Judge Clarence Thomas’ Nephew Derek Tasered by Hospital Staff, Family Says
EmailABC News’ Huma Khan reports: Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas’ family is alleging that his epileptic nephew was unfairly punched and tasered at a Louisiana hospital for refusing to put on a gown. Derek Thomas, who was admitted to the West Jefferson Hospital in Marrero, Louisiana, for a possible suicide attempt, suffered a “massive seizure” as a result, his family said. Derek’s sister, Kimberly Thomas said in an e-mail to ABC 26 that the security guard punched him, pulled out his hair and tasered him after he refused to put on a gown and tried to leave the hospital. "Security contests it was under doctor's orders to taser Thomas as opposed to sedating him for restraint even after prior knowledge of his epilepsy," the e-mail said. The hospital did not return calls seeking comment. Derek is the son of Justice Thomas’ younger brother Myer Lee Thomas, who died in 2000. According to his sister, he is a student at Nicholls State College and owns a small business called Tunez R Us, an electronics and music distribution company. The Supreme Court would not comment on the case. Per the family’s statement, Justice Thomas is “outraged” and will be visiting his nephew to check on the situation. — Huma Khan UPDATE: The West Jefferson Medical Center released this statement today: "West Jefferson Medical Center (WJMC) thoroughly investigates all patient care incidents. Any events that may have transpired on July 8, 2010 will be likewise investigated and obviously, prior to the completion of any investigation, the true and accurate facts concerning an alleged event cannot be known. "However, even after any facts are ascertained, it is quite likely that WJMC will not be able to disseminate those facts to the public, including the media, due to applicable laws and regulations which protect patient privacy, unless the patient in question or his/her duly authorized representative grants permission to WJMC to release information."
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People have to realize, that law enforcement no longer likes to get physical with hard to control people who have medical problems.
Either learn to live with it…..or hire your own control people. It isn’t the public servant’s job to cater to your family wishes.
Posted by: Rick McDaniel | July 9, 2010, 3:46 pm 3:46 pm
“Either learn to live with it…..or hire your own control people. It isn’t the public servant’s job to cater to your family wishes.”
Rick
much as i dislike Thomas this is the most assinine comment i’ve heard in a while. Well next to anything Palin. Maybe next it will be your grandmother.
Posted by: gimmeabreak | July 9, 2010, 4:06 pm 4:06 pm
the hospital has nothing to worry about. Thomas is a black CONSERVATIVE, so the ACLU, NAACP, and Eric Holder will stay away from this one. If it had been Sotomayor’s nephew, it would have been a s#@*storm.
Posted by: StarveTheBeast | July 9, 2010, 4:09 pm 4:09 pm
Difficult patients are a fact of life in hospitals. But violence is not the answer. This man’s treatment was reprehensible and gulagianesque.
What kind of people are employed in these care facilities and why are tasers even on their inventory?
No one, however disturbed, abandons their right to civil and humane treatment when they cross the threshold of a hospital.
It is surreal, insane, and medieval. Tell me again why the US has the best health-care system in the world?
Ha! If you believe that you will believe anything.
Posted by: Ronnie Bray | July 9, 2010, 4:49 pm 4:49 pm
There has to be more to the story. He was probably acting like a maniac or they wouldn’t have tased him
Posted by: bob s | July 9, 2010, 5:09 pm 5:09 pm
As much as your doctor will lead you to believe otherwise, you have a perfect right to leave the hospital at any time of your choosing. Doctors orders are not legally binding. If you don’t want to put on a gown, nobody has a right to punish you for it.
Posted by: sal | July 9, 2010, 5:29 pm 5:29 pm
Would this be news if it wasn’t Clarence Thomas newphew? There are 2 sides to every story. I am sure they made it clear that they were Clarence Thomas family members when they emailed ABC news. He was there on a suicide watch and you want us to believe they abuse this man because he didn’t want to put on a gown. GET REAL.
Posted by: tonyatq | July 9, 2010, 5:43 pm 5:43 pm
Well frying an epileptic is not a good way to control him. Being an epiletic and having a son-in-law who works with severe suicidal state teens and young adults, nothing in this story sounds like the appropriate standards of care were followed.
Posted by: John | July 9, 2010, 6:11 pm 6:11 pm
He must have been behaving REALLY badly to have doctors wanting him tasered.
Posted by: Cassandra | July 9, 2010, 7:12 pm 7:12 pm
I’m thinking we’re going to be needing some laws regarding the tasers. Disgusting.
Posted by: secondlook | July 9, 2010, 7:13 pm 7:13 pm
If a person is deemed a danger to him or her self, and/or others, and/or gravely disabled they can be involuntarily committed for up to 72 hours, its commonly referred to as a 5150, after the CA statute. However, I have not heard of any policy that advocates punching and tasering a patient, let alone an epileptic. It is not uncommon to have a patient restrained, especially one that is being held on a 5150 but it is usually handled by trained hospital personnel like orderlies and sedation is employed if needed. This incident has nothing to do with politics or race, this was bad judgement.
Posted by: Dr. MCS | July 9, 2010, 8:15 pm 8:15 pm
what the heck is going on this country when “authority” figures and private security think its ok to electrocute people for non compliance? this country is becoming a police state. do exactly as your told or you will be shocked. its disgusting. wake up people!!!! as someone said above you have every right to leave a hospital and not follow orders to put on a gown, its not prison. that is unless its a 50/50 psych hold. speaking of which look for those to be over used in the near future as a compliance tool.
Posted by: Tom | July 9, 2010, 8:22 pm 8:22 pm
Why would a hospital even HAVE a taser? When did that become a medical instrument? I don’t think this had anything to do with race. I think it had to do with hospital personnel waaaaaaay overreaching their authority.
