Sioux City Journal

LaMere wants more details on city tasings

By Dolly A. Butz
Journal staff writer | Posted: Saturday, October 27, 2007

American Indian activist Frank LaMere called on Sioux City Police Chief Joe Frisbie on Friday to provide more information about his department's 70 Taser deployments over the past year.

The request came exactly a week after a police officer tased 13-year-old Sina Baker of Sioux City, who is Indian, in an effort to subdue her during a fight at Rollerama. At a news conference Monday, Frisbie described the girl as out of control and failing to obey the officer's commands to stop fighting.

"The document raises more questions than it answers," LaMere said of a Sioux City Police Department report released Wednesday. "Charges against Native people are being leveled unfairly."

The report said that of the 70 deployments between July 2006 and June 2007, 37 were on Caucasians, 15 on blacks, 13 on Indians and five on Hispanics.

Frisbie said Wednesday that the deployment numbers match the percentages of races incarcerated in the Woodbury County Jail for the year. He could not be reached for comment Friday.

LaMere charged that the numbers are out of proportion to the local population.

"Of all those who are tasered in this community, Native Americans, your chances of getting tasered are 10 times the rest of those tasered in this community," he told more than 20 people gathered at the First Nations Community Center on Friday.

The 13 tasings of Indians equals 17 percent of the 70 tasings. As of the 2000 Census, Indians made up 2 percent of Sioux City's population. LaMere said that Indians are being tased at a rate of 1,000 percent of the population, while Caucasians are only being tased at 43 percent of the population.

LaMere said he wants to know the circumstances surrounding the incidents in which Tasers were used, the age of the person who was tased and the identity of the officer who deployed the Taser. He said he will "dissect" the police department's report very closely over the next week and urged those in attendance to be patient but vigilant in their quest for answers.

"Be patient and work through this process to make sure that those in the community hear us and that they make changes in those institutions that govern us and those institutions that tear our families apart," he said.

Edith Casaday, chairwoman of the First Nations Outreach Board, said concerns over various issues, including the tasing, were voiced to Gov. Chet Culver yesterday.

"We were promised they are going to be looking into all of these issues that we raised," she said.

Story Comments

to native from SC wrote on Nov 6, 2007 9:47 AM:

" you are right somewhat. It isn't a racial issue and the issue is should a 13 year old girl be tased, but Frank isn't saying that heis stating the girl was tased because she is native american and if it was my kid tase them if that is the way they are going to behave and if it was my kid they wouldn't be rollerskating or even outside of the house while on probation anyway. Maybe that is the issue Frank should be addressing, not the police officer doing his job. If it was your kid getting kicked in the face by a white kid, would you feel the same about the tasing or would it be considered a hate crime.. "

Native from SC wrote on Nov 4, 2007 10:42 PM:

" Ok first off, why is SCPD tasing a 13 year old girl? Stun guns were implemented to be used as an alternate to lethal force not to treat humans like cattle. I would know now because I am away at college studying Criminal Justice. It sounds a lot like its a Frank LeMere bashing circle in here more than anything. The arguments and comments everyone uses makes it sound like you don't like and that you don't want Frank as a leader for Indian people. People Frank LeMere has done tons for Indian people and for Hispanics as well. I would know because I am an Indian from the area and I have marched with him before. Yes racism probably wasn't the motivating factor for the consequence, but the fact remains that a girl whose barely a teenager was subdued using force. I am quite sure if the same were to happen to any of you children if they were the same age, you would cause quite a ruckus with the Chief as well. "

Arsenic wrote on Nov 3, 2007 8:47 AM:

" according to documented history,it has been exploited to control certain people to sway their mode of thinking. Be they white , black , yellow or white, surely the natives are wiser this time around as we don't need another hero. This is just another form of it to get all the natives on the giver of it's bandwagon so me and mine are buying it this time around. Sometimes our native people's leaders are like gerbils running after a nut!Don't let contention become arsenic! "

Re;Matt G. wrote on Nov 2, 2007 12:52 PM:

" Who said we look toward Lemere for leadership?He and a few other self-appointed "leaders" do little but blow hotair and spew their own racism.D.Philip of Lincoln used to pull that crap.Thankfully we havent heard anything from him lately.Pointing fingers and claiming they "speak for all Indian people".What a crock.I appreciate your concern matt but we are well aware of the loonies in our midst. "

Society is falling apart. wrote on Nov 2, 2007 10:16 AM:

" This is not racis situation, it is a girl who is on probation(why is she out on her own and not grounded)not obeying an officer and thinking from the inrterview that this is cool. She should have been tased, no question. Frank is an idiot who loves to keep spreading racism all over the area. I love how Frank says just pick her up and put her in the police car, like she is a sweet 3 year old sleeping baby, wake up. She was a biting scratching 90lb 13 year old who needs to be taught some discipline and respect, native or not. Let's not forget she is on probation for something, obviously she hasn't learned a thing. There is alot of good native american people out there and it is sad that a racist individual who doesn't have a clue, thats you Frank, is representing the native american community wether they want him to or not. Sad very sad. "