University Adviser Dies Days After Being Shackled and Hooded by Cops

University advisor Patrick Toney died at the Baltimore Washington Medical Center Tuesday after being left there by Anne Arundel County police officers last Friday. The Baltimore Sun reports on the police encounter:

[P]olice said a sergeant spotted a black Jeep Cherokee stopped on the side of Piney Orchard Parkway with its emergency lights flashing. Police said the driver, identified as Toney, got out of the Jeep and began "throwing items out of the vehicle and onto the ground."

Police said the officer "asked if everything was OK, when the driver made statements that he wanted the sergeant to shoot him. The driver continually acted in an erratic manner by walking around in circles in the roadway and making other irrational statements, causing an immediate danger to himself."

Police say they restrained Toney, a 41-year-old academic advisor at Bowie State University, by shackling his feet and putting a "spit hood" over his head, after, police say, he spit on them and asked to be shot by a sergeant. Toney had been released on bail several hours earlier after being arrested on child abuse charges related to a domestic dispute the previous day. After restraining Toney, he was placed in a squad car. The Baltimore Sun reports what police say happened next:

While in the back of the police car, authorities said he tried to kick out the windows and the glass divider between the back and front seats. But police said Toney became suddenly quiet during the ride to the hospital, and the driver noticed him unresponsive.

Police said he was not breathing when they arrived at the emergency room but that he was revived and hospitalized.

Anne Arundel County Police Lt. Michael Brothers, a department spokesman, said the officer driving the police car noticed no trauma on Toney's body and reported no use of force other than putting him in restraints. Brothers said that Toney did not hit his head while in the police cruiser.

Toney's family has retained counsel and the Maryland State Medical Examiner is investigating the cause of death.

UPDATE: Photo released by the Anne Arundel County Police Department.

UPDATE 2: The family attorney says Toney had no mental health problems and that his wife said he was in "good spirits" despite the previous day's arrest.

Comments

[Randian]

I am going to be "that guy" and say that based on the facts as you have presented them, I do not see this as anything but a tragic accident.

[Soc Indv Sparky]

I'm going to be the guy that agrees with this.

[Malvolio]

Yeah, there could be a lot more here, but first impression is, the cops didn't have much choice.

[Jerryskids]

I don't see anything here but a factual story. Did I miss something where Ed said this isn't the whole story?

By putting it out there, Ed seems to be implying that there might be something more there, so let's look at the actual story.

Cops said, cops said, cops said.

Nope, nothing to see here - move along.

[o3]

ed's out ahead of the autopsy...& his deadline.

[Drake]

Yep - this one doesn't do it for me either. Sounds like the guy got his wish.

[Jesus H. Christ]

This story popped out way too early. Put it in an incubator, the poor little thing is seriously underdeveloped.

[Hugh Akston]

Second. This guy was freaking out and probably did himself in.

[Paul.]

I am going to be "that guy" and say that based on the facts as you have presented them, I do not see this as anything but a tragic accident.

100%

I remember a case where a guy in the back of a paddy-wagon (apologies to our Irish American posters) was able to choke himeself on his own belt while wearing handcuffs.

People didn't believe it at first, but after a long, thorough investigation the evidence showed suicide.

It happens.

[CockGobbla]

OT: But goddamn, I hate liberals.
http://www.cnn.com/2012/04/18/.....?hpt=hp_t2

[heller]

Someone posted that yesterday.

[ant1sthenes]

It wasn't really an explicit threat, since the more straightforward interpretation is a paranoid prediction that the president will start jailing or killing everyone who opposes him.

I suspect that isn't what he really meant, but if he says that's what he meant, it would be a stretch to prosecute, especially given that this specific president has in fact been granted enhanced rights to imprison or execute American citizens without trial.

[Randian]

The worst part is Granderson's attempt to tie this particular kerfuffle to gun ownership. Presumably, a few of those gun owners (like me) would be just as inclined to shoot someone in defense of the President.

[Loki]

the more straightforward interpretation is a paranoid prediction that the president will start jailing or killing everyone who opposes him.

That's actually what I though he meant. IOW, he was going on a semi-paranoid rant about how Obama was either going to lock him up or have him killed. The sad part is that at this time in history, when the president has been given ridiculous amounts of power, I feel inclined to say "semi-paranoid" instead of "full tim-foil hat paranoid".

[o3]

yep, the nuge went on an ego-driven rant to gin-up gun nuts...which is the real danger of his words.

[RedDragon6009]

yep, the nuge went on an ego-driven rant to gin-up gun nuts...which is the real danger of his words.

So members of the NRA are "gun-nuts"?

[o3]

pretty much. i quit when the NRA sued to block metal detectors at a public housing project which the terrorized residents overwhelmingly supported to help stop the thug shootouts. >and this SYG horseshit is gonna fall when a thug claims SYG after gunning-down some poor unarmed soccer-dad, who took a wrong turn, into the wrong hood, at the wrong time.

[Liquid Ass]

"the NRA sued to block metal detectors at a public housing project which the terrorized residents overwhelmingly supported to help stop the thug shootouts"

I'm guessing it didn't stop the shooting.

