Following a national outcry surrounding the violent takedown of an autistic boy by Officer David Grossman, the Buckeye Police Department is in damage control mode. In a press conference, BPD spokesperson Tamela Skaggs addressed reporters in an effort to explain to the public why Grossman confronted Connor Leibel, a 14-year-old autistic boy.
Skaggs described Grossman as a
"drug recognition expert" with the department's patrol division. As The Free Thought Project has
reported, officers can attend a weekend training seminar where they learn how to escalate traffic stops under suspicion of drug use and charge more motorists with
"driving under the influence of drugs," even though many who are charged had no drugs in their system at all.
Reporters immediately questioned how a so-called "drug recognition expert" could not immediately recognize that Leibel was first, a juvenile, and second, a person with special needs-instead of someone who was high on drugs as Grossman admitted he believed Leibel to be. Skaggs said she could not begin to speculate or
"get into his [Grossman's] mind," but said Leibel's behavior was suspicious enough to make contact with him, apprehend him when he pulled away, and detain him.
However, Skaggs stopped short of saying Grossman took Leibel violently to the ground. Instead, she said the two both fell to the ground together. Leibel's family maintains their son was injured in the process - having the photos to prove it - and they are demanding an apology from Grossman, for the officer to undergo community service within the Autism community, and additional training for the entire department.
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