NEWS 25 - WEHT: Evansville, Henderson, Owensboro-Deaf Resident Says He Was Tased By Police

Deaf Resident Says He Was Tased By Police

story by: Courtney Gousman

MUHLENBERG CO., KY – NEWS 25 talks to a Muhlenberg County man who says police violated his civil rights.  Allen Hearld is deaf, and says when cops arrived to diffuse a situation he was denied an interpreter.

He and his interpreter, Maryann Harris say Hearld can now barely walk because of what happened Monday after he was arrested and tased three times by Central City Police. Healrd and Harris say it all started when one of his dogs ate one of his hearing aids and amid all the commotion the police were called.

"It's expensive. I got mad because I need my hearing aids bad," Hearld said.

Hearld says he could not understand what cops were telling him and was denied an interpreter.

 “You told the cops you needed an interpreter?” we asked.

“Yes. They said I can hear. You can talk, you can hear," Hearld said.

Hearld says because he refused to get into the police care the situation escalated and he was cuffed and tased three times.

"I don't know why there wasn't an interpreter provided," Central City’s Chief of Police, Brent Roberson said.

Roberson couldn't tell NEWS 25 if Hearld asked for an interpreter. Roberson did says Hearld's wife called officers to the house and they found Hearld combative.

"He was threatening to hit some of his wife's animals with a lead pipe. When the officers arrived at the scene, Mr. Hearld approached the officers and started cussing 'em," Roberson said.

Officers say Hearld was stunned because he refused to calm down.  Hearld tells NEWS 25 he was tased another three times in the Muhlenberg County Detention Center and was again denied an interpreter.

Hearld says he is now seeking the help of the American Deaf Association and an attorney. 

"They refused him the right to have clear communication and to understand the judicial process and that's wrong," says Maryann Harris, Hearld’s Interpreter. Chief Roberson says he believes his officers handled the situation properly.

NEWS 25 also talked to Muhlenberg County Jailer, Mark Curry and he said Hearld was not tased at all in the jail.