[Brandon]

It's not liberals, it's just LZ Granderson. He moved on from ESPN when they replaced his brand of race-baiting with Jemele Hill's brand. I don't know what the fuck CNN was thinking hiring him.

[RBS]

WTF? Someone else actually hired that guy? Also, Jemele is pretty terrible. Actually, most of the writing at ESPN pretty much sucks.

[Joe M]

While in the back of the police car, authorities said he tried to kick out the windows and the glass divider between the back and front seats. But police said Toney became suddenly quiet during the ride to the hospital, and the driver noticed him unresponsive.

Sounds like he was suffocating, hence the freak out, then he died from lack of oxygen.

[Soc Indv Sparky]

FTA, he was revived at the hospital and held there. There may have been something that wasn't caught when he was revived but this story is sorely lacking in details.

[CockGobbla]

Sorry, worth a second look anyways.

Seriously, though, if you're going to throw a washed-up 70s cock-rock star in jail, please make it Bob Seger.

[Randian]

You're on crack. Seger >>>> "The Nuge"

I'd go Seger in concert now; the Nuge is just a friggin' retard with marginal music. He has like three songs that are even worth listening to, and one of them was with Damn Yankees.

[General Butt Naked]

I agree. Something about Ted Nugent just annoys the shit out of me. That he's thrust himself into the position of the media's gun rights go-to-guy irks me to no end.

Fuck him and his shitty music with a dead moose.

*NOT that I think the CNN article isn't some major league bullshit*

[Paul.]

I agree. Something about Ted Nugent just annoys the shit out of me. That he's thrust himself into the position of the media's gun rights go-to-guy irks me to no end.

He didn't. The anti-gun media thrust him into the position of the gun rights go-to-guy. See how the game works?

[Paul.]

Let me be clear.

[Zeb]

No one make Ted Nugent cooperate. He is there because he wants to be and likes the attention. Of course the people who put him on TV know what they are doing, but he is hardly blameless. And he is an ass. I think gun rights are about all I agree with him on. He seems to be pretty much a cop fellating, law and order conservative statist asshole otherwise.

[Paul.]

No one make Ted Nugent cooperate. He is there because he wants to be and likes the attention.

Zeb, while we've never personally met, it's entirely possible that I want to be in the media expounding on my views on guns, and I might just like the attention... but I'm not in the media.

Yes, Ted Nugent is largely blameless. Last time I checked Nugent was not the vanity patron of a major news organization, so someone in the media wants to keep turning cameras on him.

There are all manner of perfectly sane, erudite people who could defend gun ownership in the most sound, intellectual and high brow means, but you'll never see in the MSM.

Because when you're the MSM, everyone who's into guns is Ted Nugent, or Ted Nugent Light.

Just like everyone who's against abortion is Reverend Phelps.

[Paul.]

Think of it this way, Zeb.

You're the editor-in-chief of a news organization, so every time you want to get the "woman's take" on any policy issue, you immediately send reporters out to talk to Andrea Dworkin.

[Paul.]

I agree. Something about Ted Nugent just annoys the shit out of me. That he's thrust himself into the position of the media's gun rights go-to-guy irks me to no end.

He didn't. The anti-gun media thrust him into the position of the gun rights go-to-guy. See how the game works?

[CockGobbla]

Intended for Heller.

[o3]

nugent's getting sum secret service bone..bada boom what an opening

[Fist of Etiquette]

Not enough passive voice.

[MP]

This is unworthy of an H&R post.

[joshua corning]

nah. Sometimes you have to show crazy suicidal poeple die despite reasonable efforts by law enforcement.

You need these articles so you can draw a line between accidents and when cops kill poeple.

[Evil Otto]

If the post title didn't imply it was not an accident, then I'd agree.

[robc]

I fail to see anything in the title that isnt true.

[Evil Otto]

The most effective lies are those that tell bits of the truth.

[Randian]

My guess, and our own DO can correct me if I am mistaken, is that given the freak out and the amount of time the guy lived afterwards, this is going to be a brain tumor, aneurysm, or a drug-related death of some kind.

[Chris Mallory]

Middle aged, middle class white guy (I am guessing on his race) just released on bail after a night in jail. Facing child abuse and assault charges. I would imagine he talked himself in to an hysteria and a heart attack.

[Paul.]

After his wife falsely accused him of child abuse during the bitter custody dispute...

I can see it.

[Mike M.]

Good thing he was white; if, God forbid, he had been black, Al Sharpscum and Jesse Jackass would already be putting on pressure for another second degree murder charge.

[Groovus Maximus]

this is going to be a brain tumor, aneurysm, or a drug-related death of some kind.

Given the lack of facts provided in the article, it's hard to say TAO. None of those can be effectively R/O until the autopsy is performed, though this pattern is inconsistent with the most prevalent types of brain tumors. Brain tumor is pretty unlikely.

Based on the (scant) cursory facts we do have, my rudimentary COD would be aneurysm. Berry aneurysm specifically, as that is the most common kind that is lethal and most fits the circumstances. Given his race, as a high percentage of Black Americans have essential HTN and I am curious if he also was IDDM and was in DKA, I would not R/O sudden cardiac arrest or an embolism given his excited psychiatric state. All of these conditions can of course be exacerbated with drug use, depending on the DOC. It's stated in the article Mr. Toney was revived in the hospital ER, but it did not specify how (Defib? Narcan? Glucagon or an infusion of glucose?)

