Frederick County NAACP Holds Press Conference Reported by: Lena Vargas
Tuesday, Nov 20, 2007 @08:40am EST
FREDERICK, MD - Frederick County's NAACP will hold its own press conference on Gray's death Tuesday.
In a written statement, the NAACP said they want the sheriff to suspend the use of tasers until they can answer more questions about Gray's death and another tasing.
The president of the NAACP said another young African American was tased at Tuscorara high school on October eighth.
The NAACP is also calling on the civil rights division of the US justice department's to investigate.
The conference will be at the C. Burr Artz public library later Tuesday, so stay tuned to NBC25 for coverage on that.

Frederick Sheriff Defends Use Of Tasers After Weekend Death Reported by: Kaitlin McCarthy
Monday, Nov 19, 2007 @06:58pm EST
FREDERICK COUNTY, MD - The sheriff of Frederick County is speaking out about a tasing that turned deadly Sunday morning.

As a deputy was breaking up a fight, a 20-year-old Frederick man was tased and later died at the hospital.

The sheriff's office calls tasers a less than lethal weapon that law enforcement officers are trained to use to control potentially deadly situations.

At a press conference Monday, Sheriff Chuck Jenkins said they are launching two separate investigations into what caused 20-year-old Jarrel Gray's (pictured) death and if the deputy's actions were justified.

Sheriff Jenkins says when the deputy responded to Gresham Court East early Sunday morning, he ordered the four individuals involved to show their hands.

The sheriff says when Gray didn't listen, the deputy tased him once while he was standing.

Gray later died at Frederick Memorial Hospital.

Sheriff Jenkins says his deputies go through extensive training and are taught to use tasers when it's necessary and reasonable to control a situation when the officers' safety or a citizen's safety is in danger.

Sheriff Jenkins says the tase itself is not deadly and he's not pulling tasers off the street.

He explains, "It in itself does not cause a death. Usually there are contributing factors of some sort, an existing condition, maybe a heart condition, in a lot of cases, drug use. So there are generally contributing factors when someone dies, something else has caused the death."

The deputy involved in the tasing is not being named, but the deputy is on administrative leave with pay.

Gray's body is at the office of the chief medical examiner, and until the sheriff's office gets his autopsy results back it's not clear if Gray died from the tasing itself or if there were some other issues like a health condition that contributed to his death.

Good grief! Another bunch of useful idiots who should just go away. I did not even know the vic was black until I read that...I just assumed he was a thug..

exactly! what difference does it make what his race was? he was asked to show his hands... he didn't listen...

He was partially deaf.

Maybe that is the issue not that he was black. I think Deafnet and some thousands of deaf people should come to Frederick to protest.

It's already getting coverage on the deaf blogs.

first off, how are the cops supposed to know that? obviously he heard well enough to understand whatever started the fight. and when the three other dudes beside you put your hands up and you see cops, its a good idea to follow suit. and i still havent gotten an answer as to why the naacp thinks this is their ballpark?

CD-did you not see the picture? He is black.

OFF SUBJECT:
Can you still record that Alleganyvs. FortHill game? I think they moved it back a week or so.

In fact, I would sue the family of the black deaf kid for the money it will cost to recharge the taser gun.

What a poor Statement Looks like you arte playing stupid. Don't worry , you're winning

Family Holds Vigil For Man Who Died Following Taser Incident
Play Media
Reported by: Megan Healey

Tuesday, Nov 20, 2007 @11:22pm EST

Vigil2007-11-20-1195623621.jpgFREDERICK, MD - Friends and family of Jarrel Gray came together Tuesday night for a vigil in his honor.


Family members of the 20-year-old say he was a good kid who was trying to get his life together after graduating from Frederick High School; he'd actually planned on going on a job interview this past Monday.


They say the outpouring of support from the community, and the NAACP, has helped them in their time of grief.

"We were all trying to find answers but I think we found those answers in our heart that Jarrel was a loving young man, a very respectful young man,” says Pastor Yolanda Gamble.

taserdeath2007-11-20-1195622704.jpg"The kids, this is what they asked to do. And they came and asked for permission and so I felt as though it was necessary to release some of the sadness they were carrying in their hearts also,” says grandmother Anna Thomas.

