By Carlos Miller
Without announcing themselves as police officers, a group of Boise cops stormed up to Gerald Amidon’s house on Valentine’s Day and demanded to be let inside.
When Amidon refused to open the door, they started shouldering their way inside, but Amidon was holding it shut, thinking it was a man who was going to beat him up at the bequest of his girlfriend’s friend.
At one point, Amidon even yelled out – “call the cops!” - as he was struggling to keep the door shut, according to a tape recording from the police officers.
That same recording also confirms that the officers never announced themselves. And then there is that other tape recording that the officers erased.
But the recording that did not get erased is damaging enough.
Especially that part where at least two officer sit on top of a handcuffed Amidon him while one officer sticks a Taser up his ass, firing it, leaving burn marks on the inside of his right butt cheek two weeks later.
Amidon – who made national news from this blog post on the earlier incident – is seeking nothing less than a half-million dollars in damages from the Notice of Claim he filed last month.
While the original report from a police ombudsman didn’t get much more than a recommendation for higher training, perhaps the Notice of Claim might do some heavier damage.
He is, after all, asking for a half-million dollars plus lawyer expenses and court costs.
The officers were responding to a call of domestic violence, but neither Amidon or his girlfriend Laura Bryson had called the cops. It was most likely Bryson’s friend.
In fact, the entire issue of domestic violence on this night doesn’t have Amidon laying a single finger on her. It was just a temper tantrum he thew.
That morning, the two were eating an early breakfast and discussing how they would celebrate Valentine’s Day later that night.
Later that day, Amidon went to her house while she went somewhere else and saw that somebody had else had sent her roses.
So he went into a jealous rage and started tearing up her room, then left in a huff.
Later that night, his anger had calmed down, and he went back the house and apologized. Then asked if he could clean up the mess he left in her room.
He and Bryson began arguing on the front porch. And at this point, one of her friends, Crystal, was threatening to bring over some “big guy” to beat up Amidon. She was most likely called the cops.
In fact, as he and Byson continued arguing, they thought they saw Crystal’s car pull up with the big guy who was supposedly going kick his ass.
So when the cops stormed up minutes later, Amidon figured this was the guy meant to hurt him and refused to open the door.
He even shouted – “call the cops!” – to his girlfriend as he struggled with the door, but the cops had already been called.
They were the ones conducting the home invasion.
Popularity: 1% [?]
19 responses so far ↓
1 Michaelk42 // Aug 11, 2009 at 7:45 AM
I wonder what TASER International’s official recommendation is for anal application of its product?
I’d love to see the company line on that one.
2 John Anderson // Aug 11, 2009 at 7:46 AM
Carlos…
Great blog, but lately I’ve noticed that your proof-reading has gone the way of the dodo.
“The officers were responding to a call of domestic violence, but neither Amidon or his girlfriend Laura Bryson.”
“Later that night, his anger had calmed down, she he went back the house and apologized.”
“He even shouted – “call the cops!” – to his girlfriend as he struggled with the door, but the cops had to be called.”
The first one is a fragment, the second one has an extra pronoun in it, and the third just plain doesn’t make sense.
All it takes is an extra 2 minutes to re-read and proof.
3 300baud // Aug 11, 2009 at 8:43 AM
Whoa, Carlos, no more drunk posting, eh?
4 NYCPhotorights // Aug 11, 2009 at 10:04 AM
Only HALF a million.. He is letting them off easy – the photographer who was arrested in NY is suing for $2 MILLION and he was not even tasered. If I am ever tasered unjustly I would sue for at least $10 MILLION (assuming I live through it).
5 Carlos Miller // Aug 11, 2009 at 10:47 AM
Man, this was badly in need of a solid proof reading.
Unfortunately, I was nodding off by the time I posted it.
I’ve been working a lot lately. Last night, I had an after midnight video shoot at a local club for NBC Miami.
I also try to keep this blog fresh by having something posted first thing in the morning for my morning readers.
But some times I run the risk of literally burning myself out, as I did yesterday when I woke up at 7 a.m. and was still trying to write something for this blog after 3 a.m.
6 Tom Joad // Aug 11, 2009 at 10:53 AM
The reason the claim is for only $500k is that Idaho has a statutory limit on liability for that amount. If I was on the jury I would certainly award him more than this to send a big message to the PD that this is BS.
