Officer who killed 95-year-old WWII Vet found not guilty

Latest

Police fired five consecutive beanbag rounds into this 95-year-old man’s body at an assisted living facility. He died the next day. PHOTO/THEFREETHOUGHTPROJECT.COM
Police fired five consecutive beanbag rounds into this 95-year-old man’s body at an assisted living facility. He died the next day.
PHOTO/THEFREETHOUGHTPROJECT.COM

MILTON, LA — A Park Forest, Illinois police officer has been acquitted in the death of a 95-year-old WWII veteran. Officer Craig Taylor was acquitted of reckless conduct, the one charge he faced for the negligent killing of another human being.
John Wrana Jr., 95, was killed during an altercation with Park Forest police when they responded to a call at his retirement apartment in June, 2013.
The incident began when the police were called to the Park Forest Assisted Living Center after Wrana refused treatment for what the staff believed to be a urinary tract infection.
Apparently the police are the “go to guys” when you need to force medical treatment on a 95-year-old man.
When the Park Forest cops arrived, predictably the situation then escalated to violence. Wrana did brandish a fileting knife. However, the police mistook a shoehorn for a machete and raided Wrana’s room.
Instead of waiting for the 95-year-old to simply take a nap and go in peacefully, the police used the only tactic they know, violent escalation.
When a taser was fired by an officer and missed, Taylor fired the beanbag gun from 15 feet away, in clear violation of the manufacturers instructions. He fired five consecutive shots into the 95-year-old in a matter of seconds.
In a Lawsuit filed by the estate of Mr. Wrana, the family alleges that the officers acted “willfully, wantonly, intentionally, knowingly, maliciously, in bad faith and with deliberate disregard.”
“There was nothing criminal about his actions,” the judge said in a Markham courtroom. He cited that the force Taylor used was, “not excessive.”
Unfortunately, many people will look at this situation and feel that justice has been served. However, it was not only Taylor’s actions that led to the death of John Wrana that day, but also the actions of the entire system; a system who owes its very existence to the monopoly it holds on the use of violence.
When violent force is relied upon to convince an elderly man to get tested for a potential medical problem, we as a society lose out.
An innocent man who only wanted to be left alone had a team of state agents, whose sole purpose is to use violent coercion to force compliance, dispatched to his residence.
These very state agents, ostensibly acting in defense of that man’s life, ended that man’s life instead—and the system that killed him defends this response. Tis a sad day in the supposed Land of the Free.
Read more at http://thefreethoughtproject.com/officer-killed-95-year-old-wwii-vet-refused-medical-treatment-guilty/#MxeWZo16LeygRWqw.99

+ Articles by this author

Free to republish but please credit the People's Tribune. Visit us at www.peoplestribune.org, email peoplestribune@gmail.com, or call 773-486-3551.

The People’s Tribune brings you articles written by individuals or organizations, along with our own reporting. Bylined articles reflect the views of the authors. Unsigned articles reflect the views of the editorial board. Please credit the source when sharing: ©2024 peoplestribune.org. Please donate to help us keep bringing you voices of the movement. Click here. We’re all volunteer, no paid staff.

1 COMMENT

  1. I am 68 years old and have never called the police in my life and never will I don’t trust them as their main job seems to be protecting the wealthy

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

Featured

Fighting for Climate, Students Walk Out Over Trump

"[The student nationwide] walkouts represent a call to action for both parties," said Sunrise Youth Movement, a group that advocates for political action on climate change.

‘Organize Like Our Lives Depend On It Because They Do’

'There are no winners here, because we are all bound by our nation’s refusal to confront its own soul. This fight is not over; it’s only beginning,' says Director of Los Angeles Skid Row organization, LA CAN.

Where Do We Go From Here: It Does Matter

Those of us who have a history of being on the front lines knew this moment was coming and we’re telling ourselves it is not the time to fatigue out! We know either way it lands, that it’s in our laps and we need all boots on the ground.

Pregnant Teen Died: Seeks Care in Three Texas Emergency Rooms

Nevaeh Crain cried in pain, too weak to walk, blood staining her thighs. Vomiting and feverish at her baby shower, the teen went to two different emergency rooms, returning home, worse than before. Pregnant women have become untouchables.

No, Immigration Is Not Making Housing Less Affordable

Despite politicians' claims to the contrary, immigration is not making housing unaffordable. In fact, immigration can be part of the solution.

More from the People's Tribune