Truemors
is reporting from
Member
NP Rank:
NP Rank:
Suicide: Taser Death of Mental Patient Leads NY Police Officer to Choose Death
Share: 
by duo | October 4, 2008 at 10:47 am
1428 views | 2 Recommendations | 7 comments
Videos
Photos
Suicide: Taser Death of Mental Patient Leads NY Police Officer to Choose Death
uploaded by duo
Inman Morales’ death could have been prevented by simply putting a protective air mattress underneath the balcony or by withholding use of the Taser. Lt. Pigott’s guilt over the unnecessary death of a citizen was compounded by the prospect of his own arrest behind the incident. NYPD ruled that Lt. Pigott’s order to use the Taser on Morales in that circumstance was an apparent violation of departmental guidelines, which prohibit using it "in situations where the subject may fall from an elevated surface.”
**************************
WARNING - GRAPHIC VIDEO FOOTAGE AT THIS LINK:
http://www.nypost.com/video/?vxSiteId=0db7b365-a288-4708-857b-8bdb545cbd0f&vxChannel=PostUsFeed&vxClipId=1458_385679&vxBitrate=300
**************************
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-stungun3-2008oct03,0,809645.story
Police officer commits suicide over Taser incident
Los Angeles Times
By Rocco Parascandola, Newsday
October 3, 2008
Michael Pigott had ordered a fellow officer to Taser a psychiatric patient, and the man, Iman Morales, fell to his death.
Pigott, a respected 21-year veteran, was declared dead at a hospital. He had been tormented since Sept. 24, when his order to Taser a psychiatric patient led to the man's death, according to police officials and sources.
Several police sources involved in the investigation into the death of Iman Morales, 35, said Pigott was worried that he could lose his job and be indicted. Morales was killed in a 10-foot fall outside his Bedford-Stuyvesant building.
"The lieutenant was deeply distraught and extremely remorseful over the death of Iman Morales last week," Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg said. "Sadly, his death just compounds the tragedy of the loss of Mr. Morales."
On Thursday, shortly before 6 a.m., Pigott took a 9-millimeter Glock from another officer's locker and committed suicide. A photo of his wife and children was nearby, along with a suicide note.
He didn't want his family to see him be arrested, sources said, and he didn't want anyone to blame Officer Nicholas Marchesano, who fired the Taser at Morales on his order.
"It's obvious how torn up he was over what happened," one police source said.
(See link for full article)
*****************************
MARY'S COMMENTARY
Did the officer kill himself because he was sorry his order killed a mental patient, or was it merely because he now faced the possibility of going to jail himself? That is something we may never know.
It appears to me that if Lt. Michael Pigott cared enough about Morales to kill himself over having caused his death, he would have cared enough on Sept. 24 to put down an air mattress to prevent it.
This belated sense of remorse does not impress me as being over Inman Morales' death, but the officer's suicide seems more intended to prevent himself from possibly facing criminal charges and going to prison, where 1.25 million mental patients are today -- jailed for being sick.
Police are used to Tasering mental patients. They are quite familiar with mental patients dying after Tasering, whether immediately or shortly after Tasering. I cannot believe the officer who gave the order to Taser Inman Morales, or the one who actually Tasered the deranged man as he stood helpless on a ledge at his 3rd floor apartment, were not fully aware of the danger to Morales. But they did it anyway. In fact, police Tasered another suicidal man recently, causing him to fall from an expressway overpass! See the video and watch him fall. Luckily, he did not die as of the date of this news story.
http://my.nowpublic.com/culture/police-tase-suicidal-man-bridge-causing-his-fall-mary-neal
I hope that Lt. Pigott's suicide in no way prevents NY from continuing with its case against the officer who "obeyed orders." Obeying orders to kill millions of innocent Jews in Germany during the Holocaust did not prevent those officers from standing trial after WWII for war crimes.
