Caught on video: Memphis police officer beats the living hell out of transsexual

Video and story

MEMPHIS, TN (WMC-TV) –Video obtained by Action News 5 shows a Memphis police officer beating a suspect at 201 Poplar in an apparent case of police brutality.

The video, recorded February 12th, shows Duanna Johnson in the booking area at the Shelby County Criminal Justice Center after an arrest for prostitution. The tape clearly shows a Memphis police officer walk over to Johnson – a transsexual – and hit her in the face several times.

“Actually he was trying to get me to come over to where he was, and I responded by telling him that wasn’t my name – that my mother didn’t name me a ‘faggot’ or a ‘he-she,’ so he got upset and approached me. And that’s when it started,” Johnson said.

Johnson said the officer was attempting to call her over to be fingerprinted. She said she chose not respond to the derogatory name the officer called her.

“He said, ‘I’m telling you, I’m giving you one more chance to get up.’ So I’m looking at him, and he started putting his gloves on, and seen him take out a pair of handcuffs,” Johnson said.

The officer hit Johnson several times with the handcuffs wrapped around his knuckles. In the video, you can see the flash of the metal. The tape shows another officer holding Johnson’s shoulders as she tries to protect herself.

After taking several blows, Johnson stands up and swings back.

“I was afraid. I had had enough. Like I said, I thought the other officers that were witnessing this would at least try to stop him,” Johnson said. “I mean, he hit me so hard. Like the third time he hit me, it split my skull and I had blood coming out. So I jumped up,” Johnson said.

But then she sat back down, and the officer her in the face again. Then he maced her. On the tape, other people in the room are seen turning away and fanning their hands because of the smell.

“We wanted some acknowledgement – my client did – so she would know that the Memphis Police Department didn’t condone this,” said Murray Wells, Johnson’s attorney. “We were optimistic that they would be as outraged about this as we are, and we haven’t gotten any indication that they’re interested in it at all.

“These are the people we depend on to protect us, and I think the majority of officers in Memphis are good officers, and when you see what you see on that video, it’s a scary sight to see that that could happen to any one of us,” added attorney Arthur Horne.

On the tape, Duanna is eventually handcuffed and left on the floor. A nurse comes in, and goes directly to the officer.

“I couldn’t breathe, and they just made me lay there,” Johnson said. “Nobody checked to see if I was okay. My eyes were burning. My skin was burning. I was scared to death. Even the nurse came in and she just ignored me, and I begged her to help me.”

The video clearly shows the nurse walk right past Duanna as she’s rocking back and forth in pain in the background.

A copy of the tape was reviewed by both the FBI and the District Attorney’s office, the latter of which dropped all charges against Johnson. An FBI investigation into possible civil rights violations is still underway.

Meanwhile, the Memphis Police Department confirmed to Action News 5 that the officer holding Johnson was on probation, and has been fired. The officer who threw the punches is currently on non-enforcement status pending an administrative hearing.

---

Wednesday morning, the following statement was released by the Memphis Police Department:

The Memphis Police Department does not condone any misconduct of a police officer that will compromise official law enforcement duties or the rights or safety of our citizens.

As it relates to the February incident that occurred at the jail facility, the police department has been conducting a thorough internal investigation. The details surrounding the complainant, witnesses and law enforcement officials’ statements are part of an ongoing investigation and can not be released at this time.

As a standard departmental policy, a full, impartial hearing will be held with the accused officer.

Memphis Police can confirm the work status of the two primary officers involved in this complaint. Officer J. Swain was a probationary officer and has been separated from the Memphis Police Department. Officer B. McRae has been placed on non-enforcement status pending an administrative hearing.

Memphis Police can also confirm the Federal Bureau of Investigation had been notified and requested to look into the complaint further.

Regards,

Detective Monique Y. Martin
Memphis Police Department
Office of Public Information/Media Relations

Family of Autistic boy voted out of class by peers to file civil suit

The family of Alex Barton, a kindergarten student with Asperger’s syndrome will file a civil suit alleging discrimination and that Alex’s civil rights were violated.

Alex’s Morningside Elementary teacher, Wendy Portillo, allowed his classmates to tell him what they thought of his behavior, while he stood in front of the class, according to police reports of the incident. Portillo told investigators Alex had been misbehaving and had two disciplinary referrals that day.

The class then voted whether Alex should be allowed to stay in the class. Alex lost, 14 to 2.

Alex was officially diagnosed less than a week later with an autism-spectrum disorder, Barton said. He began the process of being tested for the disorder in February, at the suggestion of Morningside Principal Marcia Cully. Barton has said the teacher knew about the testing at the time of the vote.

Get ready to pay up, St. Lucie County School District.

**YourDailyChum.com Exclusive** Civil Rights Breakthrough!!! Oompa Loompas allowed to attend high school prom!

Singing in in unison with very high-pitched voices, “We shall overcome, we shall overcome.” It is truly a great day for oompa loompas everywhere!

The above gentle…”men?” can be found on Guidofistpump.com a hilarious website all about Guidos.

**(Editor’s Note) We frequently highlight douchebags here. To clear up any confusion, it’s important to note that the label douchebag is a sort of umbrella term. All Guidos are douchebags, yes, but not all douchebags are guidos. We apologize for any confusion we may have caused**

In case your’e not familiar with Guidos, check out a quick summary, which can be found at UrbanDictionary.com.

