Wednesday
Mar092005
Black Man Dies In Police Custody After Being Shot With Taser - Police Stopped the Wrong Man
Wednesday, March 9, 2005 at 01:57PM 
Two DeLand police officers are off the job after a man they were trying to arrest died in custody. Willie Michael Towns died shortly after he was shot with a taser during a struggle with the officers. The ironic part of this story is, Towns wasn't even the man the police were looking for. DeLand police were looking for a burglary suspect named Mike. They saw Towns and he fit the description, but he was not the man they were looking for. Police approached him on Woodland Boulevard to ask him some questions. For some reason, he took off. Police didn't even bother with pursuit. But then Towns was spotted on the roof of a building. Police say they had no choice but to chase him then. The suspect jumped from the roof to a metal awning. He was going to try to jump to the ground, but decided to break a window and go inside the building, according to the police report. Two officers tackled Towns who, they say, tried repeatedly to jump out the second floor window. They also tasered him three times, with apparently no effect. Towns later admitted doing cocaine that day. Officers finally subdued Towns, strapped him to a board and put him in an ambulance where, the report says, he began fighting with paramedics, then suddenly stopped. Towns was dead. Once again, police are left wondering why this happened. The autopsy report will be out Tuesday. [more]
Reader Comments (8)
THE RIGHT TO LIVE
One afternoon, January 16, 2004, my year 17 old son, "Leonardo Barquin", left home and has not yet returned. He was shot three times in the back, later beaten and brutalized to the point where his coffin could not be opened at his funeral because of his disfiguration.
The culprit who shot my unarmed son in the back and the beat him, is a Metro-Dade police "officer Jorge Espinosa" who has previous records of police brutality.
Unfortunately, this police officer is still armed and walking the streets. Although the autopsy says my son died of the gun shot wounds, Metro-Dade Police department still determined that "officer Jorge Espinosa" acted correctly. In any case, I will still bring justice for my son "Leonardo Barquin" and his younger siblings.
UNTIL WHEN?
"Leonardo Barquin" was a caring boy, loved by all, with no prior criminal violations. On the other hand, police "officer Jorge Espinosa" had previous human rights violations of "police brutality" and is walking the streets with a gun in his hand. This is more than a complaint, it is a warning to all mothers of adolescents because "Jorge Espinosa", who is said to be a police officer, is an assasin. To the adolescents, be very careful with police officers like "officer Jorge Espinosa"; do not be afraid to bring charges againts any police for brutality.
I have confidence in the justice of this country and I know that this assassin will go to prison. This police brutality needs to be stopped. There are many cases of ultimately unarmed adolescents, like Osiel Santana, beaten for the police of Hialeah.
There is also the case of Peter Daniel who lost part of his liver but is fortune to be alive, who was beaten by the police of Sweetwater.
NO MORE POLICE BRUTALITY
My life is destroyed. I am making this complaint because I have two other young children, one is 7 years old, and the other is 8 years old. If I would not be doing this, my life would be over because this pain is intolerable. The statistics are horrible showing that police brutality is worse each time. My name is Beatriz Luis, and more than making a complaint, I want to ask the people who are victims of police brutality to contact me so that together we can stop this massacre. My email address is leonardobarquin@yahoo.com.
Loves lives through thoughts and memories, and in our hearts, our loved ones remain with each day. There are neither words nor tears which can explain this hurt; part of my heart left. I Love You Always, My Bebe.
For my baby, from his mother, who will love him forever.
LEONARDO BARQUIN
ABRIL 16 1986
ENERO 16 2004
No a La Brutalidad Policial En Memoria De Osiel Santana
TE QUEREMOS MUCHO,Y SE HARA JUSTICIA
Una tarde del 24 de Mayo de 2004,mi hijo Osiel Santana,salio de mi casa y todavia no a vuelto,esto es lo peor que le puede suseder a una mama,yo continuo,en este mundo,porque voy a hacer justicia.
Porque la policia no puede seguir impunemente cometiendo brutalidades con ninos,desarmados.Mi hijito no estaba cometiendo ningun delito,solo tocaba una puerta para pedir agua,y me lo golpeo brutalmente la policia,de Hialeah,no tenia un pedazito de su cuerpo que no estubiera golpeado,sangraba por todas partes,mi bebe murio,horas despues en el hospital.El dia 25,de Mayo,esto es lo peor que le puede pasar a una mama.
EL DERECHO A LA VIDA
Yo Mayda Portal,madre de Osiel Santana,ni siquiera se los nombres de los policias que golpearon a mi hijo ,porque la policia no los quiere decir.
Tenemos que unirnos las madres de los adolecentes victimas de brutalidad policial,para parar estos actos de violencias no continuen,y los adolecentes victimas de esta brutalidad lo denuncien,que no tengan miedo,pueden contactarme a el correo osielamor25@aol.com
TE AMAMOS POR SIEMPRE
Despues de la partida de un hijo la vida se nos acaba.
