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SLO cops rough up homeless man waiting for a sandwich

October 19, 2012

Following a complaint from a worker at the Maxine Lewis Homeless Shelter, San Luis Obispo Police threw a mentally challenged man, who was not resisting arrest, to the ground before taking him into custody.

Chris Grace, a local homeless woman who claims she has been harassed and now keeps a camera to video tape police, posted a video of the incident. Though the video quality is poor,  at the end of the video an officer admits the man did not resist arrest and was not acting aggressively when police arrived.

On Thursday at about 5:20 p.m., Grace said the man was asked to leave the shelter for acting strange, which he did. The man was waiting for a friend to bring him food after being denied a meal at the shelter when police arrived. In all, six police cruisers responded.
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I know Richard well. He is zero threat folks. Shame.


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Interesting how ,some flaming liberal is always there to take pictures ? There will never be a level playing field …. Looks like the photos were taken from an auto that people were living in.


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I knew Downs and his wonderful supportive family but talk to the families who lost their wives, mothers, grandmothers. Get real, there are all great until that special day!


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Seriously people . . . Less emotion, more responsibility in our postings.


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Please do not believe these liars and police defenders on here. Richard was not acting in a threatening manner. He was just standing on the sidewalk, not harming anyone. Some of these posters are so full of hatred in their hearts. I wonder what will happen to these haters when they lose their homes in the next depression. Will they expect compassion or will they accept to be treated the same way they treat others?


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One question….. were You really there…. or are these just Your thoughts ?


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SLO council candidates partake in candlelight vigil for the homeless


October 17, 2012


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I guess that “candlelight vigil” didn’t do any good, eh?


Welcome to the police state. Pardon us while we roust you and throw you to the pavement for walking back and forth on the sidewalk.


Please don’t take it personally. It’s only for “public safety.”


Just routine.


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Where are Adam Hill and his “freind” Dee Torres? Why has there not been any progress with helping the homeless in SLO? Are they waiting for Jan Marxs to be relected so that she can complete their job?


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SLOPD has been encouraged by the City Council members, including Jan Marxs, to begin harassing the homeless, even before any signs are set in place.


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I saw the incident, the man was throwing rocks are people. He had rocks in his pockets and he has threaten people at the Maxine Lewis Homeless Shelter. The cops asked him to stop and refused to listen, he kept his hands in pockets getting ready to throw stones. He was using rocks as a weapon at people before the cops arrrived, I am glad they got the guy, he deserved it. This guy has been kicked out a dozen times for obnoxious behavior and they people at the Maxine Lewis Homeless Shelter should of kicked he out a long time ago but they kept lefting he in.


I also have a video camera of the incident, you get all these “will nots” darrelicks that do nothing but cause trouble. McMillian has turned into a homeless war zone at night and is dangerous for residents to walk this part of town. We need more cops here as there our people that smoke crack and drink here at night. This guy happens to be one of these loons that stirs trouble all the time.


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You are a downright liar leatherpink. The man was not throwing rocks, nor was he ever aressted for it. The tall black man known as “Richard”, has never been a threat to anyone, and even local shop owners and employees, never felt as Richard being a threat. In fact, when the cops jumped him, he wasn’t doin a thing, just standing there, He did not take his hands out of his pockets because h-e d-o-e-s n-o-t u-n-d-e-r-s-t-a-n-d. The could not have aressted him for Trespassing, as he was not on shelter property.

You just have so much hate in you, that you can’t even see straight.


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Let me summarize what it appears took place.


Mentally disturbed man with history of fighting police and throwing rocks here and in Santa Barbara, was harassing people at the homeless shelter to the point where police were called.


Police arrive, seeing the man they know fights with cops with his hands in his pockets and does not follow their commands (for whatever reason).


Is that correct up to the point where one takes him down to the ground?


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As mentally challenged as Richard is, he does not understand things like “Richard, would you like some water?” The “harassment” the shelter is, and the cops, are referring to, is that Richard will not stop talking even after being told to shut up or go away. A person of his mental capacity, especially after witnessing the murder of his family in Africa, who sleeps alone in some corner by himself, basically, I’d walk around with more than rocks in my pockets.


I cannot understand how so many people can be so hateful and insensitive. Richard can’t think for himself, and how he survives on the street all alone, with everybody yelling at him left and right, to shut up or go away, I will never understand it.


The fact that there is NO help for him, is not his fault. He is even denied food at the shelter or at prado, but here again, only the lazy one’s are entitled.


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I’m no bleeding heart. Something just smells wrong here.


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If the staff at the homeless shelter and the police don’t know how to deal with mentally challenged people, they should not be working in their jobs.


Contract out SLO’s police department, and get new workers for the homeless “shelter.”


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Is that your answer for everything, Mary? Contract out? And who do you want to do the job? Maybe there needs to be better mental health services? Maybe if these people are so incredibly mentally unstable they need to be put into an institution for life. Who is going to pay for that AND how many liberals are going to cry foul that rights are being violated? Yes, he has a right to be crazy. If he is so crazy then things like this happen. The video shows NOTHING but the sidewalk, bushes, and sky. The cop at the end was very polite and it sounded as if the call was handled well. good job SLOPD in a difficult scenario. Go do it better yourself Mary.


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Contract out using what money? Mental health services have already been cut and some people want to cut taxes even more. Get used to it.