A sad pathetic excuse for a male; not necessarily of Italian descent, but most likely; usually native to the New York/New Jersey Tri-State area.

WARDROBE: tight zipper shirts, tracksuits, designer jeans, fuzzy kangol hats, tiny hoop earrings, fake gold chains, and related Euro-trash garb and tacky cheese-wear.

NATURAL HABITAT: Known to frequent Tri-State area malls looking for club gear to waste their week’s pay on (most likely spotted shopping at “Bang Bang” in Staten Island). During the day when not at their food delivery, telemarketting, or construction job, can be located at their local gym tanning or lifting weights. Can be found nightly at mainstream danceclubs they read about online (SF, Webster Hall, Etc.). Most notable for cruising the Jersey shore in an old car (Honda, Mustang, etc.) which has been tinted, painted and sports $1,000-$3,000 rims in a feeble attempt to look like new. Guido cars usually have a boomin’ system through which cheesy music like freestyle, commercial club/trance and hip-hop (anything KTU plays) is loudly blasted.

PASSTIMES/RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES: Guidos enjoy beating up a non-white or homosexual while assisted by a group of 5-10 guido friends backing them up; engaging in date rape; and displaying their lack of rhythm by dancing poorly in the middle of a club’s dance floor while non-guidos look on in disbelief.

Here’s a video summary that should bring you up to speed as well. NSFW language.

And, here’s some authentic Guido dancing. I believe it’s a dance to Spikeura, god of hairgel/roofies.

Wendy Portillo of Port. St. Lucie, FL-Ignorant teacher has her kindergarten students “vote out” their classmate with Asperger’s Syndrome (a form of Autism)

You know, I try to keep it lighthearted here. But sometimes, a person commits an act so repulsive, so ignorant, and so unbelievably stupid that I can’t let it go. Case in point, Wendy Portillo, a kindergarten teacher at Morningside Elementary in Port St. Lucie, FL. Apparently, Portillo, hereafter to be referred to as “Classless Idiot,” lined up one of her students, Alex Barton,a 5-yr. old, in front of the classroom and had the classmates tell this boy what they didn’t like about him. Alex has Asperger’s Syndrome, a high-functioning form of Autism. So, at the insistence of their teacher, Classless Idiot who apparently forgot how to be a role-model, let alone demonstrate even simple grace, the classmates voted as to whether Alex should stay in class. By a vote of 14-2, the students, also 4 and 5 yr. olds, voted Alex out of class.

Classless Idiot, surprisingly defended her actions. She apparently felt quite justified in humiliating a child with a recognized disability, and showing the other students how you can be woefully ignorant and cruel even as an adult. Here’s to Classless Idiot getting canned. I’ll vote for that.

Lest anyone start to defend the Classless Idiot that is Wendy Portillo, one must realize a few things. First, I’ve worked with developmentally disabled children and adults in both a volunteer and professional setting for 8 yrs. So, attempting to justify Classless Idiot’s actions because I don’t know what a child with Asperger’s is like is futile. Second, my wife, like several of our friends, is an elementary teacher. Her jaw about hit the floor when she read the story. Not only could she not imagine a professional actually doing that, she commented on how quickly they’d be fired at her school. Of course, she teaches at a charter school, so teacher accountability is actually an ideal that is practiced (No unions to defend the indefensible). Third, it’s called being a human being; more specifically, a human with a shred of understanding for the challenges that Alex undergoes on a daily basis.

Drop school officials a line here. If you scroll down to the bottom you can see “Ms. Portillo” as well as her email address. I’m sure she’d love to hear from you. Click here to email her. If that doesn’t work, I’ll list her email here, which is readily available through a Google search.
portillow@stlucie.k12.fl.us

More here.

**Update**

From Asperger Square 8
Write the St. Lucie County School Board at
webmastr@stlucie.k12.fl.us

The school’s principal is Marcia Cully: (772)337-6730

Edit: A more complete list of contact information, gathered by Ari Ne’eman of the Autistic Self Advocacy Network (ASAN):

Morningside Elementary School Principal: Mrs. Marcia Cully cullym@stlucie.k12.fl.us (772) 337-6730St.

Lucie County Schools Superintendent: Michael J. Lannon4204 Okeechobee Road Ft. Pierce 34947-5414 Phone: 772/429-3925 FAX: 772/429-3916 e-mail: lannonm@stlucie.k12.fl.us

St. Lucie County School Board Chair: Carol Hilson 772-519-0397 HilsonC@stlucie.k12.fl.us

Vice Chair: Judith Miller772-528-4545 MillerJ@stlucie.k12.fl.us

Please copy info@autisticadvocacy.org on any emails you send. ASAN asks that everyone use respectful language in addressing those listed.

Edit: Please visit this post at Autistic Nation. Christschool has provided form letters which can be used to address the school’s principal, superintendent, school board chairperson, state’s attorney, Department of Education and news media. Each letter details the legan and ethical violations commited, and calls for the resignation or dismissal of Wendy Portillo. The letters can be modified to make a more personal statement reflective of your own views.