Category Archives: police practices

Raymond Bishop, an 84 year old man, kneeling at a dock with sailboats behind him, with his two dogs, ranger and roxie at his knees

When Losing your Emotional Support Dogs is Too Much To Much to Bear

By Disability Independence Group, Inc. |

When the police arrived at his unit, Raymond Bishop refused to drop his weapon.  After the police plead with him for three minutes, Mr. Bishop raised his pistol.  He was killed.  His two dogs, Roxie and Ranger were cowering in Raymond Bishop’s bed.  On his desk, there was a suicide note:

Arnaldo Rios Soto holding a teddy bear

Will Arnaldo Rios-Soto see Justice, or does Justice see Disability as Dangerous?

By Disability Independence Group, Inc. |

As a disability advocate, and as Arnaldo Rios-Soto’s lawyer, the trial of Officer Aledda is a watershed moment.  Will Arnaldo be deemed to be inherently dangerous because he is different?  Will there be a stereotype that because Arnaldo lives with a developmental disability, the fact that he was targeted was justified?  I hope not. 

AFTEREFFECT – A SWAT team, an autistic man, an American tragedy.

By Disability Independence Group, Inc. |

  Aftereffect is a podcast produced by WYNC Studios, and hosted by Audrey Quinn.  In this series, Audrey weaves Arnaldo Rios-Soto’s story and explains how Florida is ill-equipped to provide adequate community-based services for him, and what he went through.  The synopsis of the eight episode series is as follows:  In the summer of… Read More »

Sandra Faye Twiggs, a 59 year old Black woman in a wheelchair grimacing as she is being berated by the judge

Lessons From the Humiliation and Death of Sandra Faye Twiggs

By Disability Independence Group, Inc. |

On Sunday April 15, 2018, Judge Merrilee Ehrlich stripped any shred of dignity or humanity from a 59 year-old woman, who appeared before her, in her first appearance before the court after being arrested.  In as much as the video and the transcript demonstrate how unhinged Judge Ehrlich acted towards this women, and how the Court staff and lawyers, like palace eunuchs, allow such unabated behavior to continue.  However, the outrage from the surface must be examined, and lead to thorough introspection and change, and not merely the retirement and resignation of this long-time judge.

hands in handcuffs

Young children should not be arrested in school and sent to psychiatric hospitals

By Disability Independence Group, Inc. |

By Matthew W.  Dietz and Carlos J. Martinez   Twenty years ago, when a 7-year-old had a temper tantrum in a public school, the school would suspend the child. The police would not be called, and it would be unthinkable to subject the child to an involuntary mental examination in a psychiatric ward of… Read More »