I would need the nebulizer treatment to recover from the asthma
attack. I explain to both officers that my lungs were poisoned with H2S gas,
and that I needed water and throat lozenges all the time to keep my throat from
drying up and closing up due to the nature of the poisoning. Osborn was
cooperative a couple of times in assisting giving me water from my drink bottle
that was filled with Propel. A few minutes later when I became irritated, I
could not get enough water and needed my lozenges for my throat that was drying
up and the bronchial airway was closing up. He denied me any water at all. I
told them I was a retired paramedic.
As their aggression increased, they took my friend Alison out of sight. Their
aggression increased the second she was gone. I was trying to tell her where to
find my wallet and to bring my drivers license and to also call a lawyer
immediately, and that I wanted to press civil charges against the officer for
gross excessive force. I was cooperative with all information they wanted, but I
was still roughed up and jerked around with the cuffs to purposely injure my
shoulders, arms and wrists. I was told I could not talk to her and to stop
yelling to her, that I was being aggressive by trying to talk to her. I
started to severely cramp and have spasms in my abdomen, pulmonary system and
back-kidney area. I was bending over in pain due to their excessive force and
rough treatment. I requested they put the cuffs on in front so I could deal
with the medical issues and the severe cramping, and so I could bend over to
assist in the cramp dissipating. There were hurting me, pushing me around and
roughing me up increasingly and would not loosen the cuffs. S. E. Osborn said
he had one finger width in between my wrists and the cuffs. I advised him that
was not the case, as my hands were going numb from lack of circulation and had
incredible pain from the cuffs being purposely put on too tight just to cause
me more pain and suffering.
I became increasingly upset and panicked by all the verbal abuse, swearing,
threats and physical abuse and pain being caused by the officer to
intentionally make me break. I told them I did not have a problem with filing
civil abuse and excessive arrest behavior charges against them because of their
unprofessional action. They then denied me access to my water. My throat was
drying out severely from all the communications with them, and I requested I be
given one of my Ice Breakers again to help my throat. They said they did not
know what they were and that they could be drugs and refused to give me water
or my lozenges. At that time I yelled at Alison again to document their actions
when she got back to the trailer, to call a lawyer and have him file charges
against the officers.
I was not going to be intimidated and roughed up by these unprofessional bully
tactics without taking action against them and they did not like the fact I
said that to Alison. I was thrown to the ground, pushed over, cramping and
crying for help to have the cuffs loosened. He refused to loosen the cuffs,
laughing at me and smiling at Deputy William Coleman, saying they could do
anything they wanted and that I had no rights at all with them.
Their aggression increased as they mocked and swore at me. I was in the sun for
about 40 minutes, not allowed water or my medication. If S. E. Osborn was a
licensed paramedic as he said he was, it was evident I was having an asthma
attack. My airways started closing up. I was coughing severely, could not
breath and begged them for the medication.
I asked them to put my hat on and take my coat off. Osborn called me a dumb
s**t for not bringing a hat to the desert. This angered me as I had my hat on
when I was stopped but took it off and they refused to put it on. I asked to
let me take off my coat as I was becoming overheated, having breathing problems
and coughing. Instead they threw me to the ground as I was cramping up and
trying to find a position to relieve the pulmonary and abdominal cramps. They
refused to let me use my nebulizer medical equipment or my asthma puffer.
Instead they called the Peoria Fire Department. At that time, I started to
swear at them. I was so angry they would not give me my medication, which was
just a few feet away and out in the open. I had reached my limit of pain,
become panicky, scared and thought I might die without my medication. My verbal
language increased as I feared dying on the road when the medication was feet
away. Never in my life have I ever seen an officer of the law act like this, a
man who gloated he was a paramedic, while breaking every police and paramedic
oath for assisting a choking man having an asthma attack.
Coleman advised the paramedics I just did not want to go to jail and was not
having an asthma attack. Osborn just mocked me in front of the firefighters/paramedics,
and claimed that I was trying to keep out of jail by faking an attack. One
paramedic did give me one drink from my water bottle while the officers filled
their heads with negative comments about me. The paramedics started siding with
the officers, and would no longer let me take fluids while in the heat there
for 40 minutes.
The medic took my blood pressure and O2 saturation level only, advising me my
O2 level was 98% and that I did not need my asthma medication. He did not check
my breathing, chest or back with a stethoscope to hear the restrictive
breathing in the bronchial tubes and pulmonary system and advised me he did not
think I was an asthmatic. He said he did not think I was having an asthma
attack, even though my breathing became increasingly restricted in front of
them. I was gagging, coughing, and pulmonary fluid was coming up and phlegm. I
was spitting out the fluids from my lungs as it became increasingly difficult
to breath. I apologized and warned all around me I had to spit.
Another fire truck showed up and I think there were 8 Peoria
firefighters/paramedics. I was cramping severely, asking for help, asking for
them to give me a breathing treatment to open up my bronchial system, which was
obviously closing up and causing me extreme breathing difficulties. As I was
asking for my medication all the while on the ground, the 4-5 sheriffs laughed
at me, mocking me, telling one another, Look he is still alive and talking. He
just got out 15 swear words, so he must not be having an asthma attack. I
started panicking, could not breath, begged them and cussed at them for
standing around when I needed simple help and medication that was available.