No podemos seguir permitiendo estos actos de brutalidad,tenemos que unirnos y pararlos.
EL AMOR VIVE POR SIEMPRE EN LA MEMORIA Y EN LOS PENSAMIENTOS.
PORQUE EN NUESTROS CORAZONES,NUESTROS SERES QUERIDOS ESTARAN CON NOSOTROS CADA DIA.
NO EXISTEN PALABRAS,NI LAGRIMAS QUE PUEDAN EXPLICAR ESTE DOLOR.SOLO ME FALTA UN PEDAZO DE CORAZON.TE AMO POR SIEMPRE,TU MAMA.
OSIEL SANTANA
NOVIEMBRE 25 1984-MAYO 25 2004.
CORREO osielamor25@aol.com
Otras páginas de Derechos Humanos
Comisión Nacional de Derechos Humanos
BRUTALIDAD POLICIAL
BRUTALIDAD POLICIAL
Página creada con 1-2-3 Mi Página
He was endangering the lives of everyone around him- too bad he died. But it was his decision- his fault.
country. And we need to take a stand police brutality is just like any other case of brutality. We need to make follow the laws of our great country, a person is innocent, innocent until proven guilty. I have been struggling with this issue for almost 3 years and I know justice will be served. Why I know WHAT GOES AROUND COMES AROUND.
Employee Profile.
Employee Name:Jorge A Espinosa.
Classification:Police Officer.
Complaints:
1-/Case No. Dade of Compleint,
lA-2002-0078 03/11/2002
Allegation:DEPT.MISC.{FORCE VIOLATION}/SUSTAINED
DEPT.MISC.[FORCE VIOLATION}/SUSTAINED
DEPT.MISC.{IMPROPER PROC.}/SUSTAINED
DEPT.MISC.{IMPROPER PROC.}/SUSTAINED
DEPT.MISC.{IMPROPER PROC.}/SUSTAINED
2-/Case No. Dade of Compleint.
PC-2003-0093 04/17/2003
Allegation:DISCOURTESY/SUSTAINED
3-/Case No. Dade of Compleint.
lA-2004-0277 09/20/2004
Allegation:UNAUTHORIZED FORCE{INJURY}/SUSTAINED
4-/Case No. Dade of Compleint.
PC-2006-0014 01/13/2006
Allegation:DEPT.MISC.{IMPROPER PROC.}/SUSTAINED
DEPT.MISC.{IMPROPER PROC.}/SUSTAINED
USE OF FORCE
5-/Dade Occ, Case # District of Occurrence
12/10/1999 0615941W HAMMOCKS STATION
Force Injury.
Hands/Arm/Push/Pull Bruise/Abrasion/Other.
6-/Dade Occ. Case # District of Occurrence.
03/29/2000 0173797X HAMMOCKS STATION
Force Injury
Hands/Arm/Push/Pull Laceration/Other
Feet/Leg/Strike/Hit
7-/Dade Occ Case # District of Occurrence.
04/20/2001 0220286Z CUTLER RIDGE STATION
Force Injury
Cutting Inst/Threaten Bruise/Abrasion/Head
8-/Dade Occ Case # District of Occurrence
10/12/2001 0570809Z DORAL STATION
Force Injury
Hands/Arm/Grab/Hold Abrasion/Other
9-/Dade Occ Case # District of Occurrence
05/11/2002 0259948A HAMMOCKS STATION
Force Injury
Hands/Arm/Push/Pull Bruise/Abrasion/Arm
10-/Dade Occ Case # District of Occurrence
01/08/2004 0013952C HAMMOCKS STATION
Force Injury
Hands/Arm/Strike/Hit Laceration/Head
Fist/Strike/Hit
11-/Dade Occ Case # District of Occurrence
09/16/2004 0497535C HAMMOCKS STATION
Force Injury
Hands/Arm/Grab/Hold Sprain/Strain/Unknown
Fist/Strike/Hit Laceration/Multiple
12-/Dade Occ Case # District of Occurrence
08/13/2005 0302356D HAMMOCKS STATION
Force Injury
Hands/Arm/Strike/hit Injury/Other
13-/Dade Occ Case # District of Occurrence
08/17/2005 0547396E HAMMOCKS STATION
Force Injury
Feet/Leg/Grab/Hold Bruise/Abrasion Multiple/Other
Other/Strike/Hit
14-/Dade Occ Case # District of Occurrence
08/24/2005 PD050824002006 HAMMOCKS STATION
Force Injury
Fist/Grab/Hold Laceration/Abrasion/Face
Other Strike/Hit
PROMOTIONS :
Dade Dade Promoted.
None None None
DISCIPLINES:
10/09/2002
04/08/2004
02/15/2005
09/21/2005
Comment:
Employee interfered with Medical Personnel in their efforts to make a prisoner comfortable and was unprofessional in this dealings with
The Nursing staff.Ref:lA 02-078
We should fight for our rights and not judging any person by race. They should put like an undercover camera to follow are so called our police force.