Wife Sues Cops After Husband Put in Coma

Man's Takedown by Seattle Police Caught On Tape; Wife Says Husband's Prognosis Grim, Says Brain Damage Likely Permanent

(CBS)  Christopher Harris remains in a coma with life-threatening skull fractures after a Seattle police officer threw the 29 year-old head-first into a concrete wall when they thought he was involved in a crime.

The entire May 10 event was caught on surveillance video tape.

A review by the sheriff's office found the deputy had done nothing illegal, and used a standard takedown procedure to stop Harris who they believed was a criminal suspect in an assault.

Harris' wife Sarah Jorgensen said on "The Early Show" Tuesday Harris was running away from police from a dark area into a well lit area because he didn't know who was chasing him.

However, police contend uniformed officers were chasing Harris and told him to stop, and when he didn't, the deputy took him down to the ground.

Now, Harris' family is suing King County, Wash. for $25 million.

Jorgensen appeared on the broadcast for an exclusive "Early Show" interview with her attorney, Sim Osborn.

Osborn said Harris had given up. "There are witnesses that said (he said), 'I didn't take anything, I didn't steal anything, and I don't have anything.' And he had his hands up in front of him, that's not a push, that's a hit like an NFL linebacker on the sideline. That's just absolutely unnecessary."

Jorgensen said her husband hasn't been given a positive prognosis from doctors.

She said, "All the doctors that we have spoken to and the neurologists are all told us that the injuries to his brain are going to be permanent brain damage, and that he will live that way and have to be taken care of 24 hours a day for the rest of his life."

She told "Early Show" co-anchor Harry Smith she's suing because she wants be able to bring her husband home to a familiar environment and make sure he gets the best care he deserves.

To watch more of "The Early Show" exclusive interview with Sarah Jorgensen and her attorney, click on the video below:


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[scobrasen54]

I lived in the Greater Seattle Area for over 40 years. Five years ago I became aware of rampant, ongoing harassment, physical threats and assaults taking place against residents of Bellevue, Redmond, Kirkland and Renton. When I pursued an investigation, and was asked to testify before a grand jury, I was threatened, and four officers of the Bellevue Police Dept. kicked in the door to my condo, stuck a 9mm semi-automatic pistol in my face and said, " If you testify against our commander, we WILL kill you, and you whole f---ing family." I moved WAY the heck away from the State of Washington and I will NEVER go back!

[sam-kiley]

bonjour
elle a raison de vouloir intenter un procés, maltraiter un homme avec une telle violence sous pretexte qu'il était suspect....meme un animal mériterait plus d'égard...on dirait que la violence devient une culture chez certaines personnes.
je souhaite a votre époux la guérison..désolée..
au revoir

This is a terrible tragedy. Let's take a look at what happened without
the usual hysteria. What did the drug screen detect, if anything, why
does an innocent person run, unless you have very bad eyesight, you
can tell a policeman from "something else". I deeply regret this person's
situation and the loss for his family, let's just try to figure out what
happened. The question is not lost on the general public that, is it
really necessary to "smash" a non threatening subject into anything?
(with all due respect).

[wyodutch]

Things like this are why I would never render any assistance to a cop. If I saw a half dozen folks stomping a cop.. I'd just figure they were friends and family of some man or woman that the cop had put into a coma... and I'd drive on by.

[britbabe18]

Thanks, I hope what you said happens to you and cops just drive past. Things happen no one is perfect, I am not saying what this officer did was right, but your comment is just sick. Most people serving us are great people.

[fontek]

I did look at the surveillance video and what I saw was disturbing, just unbelievable. I have seen enough episodes of the TV show "Cops" to know that this is not an acceptable procedure to take down a suspect. After this guy has been seriously injured this cop is dragging him around and putting cuffs on him? He knew then and there that he really screwed up, his body language looks guilty to me, but he is thinking about how this looks to those movie patrons who are coming out for a better look. I bet the sheriff who apparently dismissed this out of hand as a "normal procedure" won't do so well in the next election.

[Void_Master]

$25 million hell! Take their souls.

