Deputies Dump Paralyzed Man From Wheelchair

I first saw the following information posted by Penny Richards at the Disability Studies, Temple University blog. It was also featured on the Today Show this morning.

Brian Sterner, a quad, was stopped on a traffic violation on January 29th and taken to the station for booking. Deputy Charlotte Marshall Jones didn't believe he was really paralyzed, so she dumped his wheelchair forwards, and he (surprise!) fell to the ground. The incident was caught on the office surveillance camera (video below, but be warned--it's distressing to see), and she has been suspended without pay. Brian Sterner, it turns out, is the director of the Florida Spinal Cord Injury Resource Center, based in Tampa. He plays wheelchair rugby with the Tampa Generals, and he's working on a PhD.



Here's the news story as reported by the Associated Press