WTH!![]()
I grew up with my mom letting my brother and I each rent a video game every week. It was heaven. lolAgreed, Blockbuster was such a great place, particularly in the late 90s. Renting movies and seeing them integrate their "OMG LOOK AT DVDS THEY'RE THE FUTURE!!!" section, and if you had the money to swing it, renting a console for the weekend! Damn you, Netflix, why'd you have to move things forward?
That one case is Supreme Court case law now and informs all use of force decisions when it’s a gov’t actor vs civilian interest. Mr. Graham sued Ofc. Connor and lost because they kept trying it under 8th amendment. It went to the Supreme Court and they created the reasonability test in which it’s looked at under 4th amendment seizure laws. Mr. Graham still lost but now plaintiffs don’t have to prove cruel and unusual punishment by way of having a depraved mind and cruel intentions. And now you know and knowing is half the battle!!I watched the first three minutes of that video and, having been in that exact situation that Mr. Graham was in, I can understand both sides perfectly. I know when I have a severe low blood sugar situation, I get very iffy. I make no sense, I feel like I can't control any of my own actions, and I just generally know that something is very wrong, but otherwise, it's paranoia time. So while I would love for there to be a way for diabetics to communicate that situation to people when we're in it, there simply isn't. Tough situation for both sides there...I'd love to say "well just call the EMTs and get him some glucagon," but I'm not sure if cops are trained on diabetic extreme lows, and how do you get the "suspect" to calm down until they arrive? I feel for the diabetic, and I feel for the cop in that situation. Tough one.
That one case is Supreme Court case law now and informs all use of force decisions when it’s a gov’t actor vs civilian interest. Mr. Graham sued Ofc. Connor and lost because they kept trying it under 8th amendment. It went to the Supreme Court and they created the reasonability test in which it’s looked at under 4th amendment seizure laws. Mr. Graham still lost but now plaintiffs don’t have to prove cruel and unusual punishment by way of having a depraved mind and cruel intentions. And now you know and knowing is half the battle!!
It's so rare that they're not going to bother spending money to train, inform, or buy supplies for it. I'm sure it happens to people like yourself but encounters with law enforcement in that situation are exceedingly rare. It's only been so high profile this one time that resulted in multiple law suits that made it all the way to the Supreme Court. It's better to get a hold of someone and assess them for medical issues alongside EMS than try to fix it yourself.I know that cops carry some basic first aid gear with them on duty, but I wonder if being able to equip them with glucagon syringes might help in situations like this, as well? If they have reasonable suspicion via a witness, relative or friend that the person under suspicion is having a reaction to an extreme low blood sugar, they could utilize the glucagon syringe and, given enough time for the person to come around, they'll see that it was indeed a health/medical issue and can proceed accordingly...that's a lot to think about in the midst of an encounter with someone acting erratically, and I get that, but if they can restrain them just long enough for the glucagon to take effect, they'll start acting more rationally. I've been told I was completely out of my mind on the couple of times someone found me at home having had a diabetic seizure, and called EMS. They arrived and I was back to myself within 5 to 10 minutes because of glucagon. It doesn't help with use of force situations, and I understand that's only going to add another layer to the situation for the cop, but it's one of those things that could be beneficial and reduce the amount of time the person is in distress...probably overthinking it and it's probably unreasonable, but something that might be worth considering for law enforcement...and stops EMS having to make a run to a scene just to administer glucagon...I'm sure they hate those calls, because I know I hate having EMS called on my behalf for that.
Fair enough, it's not like EMS response times are unreasonable, anyway.It's so rare that they're not going to bother spending money to train, inform, or buy supplies for it. I'm sure it happens to people like yourself but encounters with law enforcement in that situation are exceedingly rare. It's only been so high profile this one time that resulted in multiple law suits that made it all the way to the Supreme Court. It's better to get a hold of someone and assess them for medical issues alongside EMS than try to fix it yourself.
Carrying narcan is such a big think now because it's so prevalent and time sensitive to turn someone around from an opioid overdose that depending on the jurisdiction, a lot of cops go through multiple doses a week saving OD victims. Cops are first responders but the more advanced medical stuff should be saved for EMS to preserve life and for liability reasons.
Remember, you're your own best first responder because when seconds matter the police/ems are only minutes away. 7 min average in big citiesFair enough, it's not like EMS response times are unreasonable, anyway.