WE MUST BEGIN TO HOLD POLICE OFFICERS ACCOUNTABLE FOR THE DEATHS OF CITIZENS!
As long as Tasers sales are profitable to Taser manufacturers, we cannot expect them to stop selling them as "non-lethal devices." What must happen is that society must demand accountability from the officers who abuse their use. Only then will mental patients and others who are regularly killed or injured seriously by Tasers get a break.
We cannot expect Taser manufacturers to stop sales as long as Taser profits soar. We need to look at their stockholders list for the names of our county commissioners and other elected officials who purchase these weapons for police departments.
See who profits from Taser sales, and publish the list!
Until now, people who have loved ones die at the hands of police for reason of EXCESSIVE USE OF FORCE have sued the Police Departments. I believe we need to also SUE THE INDIVIDUAL OFFICERS.
When Mr. Goldman got no satisfaction from the O.J. Simpson murder trial, Ron Goldman's father held O.J. Simpson personally responsible in a civil suit, and Mr. Goldman won.
SUICIDE should be no escape for bad behavior. Mr. Morales' mother should go after the estate of Lt. Pigott, and they should also sue the officer who actually killed Mr. Morales while "following orders."
Inman Morales' mother needs to sue these officers individually (even the dead one) not for winning money for herself, but to help protect other citizens from excessive use of force by law enforcement.
THAT IS WHY MY FAMILY IS IN A LAWSUIT AGAINST THE JOHNNIE COCHRAN FIRM. We need to make a statement to other lawyers: Don't make fools of your clients while you secretly help the police, big agencies, and rich people who did your clients wrong in the first place. We will not take it quietly!
See website for details at http://wrongfuldeathoflarryneal.com.
******************************
INMAN MORALES SPEAKOUT AND PROTEST MARCH
A group called Rights of Imprisoned People with Psychiatric Disabilities sponsored a protest march regarding Inman Morales' death by NYPD. The group has be following online address:
http://www.rippd.org/contact/contactresponse.asp
Below is a video of the protest march, with pictures from Mr. Morales' funeral:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-2369908431366671819&hl=en
A spokesman for the group said that they are calling for Justice for Inman Morales and all victims of police brutality.
*****************************
Community demands change following Taser tragedy
by Jaimeson Champion
Brooklyn, N.Y.
Published Oct 10, 2008 11:26 PM
On a recent windy night in Brooklyn, the flickering glow of a dozen small candles illuminated a bouquet of flowers with a note, bearing the inscription "We Love You, We Miss You." The makeshift memorial marks the spot on Tompkins Avenue, in the neighborhood of Bedford-Stuyvesant, where Iman Morales was killed on Sept. 24 by a member of the New York Police Department's Emergency Service Unit.
Morales was a friendly and hardworking man who had a psychiatric disability. He was emotionally distressed on the afternoon of Sept. 24 when he climbed, unclothed, onto a ledge outside his apartment. He was then shot with a Taser gun by a member of the ESU, causing him to plunge more than 10 feet to his death on the sidewalk below.
Following this avoidable tragedy, on Oct. 2 the cop who gave the order to use the Taser gun on Morales committed suicide, leaving behind three young children.
Morales's brother, Jesse Hernandez, said: "One of the things my brother always said was that he wanted to change the world. Hopefully this will change something. Hopefully no one will ever have to go through this again." (New York Post, Oct. 3)
*****************************
Website: http://wrongfuldeathoflarryneal.com
Assistance to the Incarcerated Mentally Ill
Visit Online at: http://www.care2.com/c2c/group/AIMI
Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?
When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?
Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?
And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. ~ Matthew 25:37-40
What is NowPublic?
NowPublic lets people work together to cover news events around the world.
Crowd Power
Most RecentMost Recommended Comments (7)
at 13:18 on October 4th, 2008
duo, I like this story. It's good stuff.
