Police State USAHOUSTON, TX –A family received more than they bargained for when they requested the help of local police in dealing with a mentally ill family member. To “defuse” a situation involving a delusional man who had locked himself in a bathroom with a knife, police kicked in the door, screamed obscenities, tased him several times, and finally shot him to death. The horrifying scene was captured through a hidden camera set up by family members who were distrustful of police.
The incident involving the death of Michael Blair took place on November 4th, 2013. The video was only recently released.
It began as Blair, a 26-year-old paranoid schizophrenic, had an emotional episode in which he picked up a knife and claimed he wanted to hurt himself. Blair took the knife and locked himself in a bathroom. Not knowing what else to do, the Blair family called 9-1-1 for assistance.
While police were en route, a family relative placed a cell phone in the hallway pointing toward the bathroom. The relative was concerned about what might happen when all of the family members were removed from view. The camera obtained a perfect angle from across the hallway, toward the doorway of the bathroom.
Two Fort Bend County Sheriff’s deputies soon arrived. They initiated contact in the most cordial way they knew how.
“Hey man, we will kick in the door, and I don’t wanna do it,” one officer barked. “You want to do this the easy way. Don’t make us do it the hard way.”
Police confirmed that Mr. Blair had a knife to his neck, which caused them to kick the door in immediately and scream as loudly as their lungs would allow.
The officers continued screaming at the top of their lungs at the ill man. “Drop the knife! Drop the knife! You will drop that knife! You hear me?!”
The excited man was in no condition to follow commands. The deputies began employing their tasers as a bargaining tool. Mr. Blair could be heard yelping in pain from the electric shocks.
At one point the primary negotiator lowered his voice a few decibels and for the first time tried to talk to Mr. Blair without screaming. “Let it go. I don’t want to shock you again.” Blair could be heard babbling incoherently as he lay in a bathtub, frightened from the taser.
The final negotiation was immediately followed by the sound of more shocks being administered. “I need another taser!” the deputy called to his partner, evidently signaling that he had drained his batteries.
As the shocks finally ceased, Mr. Blair stood up and shook off the probes that had pierced his body. As he walked for the door, the lead deputy opened fire. Eleven shots rang out.
Watch the hidden camera video of the incident below. [ WARNING: Graphic Content]
The shot continued in rapid succession even after Blair had dropped to the floor. Among his fatal wounds, Blair was shot in the head.
The family could be heard shrieking with terror. “Oh Jesus! You killed him!” a woman sobbed from off-camera.
* * * * *
“We want him to live a long life, so he will always remember my son and how he murdered him in that bathroom that day. My son did not deserve 11 shots to his head, and we have to find out from the media how many times he was shot in that bathroom. Even though we heard the shots ring out, we didn’t know. All that we’re asking is that someone recognizes what we recognize. That was brutality at its finest in that bathroom that day,” said Michael’s mother, Kimberly Blair-Olaniyi.
As we have repeatedly seen, sending government force to ‘deal with’ a person suffering from mental instability is often a recipe for disaster. Cops know brute force, not finesse. The panicked, mentally ill man was only pushed over the edge by the violence that came crashing through his door. The screams and electric shocks were the last thing the situation needed.
Requesting the forceful presence of government agents should only be sought with extreme caution. The pervasive enforcer mentality has proved to many people that the response that they may receive could turn out to be dramatically less than helpful [Read more].
The situation is under further investigation, and the family intends to file a lawsuit.
what a shame it was not tony blair, their may of been some comfort, as a father of a secvere autistic lad, i sympatsize with the parents, but if they did not trust the police, why call them, do they not realise that when you put a uniform on a person, ?their personality changes, some for the good, some not so good, these police/acted like nazi’s, disabled are worthless to some people
SSDD!!!!!!! You watch, those cops will get paid vacation (administrative leave) then will rejoin the force with back pay after some crooked judge decides those puny policemen in the video needed to use “Deadly Force”.
“The horrifying scene was captured through a hidden camera set up by family members who were distrustful of police.”
Another shining example of why no one should ever call the cops.
Now if somebody saw a cop start shooting a unarmed person – especially after being tazed – would it be our right to shoot the cop to prevent a shooting/murder by cop?
No, you would be the next “Chris Dorner” and anyone unfortunate enough to own a similar vehicle better “watch the f*#k out” because the cops will shoot first, ask questions later like “how was I to know that was family with 5 children and not our suspect?”
@ Millard @ 7:49 – I guess ya might say that it is long overdue to start snipping then – like I have always figured – eh ? Not that I am for that type of thing but like they say ” when Push Comes To Shove” ya know and the cops have been asking for it now for many many years and we the people just sit back and cry about it.
madmax world begins. had my pic taken the other day so I guess im slated for something straight out of a scene of “the road” or in my sisters case “roadkill” I can only surmise why these cops did this. even they probably know what time it is. it truly amazes me how those whose lives haven’t been directly affected by the economy still don’t see what’s going on around them.
Look at this way. Just another “Mentally Ill” with a label of “paranoid schizophrenic” healed by electro shock and multiple hot lead injections.
I find it unimaginable that two brute cops could not have disarmed Michael when he was in the bathtub. Looks like another useless eater removed from disability.
I worked with paranoid schizophrenics for nine years and never had to taser or shoot one of them. In most cases when they say they are going to hurt them selves, it is a cry for help. Yelling at them only escalates them.
can someone tell me…….where! Love has gone to? I am beginning to wonder if there ever was any……OH! I’ll say, of course there was and still is……but tis damn hard to find………..and when you do find it, weakness seems to be attached to it, via some writer who themselves, have barely known it…..Love up front right here in this situation (by responders) would have solved the crisis….
and without it …..see what happens……
same with the military organizations all around the world….they haven’t a clue to go with their strips, their stars and murderous ways………
I know. Cause, I was once there against my will….
Robert Beason Nam in country 1969 US56639487 us army vet
Not only love, but what happened to compassion, kindness, understanding? Where did “Do to others as you would have them do to you” go? Where is truth?
Maybe WE THE PEOPLE should do unto them as they do unto us. Hot lead injection for a start.