The Frederick County Sheriff's Office is still investigating the incident. The corporal involved has been placed on administrative leave.

Seems to me that the kid was probably disobeying orders but that the force used by police was a little excessive. JMO

Well, if the officer asked them to raise their hands ONCE without repeating, then he tased the kid, I would say that is an issue. The information downloaded from the Taser showed that he was shocked a second time approx 23 seconds after the first. 23 seconds is a long time to decide whether someone needs a 2nd shock or not, folks, AND the police officer said that he was only shocked once.

Wow, you think?

Well since it was you that implied his partial deafness may have had something to do with the issue, I was merely pointing out that he was only partially deaf in one ear to clear that up for you and the rest of the forum. I highly doubt that the officer whispered to him.

AND the police officer said that he was only shocked once.

now THAT pisses me off.

I'm guessing now you might see why the NAACP is getting involved?

So, he really was a thug per his record..which of course is just since 2006 when he became 18...interesting...will be interesting to see what really happened...

And he was only partially deaf in 1 ear--hmmmm...so he was basically deaf if he wanted to be(sorta like students and my own children)..

no... still not sure how it's a race issue... that was my entire question. i was wondering if there was some element of this that would indicate that any misconduct on the part of the officers was racially driven... or are we just assuming becuase the young man happened to be black?

The unnamed deputy that killed this man has a whole group speaking for him. In fact, they so far have even refused to identify the deputy. It's good to see that somebody is stepping up and speaking for Jarrel Gray.

The reality is the some in law enforcement treat black people differently then white people.

i just think it's sorta dumb to assume that this was race driven . inappropriate? its looking that way, yes. here's a question... if it had been a white kid... what group would have spoken for him? what if the officer had been black?

Here is the victim's criminal record:

BURGLARY-FOURTH DEGREE 09/07/2006
POSSESSION-MARIHUANA 07/21/2006
ASSAULT-SEC DEGREE 11/01/2006
RESIST/INTERFERE With ARREST 11/01/2006
ASSAULT-SEC DEGREE 02/07/2007
OBSTRUCTING & HINDERING 02/07/2007
FAIL OBEY RENBLE/LAWFL 02/07/2007
DISORDERLY CONDUCT 02/07/2007

Sounds to me that he deserved to die!!!!!

Where did you find his criminal record?

coma the fabulous net sleuth posted it earlier in this thread.

Where did he it say he was convicted off all those offenses? That's what I'm getting at. The published news accounts only say that he was on probation for an earlier conviction for resisting arrest. It didn't say that he had been convicted for any of the crimes that coma posted. This is why it's good to get the facts when it comes to something like this.

EXACTLY. facts.

So.......

How many of those charges had he been convicted of?

Where did you find his criminal record?

http://casesearch.courts.state.md.us/inqui...quiry-index.jsp

c'mon! Who doesn't know about this!

Does it show that he was convicted of any of these offenses?

Guilty of resisting arrest 6 mths. probation. That sounds familiar doesnt it???

The rest of the charges were either placed on stet docket, niolle prosequi, or not guilty. the fact that he's been arrested 6 times in the past 2 years should tell you something!!!

YEA IT TELLS ME THAT HE DESERVED TO DIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Also, Samy don't forget to make your picks early.

Here is the victim's criminal record:

BURGLARY-FOURTH DEGREE 09/07/2006
POSSESSION-MARIHUANA 07/21/2006
ASSAULT-SEC DEGREE 11/01/2006
RESIST/INTERFERE With ARREST 11/01/2006
ASSAULT-SEC DEGREE 02/07/2007
OBSTRUCTING & HINDERING 02/07/2007
FAIL OBEY RENBLE/LAWFL 02/07/2007
DISORDERLY CONDUCT 02/07/2007

Sounds to me that he deserved to die!!!!!

The rest of the charges were either placed on stet docket, niolle prosequi, or not guilty. the fact that he's been arrested 6 times in the past 2 years should tell you something!!!

It doesn't matter if your'e black, white, red or yellow. If you consistently put yourself in a position to be around trouble and lawbreakers eventually you'll get swept up in it one way or another.