Deaf man stabbed after his sign language was mistaken for gang signs, North Carolina police say

By: Crimesider Staff
Topics: Daily Blotter

Robert Neal

/ Burlington Police Department

(AP) BURLINGTON, N.C. - Police in Burlington say a deaf man was stabbed several times after his sign language was mistaken for gang signs by another man on January 9th.

Sgt. Mark Yancey said 45-year-old Terrance Ervin Daniels was using sign language with another deaf man. A third person saw them, thought they were flashing gang signs and stabbed Daniels several times with a kitchen knife. A neighbor saw the victim and called emergency personnel.

Daniels was brought to UNC Hospitals in Chapel Hill and was listed in stable condition after the incident.

Police arrested 22-year-old Robert Jarell Neal and charged him with assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill and inflicting serious injury and felony assault on a handicapped person. He was in the Alamance County jail Friday night on a $500,000 bond. It's not known if Neal has an attorney.

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by fasteddieNY January 15, 2013 12:22 PM EST: Oh no! A couple of days ago I saw two guys waving their hands around and I wound up robbing a liquor store. Maybe they are just deaf. I feel so stupid now.; Reply to this comment


by vissionquest January 14, 2013 6:46 PM EST: Since the victim lived, why does this idiot get a lighter sentence? If the doctor did not save the victim, the criminal would be sent away for life. Why do the courts treat this animal different just cause a good doctor was available. We should sentence for the intention. This guy should be put away for life, and not benefit cause he failed.; Reply to this comment


by yermamma January 14, 2013 5:46 PM EST: nolalou2 I'll just address you up here. No need to be cranky and call names. If you'd rather blame the mental dysfunction of someone on an inanimate object then who am I to pull your head out of the sand. Did Tim McVeigh have a gun or an assault weapon in the attack he did? Nope. If you want to kill, you'll kill. A gun doesn't make you a killer.; Reply to this comment


by canislupus16 January 14, 2013 5:46 PM EST: I say give him 25 to life on each charge, to be served CONSECUTIVELY.; Reply to this comment


by Olympicdude January 14, 2013 4:37 PM EST: Are there any worse people out there than neck-tatted gang-bangers? This idiot should be stabbed in his ears with a kitchen knife as punishment.; Reply to this comment

by yermamma January 14, 2013 4:37 PM EST

Another way to look at it Frankie, is that if the deaf man had a conceal and carry, the attacker would more than likely be dead. There's always someone out there blaming guns for crazy people. Hammers have killed more people but Home Depot is full of them. If you're crazy, you're crazy no matter what you have nearby as a weapon.

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by canislupus16 January 14, 2013 5:43 PM EST: yermamma,
"Hammers have killed more people..." Really? In 2010, there were 30,470 firearm-related deaths in the U.S. 19,392 (63.6%) were suicide deaths, and 11,078 (36.4%) homicide deaths.
Now, what are those numbers on hammer deaths?
And somehow - I could be wrong of course - I can't see Lanza carrying a couple dozen 30-round magazines of HAMMERS with him into a classroom. I guess he could have simply loaded several hundred hammers into a few wheel barrels (alwo available at Home Depot, of course) and started throwing them.


by yermamma January 14, 2013 6:03 PM EST: Ah so you too think that less guns would mean less crazy people? How's that working out for Chicago and the UK? Oh but I understand your hostile stand... it's the number of people at one time that are killed. Sure a hammer does a good job but no against a crowd. Okay... what guns did Tim McVeigh use?

by frankie2fing January 14, 2013 3:34 PM EST

Huh! Man stabs someone. While tragic (as well as extremely stupid!) at least the stabber did not have a gun, otherwise the stabbie would likey be DEAD!
But hey, guns dont kill people...

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by yermamma January 14, 2013 4:14 PM EST: Another one that blames the gun? Hammers have killed more people but Home Depot is full of them. If you're crazy, you're crazy. The gun doesn't make you that way.


by yermamma January 14, 2013 5:39 PM EST: awww now nolalou... don't get all cranky and call names. Did Tim McVeigh have a gun? Nope. If you want to kill, you'll kill. The gun doesn't make the killer.


by filmguy107 January 14, 2013 2:46 PM EST: The further south one goes...the further south "it" goes. jus' sayin'; Reply to this comment


by dgammons January 14, 2013 2:34 PM EST: Hey, we don't need no stinkin gang signs here in N.C. People in Burlington don't even know what a gang is, much less a gang sign. If I were the cops, I'd question that motive.; Reply to this comment