Yes, you can hold someone in a hospital involuntarily (for a certain time period) if there is adequate reason to believe they are going to harm themselves or someone else.
But tasering them? Pulling their hair out? Engaging them in that delightful new hospital game of “Punch the Patient”? I don’t think so!
IF this story is true, some staff heads should roll here.
Posted by: xtch3 | July 9, 2010, 9:03 pm 9:03 pm
Tasers are nothing less than portable torture devices. The army got in trouble for electrocuting terrorist prisoners yet we do it to our citizens.
Posted by: Bob | July 9, 2010, 9:13 pm 9:13 pm
oh boo hoo yet another cry baby. Worlds full of them, so tired of all the “I want it my way all the time” people makes me sick. get over yourselves you are not that special.
Posted by: mjm | July 9, 2010, 9:25 pm 9:25 pm
Why would a hospital even HAVE a taser? When did that become a medical instrument? I don’t think this had anything to do with race. I think it had to do with hospital personnel waaaaaaay overreaching their authority.
—————
Hospitals have to deal with drug addicts, alcoholics, combative people and mentally ill persons all the time.
My sister worked in an ER and was stabbed once by an alcoholic and once by a schizophrenic. She has been punched, bitten, and choked by out-of-control patients and even by their families.
Hospital security people have the same duties, responsibilities, and obligations to protect property and persons as ‘the cop on the street’.
I do believe tasing an epileptic would be very risky; but the article states the doctor on the scene authorized it.
Since this writeup says little about the actual events and violence level, I don’t think any of us can say if it was right or wrong. I notice he was there for a possible suicide attempt, he may have been threatening to kill himself during this incidence.
Posted by: malcat | July 9, 2010, 10:59 pm 10:59 pm
Why not give him a AMA form to sign and let him GO? Then allof this would not have happened. Its only by a court order does the hospital HAVE the-a RIGHT to restaint a patient against him or her wishes..due to the harm of shelf and others.. is this not correct?
–
ReckonTruth, he was there because of a possible suicide attempt. This article is lacking in details, but it is possible his family brought him in and they did not want him to leave the hospital.
It is highly probable that the state has laws that say a hospital MUST keep someone if there is a risk of suicide.
The article doesn’t say how the young man was behaving. Was he violent, possibly attacking nurses and other staff? Was he trying to harm himself?
There are a lot of facts missing from this write-up.
Posted by: malcat | July 10, 2010, 9:46 am 9:46 am
I’m disturbed by the use of Tasers in which someone is seen as being uncooperative, rude, loud, or unruly. Tasers are marketed as non-lethal weapons, but they really should be considered semi-lethal and used only when there is a clear threat of physical violence that cannot be otherwise prevented. It’s rare, but Tasers kill. Derick Jones, Robert Mitchell, Robert, Dziekanski, Baron Pikes. All dead.
Posted by: David | July 10, 2010, 10:53 am 10:53 am
Lots of facts are missing but no matter the variance of scenarios, this is abhorrent!
A patient has the right to refuse treatment. You have the right to leave a hospital at any time AMA, Against Medical Advise. You may be detained 5150, but obviously that wasn’t the case because he walked out after the incident.
America! Where a law abiding Black man go into a hospital for treatment and walk out beaten and tasered!
Thomas is epileptic and they knew it. If he was trying to kill himself perhaps they were thinking, “Let us help you.”
Posted by: Sher | July 10, 2010, 11:28 am 11:28 am
We are only hearing ONE side of the story. If he instigated anything, they have the right to protect themselves. If he was threatening harm to himself, that also elevates things. But, that being said, I am increasingly concerned about the use of tasers.
The sad thing about this, is that Clarence Thomas MIGHT have to recuse himself from future “taser” cases because of this situation. I’m not sure. With an increasing number of police/taser situations occurring, there will surely be a case brought to the supreme court at some point in the future. Personally, I think that tasers are too quickly used in many cases.
Posted by: CC | July 10, 2010, 11:54 am 11:54 am
Article title refers to his title as “Judge”, when it should be ‘Justice’. Good job.
Posted by: Ryan | July 10, 2010, 12:06 pm 12:06 pm
the hospital has nothing to worry about. Thomas is a black CONSERVATIVE, so the ACLU, NAACP, and Eric Holder will stay away from this one. If it had been Sotomayor’s nephew, it would have been a s#@*storm.
Posted by: StarveTheBeast | Jul 9, 2010 4:09:58 PM
????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????
And here come the people whining about the race card being pulled. Nice being the first one right?
Posted by: catmom | July 10, 2010, 12:23 pm 12:23 pm
Given his record of voting for police state tactics, Thomas would side with the hospital.
Posted by: Ted | July 10, 2010, 2:26 pm 2:26 pm
He tried to run! The police had the right to taser him due to his attempt to FLEE! Heavens, when when people understand that when the police (who are the law enforcers) tell you to stop, you need to stop! Watched COPS (bad boys, bad boys) last night with the grandson…a boy was walking down the freeway in Lynn,MA with a knife and I can’t tell you how many times the cops told him to drop the knife. After 2 of those, the boy should have been shot in the leg. JMNOHO!
Posted by: cherokeerose | July 10, 2010, 3:51 pm 3:51 pm
Clarence Thomas has ruled in the past that black men can be beaten by guards. So if he gets involved with this case he
is a HYPOCRITE!!!
Posted by: Bro Keith X | July 10, 2010, 4:45 pm 4:45 pm
It can’t be racism because Clarence Thomas doesn’t believe in racism. It must be liberals – yeah that’s the ticket.
Posted by: W Bush | July 10, 2010, 10:06 pm 10:06 pm