He didn't want his family to see him arrested.....which is worse, being arrested or having his family attend his funeral? This is why I say so many police officers are severely short sighted.
at 16:23 on October 4th, 2008
Suicide is often indicative of mental illness. Sadly, many of our law enforcement personnel have even more psychiatric problems than the people like Mr. Morales, who police regularly Taser and arrest on lunacy warrants. Police officers have a mostly thankless job, and they are underpaid for the risks they take every day. Many officers must work a second job doing guard duty just to make ends meet, after a long shift patrolling our streets to keep the peace and protect citizens. Police officers have an even higher rate of divorce than the general population, which is very high indeed.
To make the problem even worse, police officers are under great pressure to keep fit, and they have scheduled endurance tests. Many police officers have turned to using STEROIDS in order to build physical strength. Steroids work on the brain, causing aggressive and irrational behavior. Consider the wrestler who killed his family and himself.
Top wrestler, Chris Benoit, kills family and himself
http://www.theage.com.au/news/world/top-wrestler-kills-family-and-himself/2007/06/27/1182623990169.html
The stigma attached to mental illness prevents many people from seeking help when they experience psychological problems. This stigma must be even greater for police officers than it is for others. How long would they remain employed while building a thick psychiatric treatment file?
There was no mention of the Lt. Pigott seeking psychiatric help for his suicidal tendacies after ordering Morales' deadly Tasering. I am sure that as you say, Jim, Lt. Pigott's family would have preferred for him to have the courage to face whatever happened, even imprisonment. The problems we face in life are only temporary, but irrational people tend to feel overwhelmed often, and some easily give in to suicidal thoughts.
Suicide is expected to increase significantly in today's critical economic climate.
at 16:08 on October 4th, 2008
Here is one reason why mental patients need to be relocated from police custody to receive care in secure mental hospitals: Many police are more deranged than the mental patients they arrest, due to officers using STEROIDS, which cause irrational, aggressive behavior. Putting mental patients in police custody may be equal to leaving the zoo in the care of the gorillas. Consider these headlines:
Police Officers Abusing Steroids?Steroid Abuse Can Contribute to Police Brutality -- Even Murder
http://abcnews.go.com/Health/US/story?id=775659&page=1
ABCNews.com
Marc Lallanilla
May 24, 2005
***************************************
http://www.wreg.com/Global/story.asp?S=3096040
WREG-TV Memphis
Kris Anderson
3/18/05
(March 18th, 2005, 10:25 a.m.) A federal judge recently ordered former <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 />Memphis police officer Billy Scott to undergo rehab for steroid abuse. Experts say the bodybuilding drug helps some cops feel more brave and intimidating.
In Shelby County, it's not clear how many deputies are on steroids. The sheriff's department admits it doesn't even test its deputies for steroids. The Memphis police department told News Channel 3 that its officers are tested for steroids along with other illegal drugs.
Mary
at 10:42 on October 6th, 2008
Thank you very much for posting the videos.
Maryat 11:36 on October 7th, 2008
The Police are here to help. They kill themselves (sometimes literally) for a public who ridicules them, belittles them, points fingers and crys when the "evil cops" wont let them off with breaking the law. Tasers are not non-lethal, they are less-lethal. If I were to taze or shoot you, which is more likely to kill you?
It's article like this that cry for the police to be held "accountable" that have made things so much worse. Yeah, cops today may be a little more off tilt, hmm, I wonder why? Could it be that years of the public telling cops they have to have the strength of superman, the gadetry of batman and the patience of Mother Teresa combined with Gandi has driven most of the "good" people from applying for the job? Then, just to make sure those who still want to be cops are beaten down more, we expect them to now every nuance of everyone's life. Every officer should know every law, every drug, every gang, every possible outcome of every situation they may ever enter. They should be a shrink and a full medical doctor.
It was a sad thing that Morales died. I'll agree. But he was sick. Sometimes when people are sick, they die. You can't save them all. It's sad, it's depressing, but hey, life is sad, life is depressing.
