There is a disturbing report out of Chicago where police were called when 95-year-old world War II veteran John Wrana refused to go to a hospital for a urinary tract infection. Called by paramedics to assist in getting Wrana into an ambulance, the Park Forest police showed up in riot gear and proceeded to shoot Wrana first with a stun gun and then with a bead bag fired from a shotgun. He no longer needed treatment for the urinary tract problem. He died from internal bleeding and blunt force trauma. He was about to celebrate his 96th birthday.
Wrana was reportedly frail and had difficulty walking. We have previously discussed other cases involving the killing of a bedridden elderly woman and an unarmed suicide case. The cases raise serious questions of the rapid escalation of such cases in the level of force used by police as well as the increasing use of “non-lethal devices” as a first response to threats.
Wrana was living in an assisted-living facility. Paramedics told police that he was threatening them with a metal shoehorn and a knife. Some reports indicate that Wrana had decided that he did not want to go through an operation. That may have been the reason why he was resisting. He said that he understood that not having the operation could kill him but decided against it. It is not clear whether he was declared incompetent before the attempt to force him to go to the hospital.
The family contests the claim of the knife. Even if he had a knife, it is hard to see why police could not stand back (particularly since they had riot shields) and avoid using such force on an individual who clearly would be a risk with either a stun gun or bean bag round. Even if the blunt trauma did not finish him off, the shock could easily trigger a heart attack in a near 96 year old man. Some reports indicate that multiple rounds of bean bags may have been used.
Wrana was U.S. Air Corps veteran who served in Burma and India during World War II. Sergeant Wrana survived the hellish fighting in Burma but would later die in the United States just short of this 96 birthday in a confrontation with police. Truly bizarre.
Just for the record. These bean bag rounds are often thought of as harmless, almost toy-like devices. The bean bags fired form a shotgun will initially travel at around 300-400 feet a second (though they have a range of 70 feet). They have been shown to break ribs and even push broken ribs into the heart. Internal bleeding is a well-known risk.
What I am really sick of is how some of you keep making excuses for the very VIOLENT POLICE we have today… There is no excuse for what they did. The Nazi’s said they were only doing their jobs to. I hope everyone on here who vacillates and rationalizes these violent actions ends up being beaten by the cops or maybe their family members. Maybe that will get some EMPATHY from you f-ing REPTILES….
There is no chance that the police will be held accountable. You have more chance of winning the powerball lotto than holding the police accountable for their violence against the citizenry.
With all the terrible stuff you see in the media more and more, about overly abusive police, it’s clear that there are FAR to many police that should have never been issued a gun and badge, and also not trained properly. They are CLEARLY asking for trouble, if this unnecessary violence against citizens, and all living creatures does not stop (shooting dogs…etc). There are many irate citizens in our nation, that are also well armed, that could easily “snap,” and start taking regular potshots at police. They had ALL better stop this needless violence, and learn to deal with situations in a more peaceful, mature, and rational manor. Our nation is TERRIBLE when it comes to violence and abuse of power, next to most other “civilized” nations.
This story will be swept under the carpet. There will be no justice for this man. How can a 94 year pose any threat to a well trained ert team. How about someone close to this case pursue it and keep us informed so we can offer support and maybe aid in the prosecution of these officers
This is where the increasing militarization of our police forces inevitably leads. Very sad. To quote Norm Stamper, former Seattle Police Chief:
“The paramilitary bureaucracy and the culture it engenders — a black-and-white world in which police unions serve above all to protect the brotherhood — is worse today than it was in the 1990s. Such agencies inevitably view protesters as the enemy. And young people, poor people and people of color will forever experience the institution as an abusive, militaristic force — not just during demonstrations but every day, in neighborhoods across the country.”
Apparently, not even senior citizens…not even nonagenarians are safe.
OK-1. YOu have some good information there. A comple similarities between the Texas Tower incident and the North Hollywood shootout was that the police were outgunned and had to resort to going to sporting goods stores to borrow deer rifles to engage the shooters..
