A Cop Hogtied and Tased an Autistic Child. Why Was His License Not Pulled?
A Kansas sheriff’s deputy reportedly “used extreme drive a number of instances” on a baby with particular wants, in line with an order of reprimand from the Kansas Fee on Peace Officers’ Requirements and Coaching (CPOST), the state’s legislation enforcement credentialing physique that points licenses to peace officers. Eight months later, he nonetheless has his license.
The incident includes Matthew Honas, who was employed by the Jackson County Sheriff’s Workplace from August 2006 to March of this 12 months. On February 23, Honas responded to a name relating to an autistic 12-year-old runaway foster youngster, recognized solely as L.H. The order signifies that Honas “had handled L.H. previously and was conscious that he’s autistic.” In truth, Honas “had a bodily battle with L.H. previous to February 23, however there was no report or physique digital camera footage of the prior occasion.” Honas additionally didn’t put on his physique digital camera on February 23, although his dashcam was recording in the course of the interplay.
In the course of the encounter, Honas “shoved [and] elbowed” L.H. He put the boy at the back of his patrol automobile “hog tied,” which means he was handcuffed behind the again, his ankles have been shackled, and his handcuffs have been related to the ankle shackles. As L.H. sat within the automobile, restrained and “not actively resisting,” Honas pushed strain factors on the boy’s jaw, with no path given for why he was doing it. Minutes later, as L.H. nonetheless sat within the automobile, Honas “deployed his taser,” though L.H. “was not a menace to [Honas] or different officers.”
The order calls Honas’ actions “punitive in nature,” citing his threatening language. At one level, he informed L.H., “this is the deal, you do something you are not imagined to do I’ll tase you once more.” He additionally refused help from different officers and didn’t use any “de-escalation strategies.”
In response to The Kansas Metropolis Star, Honas was fired in March for the usage of extreme drive. However in its order of reprimand, CPOST stopped wanting revoking his certifications. The board contends that he’s not presently employed in Kansas legislation enforcement, however by leaving his license in place, he stays free to work as an officer of the legislation if he so chooses.
Honas’ actions match a number of worrying tendencies of police utilizing extreme drive, particularly in opposition to youngsters and folks with particular wants.
Police in Rochester, New York, responded to a 9-year-old lady having a psychological well being disaster. As she cried hysterically, police handcuffed and pepper-sprayed her, saying, “you probably did it to your self, hon” when she requested them to cease. Equally, whereas the presence of useful resource officers is meant to stop or mitigate college shootings, they principally simply result in extra children being suspended, expelled, and arrested. In a single instance in North Carolina, a useful resource officer handcuffed a 7-year-old autistic boy behind his again and pinned him face-down on the bottom for practically 40 minutes whereas taunting him.
In 2021, the Marshall Undertaking decided that over the earlier decade, 23 folks died after being hogtied by police. Of these, 13 have been “mentally unwell or in psychological crises.”
