Arrest -Friday May 24, 2013

¶ … Arrest -Friday May 24, 2013

6:00pm Eat dinner at Marilyn Monroe Restaurant

7:00pm Katie Love Orr (the owner of the establishment's Mother) and I visit and dine on some appetizers and wine until approximately 9:30pm.

9:30pm I drive Katie Love Orr to her house on Tybee Island.

9:45 pm I travel to Renee Derrossett's house on Tybee Island to take a nap before going home.

Saturday May 25, 2013

12:15 am I wake up with an asthma attack (Bronchial Spasms) and go out to car to take medication (Azelastine HCL and Chlorpheniramine / Methscopalamine).

12:30am Medicine does not seem to be working so I drive home to get the a different set of medications that usually have a greater effect.

1:00am I stopped at the red light at the west end of Johnny Mercer and Hwy 80.

While sitting at the stop light, I ingest a capful of Nyquil, an additional

chlorpheniramine/methscopalamin, and spay Astylen nose spray to try and stop my erratic coughing while driving.

Not making an excuse, but simply providing facts, I have a new car that is quite easy in which to speed. I did not even realize that I was travelling at 69 mph, my only issue was to get home as quickly as possible to stop the brochial attack and get the right medicine. My prescribed Nebulizer was at home, and all I could think of was finding some relief. In fact, I was in dire distress; coughing, hacking and even coughing up bloody sputum.

1:15pm I was stopped by officers from the Thunderbolt police department for speeding. I am sure that the officer will note from the records that I just completed a DUI class. The officer is also likely to smell or realize that I just took medication. I phone my managers at Club One, to arrange for my car to be picked up and more medications brought to me, and then stepped out of the car.

At this point, the Police Officer began yelling at me and getting very angry -- treating me like a common criminal. I immediately complied with the Officer's request and stepped back into the car to take more medication, since the stress and altercation was making my breathing problems worse. The Nyquil and Astylen are OTC drugs and I have a valid prescription of Angrogel (an alcohol-based testosterone substance).

Once again, I step out of the car and the Officers smell alcohol from both the Nyquil and Angrogel, then demand a field sobriety test. At the same time, the Officers put handcuffs on my wrists so tight that I lose sensation in my hands and notice that my wrists are bleeding. As I have been instructed from medical personnel, I notify the officers that I am HIV+ but have been on medications and getting better. I let them know that the cuffs are too tight, causing me to bleed and that, in combination with the worsening coughing, could put them in danger from contact with bodily fluids.

Never did I indicate I was threatening them or that I had any desire to spread my HIV infection; instead, I asked that my hands be released so that I could find a tissue to blow my nose and recover a bit. At this point, I was thrown to the ground, resulting in a broken rib and bruised face. I continued to cough and explained that I was having a hard time breathing -- to the point that I felt as if I were drowning. I was, in fact, concerned about pasing out because I was aware that I was not getting enough air.

I was in a panic; I could not breathe, I was feeling like I was drowning, the world was spinning, and my ears were ringing. I was in pain from being unable to breathe, and my face and ribs hurt. After continuous pleading, I realized that the officers were not going to help me, and in fact they seemed to perceive that I was mentally unbalance and were even more aggressive with me. I took it upon myself to defend my issues the only way I could -- which was to raise my voice and let the officers know I was in distress and needed help.

The officers shoved me into the back seat of the patrol car, further injuring my ribs. I was lying on my back, coughing, having difficulty breathing and still bleeding from the handcuffs. I kicked the seat and yelled that I needed to be move to a position in which I could breathe. The female officer turned around and dropped me off with one of the male officers as the Emergency Medical Team arrives. At first, the EMS team does not understand my condition even though I tell them that I am HIV+, need the cuffs loosened, and cannot breathe. For reasons unknown to me, the EMS team offers no relief and I am transported to jail in the back of the male officer's car. During this time I continue to cough and hack, even going into kicking spasms as I continue to be deprived of needed oxygen.