BREAKING NEWS AND BRING YOU DETAILS AS SOON AS WE HAVE THEM. NOW, BRUNSWICK MOM IS
CONTINUING TO PUSH FOR ANSWERS
OVER AN INCIDENT INVOLVING HER
21 YEAR-OLD SON WHO HAS AUTISM
AND IS NONVERBAL AND WHO WAS
TASERED REPEATEDLY AND TACKLED
BY POLICE LAST SEPTEMBER.
♪
♪
♪ ♪ >> IM IN REASON WHY YOU DID
THAT TO ME. SO KIND OF RESOLVE
HOW RESOLVE THIS. SO I DON’T
HAPPEN AGAIN.
>> 8 MONTHS LATER, POLICE ARE
GIVING A NEW REASON WHY THEIR
ADMINISTRATIVE REVIEW OF THE
INCIDENT HAS NOT BEEN MADE
PUBLIC NEWS. 4 JAX. I TEAM
INVESTIGATOR AND MAXWELL WENT
TO BRUNSWICK AND JOINS US LIVE
AND
>> MARY, BACK IN SEPTEMBER,
POLICE TOLD US THEY HAD
COMPLETED A REVIEW OF THIS
INCIDENT, BUT THEY COULDN’T
YET REALLY SET THEY THEY
COULDN’T RELEASE UNTIL THEY
COMPLETED THEIR INVESTIGATION
INTO A COMPLAINT MADE BY THAT
MAN’S MOTHER. NOW POLICE ARE
TELLING US THEY CAN’T RELEASE
THE RESULTS OF THAT REVIEW
UNTIL THEY HEAR BACK FROM THE
TASER MANUFACTURER ANOTHER.
THE TASERS WERE WORKING TO
THAT COMPLAINT MADE BY THE
MOTHER. POLICE HAVEN’T
RESPONDED TO OUR QUESTIONS
TODAY.
>> ON SEPTEMBER 4, GREAT JOHN
CHERRY WAS TASERED MULTIPLE
TIMES AS OFFICERS YELL
COMMANDS. DIDN’T UNDERSTAND
BECAUSE HE HAS AUTISM A FACT
POLICE SOON LEARNED FROM
BYSTANDERS.
>> BUT DESPITE CRIES FROM HIS
SISTER AND ACKNOWLEDGMENT BY
OFFICERS OF CHERRIES NOW WE
UNDERSTAND THAT POLICE
CONTINUED TO TASER HIM. AND
FOLLOW HIM.
>> TACKLING HIM TO THE IS
EARNING HIM AGAIN.
>> AND PUTTING HIM IN 2 SETS
OF HANDCUFFS. I STANDARDS ARE
HEARD YELLING ABOUT HIS
CONDITION, AT LEAST 14 TIMES.
>> I
>> JUST LASTLY, OFFICERS
RESPONDED AT LEAST 6 TIMES.
THEY 8 MONTHS LATER, CHERRY’S
MOTHER CHERYL JOHNSON SAYS
HE’S TRAUMATIZED, SCARED TO
LEAVE THE HOUSE WITHOUT A CARE
GIVER, LITERALLY HOLDING HIS
HAND WHEN THEY JUST
>> ALL DAY, LIKE TEARS IS
ALMOST LIKE TAKE MY BREATH
AWAY. BECAUSE HE CAN TELL ME
MY MOM STILL HER. I’M STILL
CONFUSED ABOUT WOW. WAS
TREATED LIKE THAT. WHEN WAS
WALKING AT THE TIME, THE GLYNN
COUNTY POLICE CHIEF COMMENDED
HIS OFFICERS FOR USING LESS
THAN LETHAL FORCE AT FIRST
RESPONDING OFFICER BELIEVES
TERRI WAS HOLDING A WEAPON,
BUT THE OBJECT FELL OUT OF HIS
HAND. AFTER THE FIRST TIME THE
TASER WAS DEPLOYED, THEY LATER
>> IT REACHED OUT TO THE
POLICE DEPARTMENT FOR AN
UPDATE ON THEIR INTERNAL
INVESTIGATION INTO THIS
INCIDENT IN OCTOBER, FEBRUARY
AND MARCH. BUT WE NEVER
RECEIVED ANSWERS UNTIL LAST
WEEK WHEN GLENN COUNTY
RESPONDED TO A REQUEST UNDER
GEORGIA’S OPEN RECORDS ACT.
>> ASKING FOR RECORDS OF
INVESTIGATIVE MATERIALS
RELATED TO THE INCIDENT. THE
RESPONSE, THE GLYNN COUNTY
POLICE DEPARTMENT DOESN’T HAVE
ANY RECORDS LIKE THAT. I LOVE
SURPRISE. JOHNSON IS CHERRIES
VOICE A VOICE UP AGAINST A
POLICE DEPARTMENT THAT’S BEEN
SILENT ON THIS FOR 8 MONTHS. I
HAVE HOPE.
>> PRAYING THAT GOD IS ME,
WHICH I KNOW HE HEARS. THE MID
TEENS TO START.
>> A POLICE SPOKESPERSON SAYS
SO FAR AND THEY’RE OF YOU.
THERE’S NOTHING THAT WOULD
CAUSE THEM ALARM ABOUT HOW
THIS INCIDENT WAS HANDLED. AND
ACCORDING TO THE GLYNN COUNTY
POLICE WEBSITE, EVERY CREDIBLE
COMPLAINT AGAINST POLICE IS
APPROPRIATELY INVESTIGATED.
AGAIN. NO WORD ON THIS
COMPLAINT FILED BACK IN
SEPTEMBER. POLICE ALSO TOLD US
TODAY THAT IN RESPONSE TO THIS
INCIDENT, THEY’VE CREATED A
NEW REGISTRY FOR PEOPLE WITH
SPECIAL NEEDS. AND THEY’VE
ALSO MANDATED THEIR OFFICERS
TAKE A COURSE ON AUTISM AND DE
ESCALATION LIVE IN CANNES AND