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Actually, Mental Health in this County (pop 210,000) gets $47,000,000 a year – just not using it wisely, mostly on salaries/benefits – AGAIN! $47,000,000 is a lot of money that we voted to increase by taxing the rich again, only to see it wasted!


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HOW would YOU know, Mary…have YOU been there?????


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This type of article doesn’t help homeless people. I am disappointed that it was even printed before some investigation was done.This problem is too serious to sensationalized. The Center must protect the vulnerable clients (like children!) from this type of person. The police need more mental health resources for these street people.


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No one needs protection from Richard. Twice I have thrown myself between Richard and someone else who was trying to physically hurt Richard. Shame on you for judging something you know nothing about! By the way . . . I am not homeless. I am not shelter staff. I just take the bus . . .


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I believe the police department needs officers who know how to deal with mentally challenged people, since officers will, predictably, be required with a wide variety of people who do not fit into the “norm,” including mentally challenged people.


Where was the homeless shelter staff in all of this? If they can’t work with mentally challenged clients any better than calling the police in a nonviolent situation, then they need to be replaced by staff who are more educated/more experienced with that client population.


The SLO police are hopeless. Contract out police services.


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So what is the correct way to treat mentally ill people? Does anyone know? We had a mentally ill person drive up to a laundromat in Paso, and stab someone to death who was doing his laundry. No one even spoke to him.


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And To Ms. Leatherpink!


What makes you think you have to be a homeless bum to try and protect a mentally challenged young black man? Oh, yes, you lie!!!! You were not there taking pictures!

Were you the little girl lost in fairy land behind me? What about the pink scooter? Is it yours? Or do you just fantasize about it when you are writing stupidity online or pulling on your tights??


I realize that you are probably a professor at Cal Poly, right? Some how I think that your education equals your I.Q. and the size of your mouth.


If you have any pertinent information regarding this event you should share it with the world!


Of course you won’t.

AND you wouldn’t have the BALLS, right?

Maybe that’s YOUR problem!!!!!

So pull up your pink tights and get LOST in fairy land somewhere where your stupidity and your pink

Tights!!!!!!!!!!!

Will be appreciated.


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I liked the pink scooter………….Leatherpink’s post? Not so much


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Leatherpink,


Please post a link to your video.


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While it’s upsetting to see a mentally ill citizen thrown to the ground when he isn’t apparently doing anything other than standing on the sidewalk, I did find the officer who spoke with the bystander who was recording the event to be sincere.


There are two sides to the coin here and I think what really strikes me is the lack of facilities that are available for the mentally ill. In fact it would appear that he is now being starved because of his inability to communicate and socialize with his peers in an appropriate manner. So he is malnourished, untreated and even mistreated. This is sad and this is wrong but I did understand where the Officer was coming from, all you have to do is listen to what he is explaining. This guy has a history and I can understand that even though he didn’t have any rocks in his hand or other weapon, they have to consider that with his history, he very well might have something in his pocket and think the devil was after him. Throwing him down was a defensive move on their part in my opinion and not intended to be cruel. What is cruel is that we as a society have not property addressed the issues and plight of the mentally ill who have no advocates. They need care and it is our DUTY to provide it in my opinion. Mental illness doesn’t discriminate. This could well happen to one of our love ones and the only difference is that our loved ones have someone who loves them.


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Well these mentals can be quite dangerous but if you look again, it also can be just alcohol & drugs. There was the incident downtown a woman got punched for just sitting on a bench and man went right up to her and punched her in the face. Turned out he was just drunk, not mental.


Another horrible incident happened in 2005 by Sany’s Liquor, two homeless men were fighting by the telephone where one stabbed one with a knife and killed the guy in broad daylight.


If we not do something about these homeless people, there is going to be more and more incidents and people will suffer from it. I do not think compassion and respect for the homeless is the answer for these homeless, the approach needs to be strict enforcement allover town.


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“Well these mentals……”


Wow!


And this post is “well-loved”


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Amazing isn’t it? I never realized that there was so much hate for the mentally ill. This man is going to die on the streets of exposure and hunger because his brain is diseased. I don’t even know how to respond to all this hatred towards defenseless people like him and to all you smart mouths, yes he is defenseless………. throwing rocks is what children do.


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Well Cindy it depends on the size of the rock. I guess it could have been worse, there was a man shot to death in his Mom’s house because he brandished a “paver” at two Sheriff’s deputies.

I don’t have an answer, but I sure do have a question, if he’s destitute, where did he get bail?


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Only the homeless street people, Cindy…


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Cindy, what is “this guy’s” “history”? What documentation do you have about it?


If you are going by just the statements from a police officer, then your references are not credible.


SLO police are known for being heavy-handed, targeting those who are less able to defend themselves.


Again, the SLO police services should be contracted out. The SLO police could not find their @ss with a GPS and a flashlight.


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Contracted out to whom…. Mary.


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Mary, I have no reason to believe that the Officer was lying about this mans history. They have obviously dealt with him before and if anyone would know his history, they would. Why shouldn’t I believe him? I didn’t see them beat him or hurt him other than to throw the man to the ground and the reasoning as expressed on the video sounds credible.


What is heartbreaking is that he is weak, ill and hungry and I felt so sorry to see him thrown down to the sidewalk. He is caught in a circumstance that he can’t change for himself. He needs help and there is obviously no one to care for him. This isn’t NYC this SLO and I would hope that we citizens and our social service workers were kinder and better equipped to get him into a hospital where he might receive treatment rather than to starve him. Heck we don’t even treat stray dogs that way.


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