Video and Witness Statements Conflict with Police Report of Mentally Ill Man’s Arrest
Natalie, who contacted CopBlock.org’s submission tab, says that Myles Sebastian Carroll had already left the Cellar Door establishment when police arrived and that he was leaving peacefully. This conflicts with the story officers are telling the media, according to the Peninsula Daily News:
On the day of the arrest, Carroll refused to leave the Cellar Door, 940 Water St., when asked, and employees called police, according to police reports.
Fudally, one of three officers called to the scene, pursued Carroll with the intent of arresting him for trespassing, but Carroll did not respond to calls to stop, Fudally’s report said.
Carroll, who grew up in Port Townsend and is listed as “transient,” was well-known to police and has been arrested several times, according to Fudally’s report.
A scuffle followed, according to his report. Fudally attempted to arrest Carroll but was unable to secure the handcuffs.
Fudally struck Carroll in the face in an attempt to subdue him, but the blow had no effect; Fudally lost his balance and Carroll escaped, Fudally’s report said.
Stuart joined Fudally in pursuit of Carroll.
Fudally asked emergency dispatchers to initiate “rage aggression delirium” protocol, meaning he would get help in calming Carroll down, before he pinned Carroll against a car and snapped on handcuffs.
In the dashcam video obtained by the Port Townsend Leader you can hear Carroll say, “I’m sorry, look I really am. I’m sorry.” This conflicts with the officers report that Carroll, “did not responds to calls to stop.” Also seen in the dashcam is when Fudally attempts to put Carroll in handcuff and he takes off. At the same time another officer arrives to provide back up and the two officers hold claim to hold Carroll down until he’s subdued by EMTs but according to Natalie:
I witnessed this happen and the police officer clearly was the one who assaulted him. The police officer claiming to be injured, left blood on himself for hours just to have a photo taken so that it would not look like his fault. It would have been appropriate for the police to show up and make sure that he had left the establishment and that everyone was safe, instead he [Fudally] made the situation worse and ended up beating up a man, who had apologized and already offered to leave peacefully. After he was hit the first time he escaped and it looked to me like several police officers were beating him, then the ambulance came and drugged him in front of everyone. I witnessed this entire situation happen , and the local newspaper still seems to side with the police.
Now Carroll faces charges of assault, criminal trespass, obstructing law enforcement and resisting arrest next month when he’s set for trial. Though some in town seem to agree that something might not be what it seems here. The City Manager, David Timmons, has asked to open a mental health services task force claiming, “This task force would focus attention on how we are going to deal with the mental health matters that seem to be popping up repeatedly in all circles,” he said. “The police are dealing with the same people over and over again, and there are common issues. The system isn’t working because they are not criminals, and there is no facility to deal with them. It’s a broken system.”
Carroll clearly was apologetic that evening and wasn’t a threat to anyone. What I saw on the video was a cop who seemed feed up with having to deal with the same person over and over. He had little patience and it almost seemed as if the officers was simply going through a formality when he walked Carroll to his car. At this point it’s unclear to me what law Carroll has broken, he wasn’t currently trespassing and he wasn’t a treat to anyone. Add that to the fact that the police report doesn’t match the dash cam, a clear sign that the officers) knew what they did was either wrong, excessive or both.
And as if this story needs a nail in the coffin but the City Manager’s inquisition into how the department handles those with additional needs is just that. What we have here is a clear case of police officers escalating an incident with a mentally ill man instead of providing actual assistance. Fudally’s actions in the video seem to be that of an impatient man who lacks training. Hopefully the dashcam video will help get Carroll out of a cage and into a place where he can get the treatment he deserves. Watch the video again and decide which side to believe for yourself.
Port Townsend Police Information:
(360)385-2322
Fax (360)379-4438
1925 Blaine Ste. 100, Port Townsend, WA 98368
Business Hours: 8:00am to 5:00pm Monday through Friday
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