A Hollywood mother says she called 911 for help in her son's medical emergency, but police ended up abusing him.
Police twice used a Taser on Ricardo Pierre – but said they had no choice.
Pierre, 33, said he has no history of seizures or heart trouble, but he started having convulsions in bed and bleeding from the mouth on Friday. That prompted his mother to call 911.
“I say, Ricardo, what's wrong?” Marie Ginette Mondesir recalled. “Jesus, Jesus, please, please – Martin, call 911. Give me the phone.”
Ginette Mondesir said she told the dispatcher that her son had a heart attack and asked them to come help.
Paramedics transported Pierre after he was restrained, Hollywood Police reports show.
One officer wrote in his report that when he arrived “Pierre was bracing, tensing, kicking his feet and attempting to bite officers. I yelled at Pierre to stop fighting or he would be tased.”
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When Pierre did not stop resisting after two warnings, the officer said he used his Taser on the middle of his back.
Hollywood Police Giving Officers Overtime to Fill Gaps
A second officer wrote in a report that Pierre “continually grunted, tensed, and would not respond when called by name.” He acted aggressively and was “screaming incoherently,” the officer added.
Both officers said that when Pierre got to the hospital he became a different person – calming down and asking what had happened.
Pierre and his family say what police did went way over the line.
Pierre, who is recovering at Memorial Regional Hospital, showed NBC 6 South Florida the marks on his body, including those left by handcuffs. The circular marks on his back came from the Taser, his mother said.
Ginette Mondesir said she told the officer, “Don't kill my son because he had a problem, heart attack” and that he replied “Get out of the room, Madame,” despite her protestation that he was her son.
“I felt I have a lot of pain because all of these guys get on top of me and beating me up. For something I don't even know,” Pierre said.
Pierre said he was not treated fairly.
“Because if someone is having some medical problem, I think that person needs assistance, so you can't get on top of that person, beat that person up, tase that person,” he said.
He added, “Then when my mom saw the way they've been treating me and then she's been screaming that ‘Don't kill my son,’ and they handcuffed her and put her in the car. And I think that's not right.”
Pierre, a former schoolteacher, now works for Comcast. That is the parent company of NBCUniversal, which owns NBC 6.
“It’s apparent that my client was having a seizure when the police arrived and they should have known that,” said Pierre’s attorney, David Kubiliun.
Police “should have immediately called for medical personnel,” he added.
Pierre’s mother was released after paramedics brought Pierre to the hospital.
The family said it wants a full investigation by Hollywood Police.
Police said that for now the reports would have to speak for themselves.