The cops, IMO, in this case did exactly what they were supposed to do, and my spidey sense isn't tingling.

So, this is a wait and see kind of deal. The dead do have stories to tell, as Dr. Micheal Bodden would say.

[Lost_In_Translation]

Has anyone caught a virus from being spat upon that spit hoods become necessary? It seems like the last thing you want to a mental ill person is to put something over their mouth that could restrict their breathing it seems.

Am I correct in assuming that by shackling they're talking about handcuffing and footcuffing? I rarely here shackling used as a terminology.

[Chip]

Yes, spit hoods are necessary. Viruses can be transmitted by spit, especially if the spit contains blood. Hepatitis is a huge worry for emergency responders (including from spit).

When I'm running as a paramedic, we'll put a small face mask on a patient if they are spitting at us. Assuming the "spit hood" does not restrict their breathing (and I'd be surprised if it does), I'd always expect cops to put it on a person in custody who is spitting at them.

[Chip]

To follow up a bit though, the masks I've used are much smaller than the one in the picture above. If the part around the neck (in the picture) was wrapped tight, it certainly could restrict breathing.

But like a lot of the other posters here, I'm guessing this was a tragic accident. But there's not enough information in the article to know.

[Evil Otto]

They probably wouldn't have it wrapped tight since it's intended for someone who's already restrained (and thus won't be able to pull it off even if it's loose).

[Lost_In_Translation]

Ah, I was not aware, but was afraid that might be the case. Such a shame and seems like this cort of thing could happen (though posters above are probably closer to the truth about some sort of brain issue rather than asphixiation).

[Ice Nine]

Has anyone caught a virus from being spat upon that spit hoods become necessary?

Doesn't matter. Cops and medical personnel didn't sign up to be spit on. No one should be expected to accept that. So yeah, add HIV, hepatitis and multiple-drug-resistant TB to the mix and allowing it to happen is out of the question.

[NoVAHockey]

I've actually never seen one of those in the field. but i've put a mask and glasses on a lot. easy to put a mask on me.

/volunter EMT

[sarcasmic]

Q: What do you call it when you put a wet rag over someone's face and tie their hands and feet?

A: Standard operating procedure.

[R C Dean]

That, or foreplay.

[Abdul]

Don't you guys understand? The man said he wanted to be shot by cops, not suffocated.

[sarcasmic]

Blame it on bath salts.

[John Thacker]

In good news, Mitch Daniels signed a law in Indiana reversing the Indiana Supreme Court and allowing homeowners to use force against unlawfully entering police officers.

[RBS]

allowing homeowners to use force against unlawfully entering murder police officers.

[R C Dean]

A police officer operating unlawfully is just a criminal.

If he enters your house unlawfully, he is breaking and entering, and should be treated as any other home invader would be treated.

That is, shot.

[RBS]

I agree, I was attempting sarcasm.

[Evil Otto]

The problem is that, to exercise his or her right under this law, the homeowner must determine the unlawfulness of the police officer's presence in real time.

When a random stranger shows up in your house without your permission, unlawfulness is pretty clearly the case, so a shoot-first-questions-later response is appropriate. But there are circumstances under which a police officer can enter a home lawfully without permission from the owner, so that kind of response isn't warranted.

[Evil Otto]

So if there's a typo on the search warrant served by a team of officers, once they enter your house you're free to gun them down to the last man?

Typo on warrant == unlawful entry.

[John Thacker]

Although it's not so bad as that. From the bill's text, it appears that "reasonably believes" is the standard of defense, even if the police officer is actually acting lawfully.

Of course there's no telling how the courts (and juries) will consider that, but it's still a welcome balance in the law.

[robc]

I dont know about typing, but Im thinking Indiana cops will read the number on the outside of the building twice from now on.

[Evil Otto]

So you ARE a utilitarian after all, since you think innocent people being killed is OK if it makes them act the way you want.

[R]

If I accidentally run into a park car, I'm not INNOCENT, even if hitting that parked car is not my intention. Likewise, police busting down the wrong door in a raid because they didn't bother to double check the address aren't INNOCENT, either.

[sarcasmic]

I wish someone would put down this officer.

http://abcnews.go.com/US/texas.....5BsztnRmHO

[RBS]

He was a good boy. He was a real good boy.

That line has stuck with me since I first read this story the other day. Fuck that cop.

[R C Dean]

Hell, at this point, I would be satisfied if someone would just supervise the police in Austin.

But police "management" there has made it perfectly clear that they will do no such thing.

[RBS]

At one point my wife wanted to be a police officer but got rejected because they found something they did not like in her psych eval. I used think, well maybe my wife is a bit crazy. But now i'm convinced it was because she wasn't a psychopath.

[rangomooo]

Yeah right, sadly I doubt we will ever know what REALLY happened, stupid useless lowlife cops.

http://www.Anon-Data.tk