Osborn during the whole time kept yelling at me and telling the firefighters I
just did not want to go to jail, and was advising the medics I was not having
an asthma attack. He sat me up and was kneeing me in the back from behind,
making it look like he was letting me lean against his knees and continually
yanked on my arms to cause pain with the cuffs.
They refused to loosen the cuffs regardless of my plea or put them on in front
so I could better deal with the pulmonary cramp and cramps all over now. I
became increasingly panic ridden, coughing and gagging, apologizing that I had
to spit, trying to breathe without my medication. It was truly amazing that I
did not expire and stop breathing. I had no other choice but to try to control
the attack without medication, regardless of the physical and verbal abuse the
officers exerted on me.
W. H. Coleman came over to assist S. E. Osborn, to stand up with him on one
side and Osborn on the other side. In the process of doing that, Coleman pulled
on my arms excessively yanking me up, while Osborn yelled at me to stay down.
It was a coordinated effort between the two officers to purposely injure me
further, intimidate me and play with my psyche. One saying he wanted me to
stand up, laughing, and the other driving me down to ground, making the cuffs
cut into my wrist, contrary to their instructions. They were the most rude,
aggressive, antagonistic officers I have seen in my life as a paramedic. They
were openly laughing with each other and enjoying roughing me up as much as
they could without making any physical visible marks on my body.
I asked numerous times to be allowed to lean up against my quad in the shade,
and I was denied that. I was denied a hat for my bald head, denied water and my
medication. All adding to my increasing irritation and panic. I swore at them,
cussed at them and told them what terrible abusive assholes they were, not
caring how they treated me.
At no time did I ever threaten any physical harm to them, other than I was
going to charge them for excessive force during a simple stop for quading on
the wrong road. I never once made on aggressive movement to them or tried to
raise my hands against them. Their force was grossly excessive from the onset.
Their verbal abuse and intimidation was nothing I have ever had to deal with in
my life, let alone coming from supposed professional police officers. There was
absolutely no need for the cuffs or for the cuffs being tightened purposely to
injure me and cause me pain. No need for any of their rough treatment, the
kneeing me in the back and jerking me around to tear my shoulder muscles, arms and
wrists to purposely cause injury to someone who was cooperating with their
questioning.
There was one officer who talked to my friend, apologizing for Colemans
actions and abuse. He was openly embarrassed about Colemans manners and way,
telling her he shows up on every scene loaded for bear. The officer who was
going to transport me told me that Coleman told him I spit on him, and asked if
he needed to put a mask on me for transport. I advised him I was having an
asthma attack and told all of them I had to get fluid and phlegm out of my
lungs, apologized and then spat on the ground, never at any officer or fire
fighter. If Coleman was telling the truth to the other officer and it was not
another antagonistic comment to escalate the arrest, then I implore Coleman to
supply the clothes I spit on as evidence or the cloth or Kleenex they
supposedly used to clean it up on them. It was just a constant continuation of
lies, abuse, and poisoning everyone around me that I was such a terrible person
that required and justified excessive force to subdue me and for everyone
around me to see I was uncooperative and combative, which was a total lie.
I advised the officer of the truth, and he did not put the mask on me. He was
the most professional police officer on the site. I believe he drove my friend
to the RV where my drivers license was retrieved. He treated my friend Alison
with respect and at no time engaged in the abuse or excessive force that was
enacted by all the other officers and firefighters.
I was transported to a holding cell at the Lake Pleasant Sheriffs office.
There was no toilet paper. When I asked Osborn for some he told me to use my
coat to wipe my own f***ing a*s, and laughed at me. He told me I had no
rights in jail.
After some time, I was called to step back from the door. I got a drink of
water, which Osborn and Coleman tried to rush from me as they did not want me
to take a drink before the long ride to town. I knew it was my only chance for
water as they refused to give any to me earlier. I was yelled at to stop
drinking and to step outside and turn around. I did not know Colemans name at
the time, as I needed to see his nametag to memorize it and identify him for my
complaint. I was jerked around hard and told to look forward. He yelled at me
to drop my coat, pulled out his Taser and threatened to tase me because I just
did not comply fast enough for him. He roughed me up some more in front of the
other officers, cuffed me too tight and too hard. I asked if they could cuff me
in the front to deal with the cramps, and was told it was against their policy.
The transportation officer had all the windows closed and the A/C vents in the
prisoner section closed. I requested many times to have my cuffs changed to the
front as I was in extreme pain and cramping. By the time I got to the city I
was in such pain I was crying, cramped up so bad I could hardly move or
function.
I have temporarily lost feeling in parts of both hands, which are now numb and
swollen, and have other medical problems from the rough treatment from Coleman
and Osborn.
Don's life was so affected by this incident, he's now on a crusade to expose
the Arpaio regime, and has set up the website Exposing Joe Arpaio & Police
Thuggery
Without prejudice
All rights reserved
Non-assumpsit contract
Regards,
Don
http://www.sheriffjoecorruption.com/
Maricopa County Sheriff Department
Lake Pleasant Mountain Division
Attackers: Deputy W.H. (Bill) Coleman, S.E. Osborn