84-year-old vet suffers broken neck after police takedown

[Flashermac]

 

ORLANDO - An elderly man is in critical condition after being thrown to the ground by a police officer.

 

It happened Saturday night near North Orange Avenue after police say Daniel Daley put his hands on the cop.

 

The World War II veteran is out of surgery. He suffered an injury doctors at Florida Hospital say only about 10 percent of people are lucky enough to survive.

 

Daley left the Caboose Bar and headed to his car across the street Saturday night.

 

Witnesses say the 84-year-old was upset when he saw his car was about to be towed.

 

The Ivanhoe Grocery owner recently posted signs warning drivers because customers of other businesses were parking in their spots.

 

Several people, who didn't want to go on camera, say it has led to plenty of arguments the past few weeks, but none with the potentially deadly consequences that happened Saturday.

 

The police were called and say Daley, who'd been drinking, put his hands on the officer.

 

Witnesses say he put his hands on the officer three times and the cop warned him to stop each time.

 

Police say Daley made a fist and said ‘I'm not leaving until I knock this cop out.’

 

Another witness says the officer then violently hip checked him and took him to the ground.

 

Daley ended up in Florida Hospital with a broken neck.

 

There's nothing that deals with the elderly in the Orlando Police Department’s use of force policy. However, it does define imminent danger as a situation that could lead to death or great bodily harm.

 

An Orlando police sergeant and spokesperson said this situation should qualify as imminent danger, but many residents don't think so.

 

"I don't think anyone needs to be thrown to the ground and have their neck broken because they were parked in the wrong spot,†said Gabby Aparacio, store customer. “I mean he's an old man. It doesn't matter if you've been drinking or not. How belligerent can you be?"

 

"I know when I get angry, I ball my fist. It doesn't mean I'm going to hit you. I think he had no right to do so,†said Nataya Benway.

 

As part of standard procedure, internal investigators will look at whether the officer complied with the department’s use of force policy.

 

 

 

At least he didn't shoot him.

[expat]

My reaction: you're never too old to learn a lesson.

[USVirgin]

It may well be the last lesson he learns. Probably won't survive the hospitalization, at his age.

[TroyinEwa/Perv]

He already survived a surgery that only 10% of people survive. He's a vet and he drinks so he'll probably live longer than me.

[USVirgin]

I hope he survives. I'm attending a funeral on Friday for a 94 year old who was in a car accident a month ago. He was in stable condition at the hospital 'till heart failure got him. Happens a lot. Happened to my mom, at a young age, after a broken hip, but she was very frail due to Parkinson's.

[Bangkoktraveler]

Next time, the old timer will put one hand behind his back so the fight will be fair.

 

How old was the cop?

 

[Bangkoktraveler]

There might be more to this story.

 

 

In most cases, if you put up "No Parking" signs, the homeowner has to get a sign permit and reference on the sign the ordinance that will be broken if a vehicle parks there. The sign generally has to have the name of ther place where the vehicle is towed to.

 

Generally, these types of signs are illegal, if that is the case here, the home owner could be in trouble.

 

If this is true, the government employee on the dole who forgot to enforce the sign ordinances could also be in trouble.

[Flashermac]

If he was parking on the street, how can a shop owner ban him or sic the cops on him? The street is public property.

 

 

[TroyinEwa/Perv]

If he was parking on the street, how can a shop owner ban him or sic the cops on him? The street is public property.

 

 

I'm thinking they just mean he parked across the street from the bar. Looking at the pic I found, the old man (Flash's younger brother) probably parked the private lot owned by the grocery store.