One way to look at crime is if you follow the unemployment rate and crime rate the crime rate often lags a bit behind the unemployment. There have been periods, such as recently where it hasn’t been as closely related. Some have theorized that there was a factor in increases in consumer price index (inflation) that influences it.
Each jurisdiction has their own problems but there are a few strategies that seem to work. One community in my district has a small 3 offer police force and a big gang problem. The town was about 1200 persons. Crime Analysis indicated the about 10 gang affilianted individuals were either directly involved, or instigated and facilitated probably 60 to 70 percent of all the crime. It took a protracted effort of increasing patrol, community inovlvement, recruiting confidential informants, and getting the feds involved as many of these problem persons were in the US illegally. Some undercover work did a lot of good. Finally about half a dozen of these key gang actors got picked up and the rest of them a couple months later. The patrols were stepped up to increase the visibility of the police. Long story short the crime in that town dropped 2/3rds. It was no longer cool to be a banger in that community and there are few around. As younger people starting getting into their teens, the gangs were no longer the heros and these kids would grow up normal. It is breaking the generations of gangs that is key.
It can be done, but larger cities are orders of magnitude more problematic and nuanced. BUt I accept that many will find the procedures used to be controversial but they can be done without violating the rights of the citizenry.
There may be more such incidents coming in the future- here’s part of the reason why:
why did they need riot gear for a 95 year old man . it make me sick to know. that this man leaved thru a war.to have been killed like that what a shame . land of the free home of the brave for some . its protect and sever I thought .the men that could do that to a man that seen what he seen. the hell of war
the men who killed that man are not cops they are cowards at best to kill a defenseless man like that. god be with his family.
Why does the man have a UTI in the first place? Cranberry juice should be a part of the diet of everyone who is vulnerable.
Ok, he has a UTI. Is there no dr in the facility to prescribe appropriate antibiotics? Why is a trip to the hospital (or dr) necessary?
From my understanding it was the EMTs doing the transport who called the cops. Why? If it were my dad (ww2 marine) and he didn’t want to go, he would have made all kinds of threats that he would have been too feeble to carry out. A calming voice, preferably female, would have calmed him down and then an explanation of why the trip was necessary would get him to cooperate. The EMTs should have let the staff calm him.
Just another example of insufficient police training, and I would add EMT training, in dealing with people with mental or physical problems. Their hammers (tasers, guns, etc.) see everything as a nail and to ensure they get to use their “toys” they escalate incidents that should be fairly easy to de-escalate.
Reblogged this on lmrh5.
Now, what really happened?
So sad. Not the way we are taught to take care of the elderly in nursing school or facility training. Prayers to the family.
Well I’d hate to have anyone either at that facility or tended to by those “paramedics”. All involved should know that a UTI often presents as extreme confusion and even combative behavior in seniors. Massive FAIL. They should all be terminated, from the nurse at the facility to the “officers” that shot him.
Gestapo! Riot gear for a call to and old peoples home?
idapearlsmusings,
There was one like that in OKC 4 or 5 months back.
A guy out on a burglary charge didn’t check in with the probation person.
His girlfriend had no criminal record.
OKPD as I recall, & 7 or 8 different Fed agencies boxed their car in on an off ramp & opened fired, both were killed.
The next news report change the story a small bit & I never heard any more about it.
I understand what you’re saying.
You could, with as many anger citizens as their are, raise you an army, take the US over, but then you’re right back to where we are today.
How are you going to police this place?
Doesn’t make more sense to attempt to fix the problem without creating a larger one?
Like at least 51% citizens on a paid, rotating internal review board & demanding grand juries & prosecutors filing charges against law breaker inside LE.
One thing is certain, the way it is now is going to change, hopefully for the better.
Might be safer to call the hell’s angels instead of the cops.
In Austin a few years back, 12 cops couldn’t figure out how to subdue an elderly, mentally ill woman in a wheelchair, so they just shot her like 55 times. I have NO RESPECT FOR COPS. Period. Despise them.\
I’ve saved a few other LE type links somewhere here, anyway the point being, I do see many citizens & LE working to correct the many issues that concern us all.
http://www.leap.cc/
http://cspoa.org/