And what's with the sue the individual cops trip you're on? I would like to see Pigott's wife sue the Morales estate. He was a nutter and off his meds. His responsibility was to take his meds, and he didn't. He forced the police into a confrontation that led to his death. That death drove Pigot to suicide. So it is Morales's fault, his family should pay. Let me guess, Pigott's wife will never sue. She new full well (or should have) the dangers and pitfalls of police work. Just like Morales's mother new the dangers of a mentally ill son.
It's sad, it was a tragedy. Moral of the story, if you're sick, take your meds. Submoral, when the police tell you to do something, you do it.
at 21:59 on October 7th, 2008
Thank you very much for sharing your opinion with us, MShow. As you said, "Sometimes when people are sick, they die." I guess that is also why Lt. Pigott died. He was likely sick with worry over his coming prosecution.
You said, "When the police tell you to do something, you do it." Many people have faced capital punishment at the hands of angry officers for acting contrary to orders, that is for sure.
Unfortunately, when people are sick or very intoxicated, they sometimes CANNOT follow police orders as they normally would. Please consider this the next time you are out on patrol. Please don't look at every citizen not following orders as an affront to your authority. Some people really cannot do better than they are doing. I beg you to please consider that. If they were sober or in their right mind, they would likely give you full respect, officer. Please try not to hurt them. I implore you to have mercy in those cases. Try not to Taser them or shoot them, unless it really is a situation where your life is threatened. Please.
Especially when dealing with mental patients, sir, I ask your indulgence. Anything that you might be able to do to bring the citizen into custody without harming him or her, please take every precaution. I respectfully and most humbly ask you to do this. Sometimes it may be a circumstance where only you and God will know if you did your best to bring the mental patient into custody without harm, and it will not be played out on tape for the entire world to see. If that ever happens to you, I beg you to please deal as gently as possible, while minimizing danger to yourself and your fellow officers. God always sees, and He cares equally for you and for mental patients. Please show mercy in His Holy Name, and He will bless you, I promise.
Sir, if you noticed my first post, I started out by saying that police officers have entirely too much stress. Some of it is stress that we, the people, cannot relieve for you. But I feel that a substantial increase in salary would go a long way to relieve stress on our law enforcement officers. I regret that you officers sometimes come to work tired, having already worked all night on a guard duty job. Then you must face the often dangerous job of police work, sometimes with little sleep. You must be able to think quickly and not simply react quickly. You need to be well rested and as relaxed as possible to do your job well. I advocate for more money for police officers always. This is something that society needs to insist upon in order to reduce your stress level. I am not against police officers. I am just against abuse of power.
Thank you again for taking the time to respond. I appreciate very much getting your opinion on these events. If you conduct a search in the NowPublic search field, you will find other articles about recent tragedies like this one. Please feel free to share your opinion on any of those. Also, visit our group at Care2 - Assistance to the Incarcerated Mentally Ill. Feel free to join and share your opinions with the group. http://www.care2.com/c2c/group/AIMI .
Before I end this post, I want to tell you about a mental condition that many acute patients have: From Web Definitions -
Another definition is ‘a deficit of self-awareness related to cognitive and behavioral impairments due to brain injury.’
Such a conditions seems to be rampant among the teeming billions of humans. The widespread state of denial regarding the human relationship of mankind to his environment is evidenced by the ‘cognitive and behavioral impairments’ as seen by modern man.
He is unable to even admit to his own impaired condition, or his imminent peril, much less do anything about it.
You did not identify yourself as an officer of the law, and I ask that you forgive me if I assumed wrong about that. I hope to hear from you again. Thank you again for responding.
at 22:23 on October 11th, 2008
October 11, 2008 -- Second Time I Posted This!! This article has been updated w/ video footage from a community protest for killed New York psychiatric patient, Inman Morales. It also features pictures from his funeral.
Mary