7 NC // Aug 11, 2009 at 1:09 PM
Another excellent example of the absurd bias of this blog. Once again, you believe everything the arrested perpetrator claims and assume the police were in the wrong. There was a lot of that going on in this case, too:
http://www.philly.com/inquirer/home_top_stories/20090805_Police_incident_causes_big_mess_for_Deptford_Township.html
Once all the facts were examined, however, the criminal was proven to be the liar. The same may very well be the case in Idaho.
I think this blog would be more aptly titled “Yellow Journalism Is Not a Crime.”
One is left wondering, however, at the quality of Mr. Miller’s journalism when he can’t even correctly capitalize the title of his own blog (hint, nouns and verbs are always capitalized in titles).
8 Michaelk42 // Aug 11, 2009 at 1:28 PM
@NC
Ha! Because obviously that case being decided one way means this one must be *exactly the same!*
The blog title is incorrect according to which stylebook, exactly? You realize it’s Miller’s blog and he can run the caps any way he wants, right?
Look out Carlos. He’s copyediting at you now, inflicting his stylebook of choice on you. NC might even whip out his internet TASER.
9 enhager // Aug 11, 2009 at 1:52 PM
When you pay for the content, then you can complain about capitalizing Is and other copy editing mistakes.
10 Steve // Aug 11, 2009 at 3:52 PM
NC you are obviously a pig. The link was a good read though. Out of control cops get acquitted and sue the city. They get their jobs back only to go on disability. They even whine that their settlement placed them in a higher tax bracket.
11 Supernintendo Chalmers // Aug 11, 2009 at 5:44 PM
“notice of claim” sounds so boring, and “tort” is just dirty… i believe “cha-ching” is the preferred legal nomenclature for this situation.
12 HELP! // Aug 11, 2009 at 5:47 PM
Jeez, “Injustice Everywhere” just deleted all the articles from his site. Please, everybody go over there ASAP and tell him to put everything back up!!!!!!!
13 Jon Quimbly // Aug 11, 2009 at 5:53 PM
Michaelk42 – I wonder what TASER International’s official recommendation is for anal application of its product?
“Apply conductive saline gel to target area prior to deploying prongs.”
14 SOMEBODY TALK SOME SENSE INTO "INJUSTICE EVERYWHERE"! // Aug 11, 2009 at 6:07 PM
He’s deleted all the articles from his site. What purpose does that serve? Tell him that the site was read, it was appreciated, and to put everything back up.
Thanks
15 Nemo // Aug 11, 2009 at 9:32 PM
NC’s funny. A guy gets a taser up the ass, and he’s defending the torturer who misused the taser and is whining about capitalization.
That’s rich.
16 Tom Joad // Aug 12, 2009 at 2:07 AM
Taser Parody International
Important Users Manual Addendum:
TASER Device Target Preferred Areas of Body. When practical, the preferred target areas are the subject’s torso (center mass) or legs.
• TASER Device Targeting Sensitive Areas. When practical, avoid intentionally targeting the head, face, throat, or genitals without legal justification unless located in Boise Idaho. While significant injury can occur from device deployment or use into these sensitive areas of the body, Idaho officers receive blanket immunity from prosecution. Always assure that suspects are properly taunted and humiliated when the Taser device is deployed in the ano-genital regions.
TASER Parody International does not recommend anal penetration and firing in most situations. However, such deployment may justified under the totality of the circumstances, such as suspected domestic abuse, a lack of respect for an officers authority, or felony ugly in public. When anal use is justified, TASER Parody International recommends KY brand of personal lubricant, for ease of insertion, and proper electrical conduction to ensure maximum suspect compliance. Taser Parody International can not assure proper electrical conduction and suspect compliance if used with other brands such as Glide, Astrolube, or Slippery Stuff.
17 SOMEBODY... // Aug 12, 2009 at 2:50 AM
Hey Carlos, anyway you can delete my comments, #’s 12 and 14, since the site is back up and everythings o.k. now? Thanks
18 Jon Quimbly // Aug 12, 2009 at 1:20 PM
lolz! Funny, Tom.
19 Elliott // Aug 12, 2009 at 9:36 PM
NC is obviously a cops can do no wrong idiot.. There is no possible legal or rational justification for anally probing the guy with a TASER. The cops of tapes show they acted completely illegally. They are required to identify themselves, they didn’t, that apparently is not open to debate, THEIR tape shows they didn’t. They might as well write the check today, the city lost before the case was even filed.
Leave a Comment