[TheMasses2002]

I saw the video.
The guy hit full force on the wall with his head.
The cop slung him around like a rag doll when he was knocked out.
Police brutality.

[erasmus111]

With all the abusive crap going on with the cops lately, I'd be freakin' running too!

[bigmo47]

Yeah, I just saw the tape, There is no reason that the cop had to hit him like that. The guy was turned toward the cops with his hands up. Then this cop comes and just rams him into a wall. If the officer was truly concerned about the guy having a knife, the smart thing would be to draw your weapon and order the guy to the ground so you could search him instead of throwing your body onto him and the "suspected knife" could have ended up cutting you or cutting the suspect. The fat cop was just pissed off because he had to run and wanted to take it out on the guy.

Police are supposed to be professionals there was no technique or procedure to this unless he was trying out to be a linebacker for the Seahawks.

People run for all sorts of reasons, maybe the guy heard that the police in this neighborhood are known for beating people to try to get answers (their behavior suggests they might do something like that). Cops, being professionals should have the discipline to keep their anger out of the situation.

Another life lost at the hands of the cops (even if he lives, he will need 24-hr a day care). Once again the cops response is Oops, we followed procedure, didn't mean to kill him, it was just his bad luck that the brick wall was there. If this guy had landed on the grass or simply not have cracked his skull on the wall, the cops would have been hi-fiving each other while watching the video talking about Good Hit!!! I hope the family gets every last penny if that 25 million!!!

[gramto8]

The takedown did look like some linebacker hitting someone, only the someone that he hit had no protective equipment available and severe injury resulted. That idiot of a cop should have noticed that his target was not responding when he was being handcuffed, in fact, PRIOR to being cuffed. After a hit like that one, he could have very well have broken his neck and the movements the cop did to him could have displaced any trauma to the cervical spine. The cop was wrong, period. They need to have to go through a minimum of EMT training during their schooling so that they will know when they should not move a person. Even without the depressed skull fracture that resulted from this hit and launch, this could have been deadly.

[jt92202]

http://www.kirotv.com/news/20546576/detail.html Here is the video off of Kiro news. The cop was a full speed when he hit this man and knocked him up against the wall. Don't know if the cop had time to stop when the man finally decided to stop himself.

[morebeer]

He had plenty of time as an eye witness said.

[cs4466]

The cop(s) in questions should be prosecuted for first degree murder.

[PatDaddy67]

Twit! He's not dead, yet...

[Constitionalist]

Where's the link to the video of the take down? Perhaps then we can have an intelligent discussion.

[mari1963]

This makes me sick. Cops always cover for themselves. I hope this cop pays for what he has done to this young man. Disgusting!

[chris_online]

I would bet the cop was pissed he had to run for 2 blocks and figured I'll take down this guy hard for making me run. He also shows no concern for the guy after he is completely motionless and they drag him around like a ragdoll. Very disturbing.
This shows a complete lack of common sense and quite frankly some major lack in training for proper arrest procedures.
I also feel terrible for his wife and the least they can do is compensate her to take care of her husband. This is just terrible.

[jt92202]

The story goes: There was a Store Keeper that was robbed by a armed person (knife) and by the time the cops got there a few minutes later a person pointed down the alley at a man standing there and said thats him. The cop started walking down the ally and said police and this guy started to run the other way. When he finally stopped after the cops said stop multiple times, the cop tackled him. The cop thought he had a knife and he ran from the scene of a crime. The questions the people have here in the Seattle Area is why would this man be in an alley at 1:00am and why did he run from the cops when it was clear they were cops. They have ran the video over and over for the past few months and nobody understands why he ran. What was the cop suppose to do? A man runs when someone points him out and the cop took him down. The sad part is that he was tackled and was launched into the brick wall which brought on the head injury. Who's fault was it? I really feel sorry for the family but again was he in a dark alley late at night and why did he run? The CBS story above does not give all the info only the families side of it, I have watched the video over and over and I continue to ask those questions. The only reason someone is in an alley in that area at 1:00 am is buying drugs, drunk, taking a wizz, just standing around being stupid and if he was just standing around being stupid then why did he run from the cops? Unless there is other video that shows something other than what has been on the news up here for the past few months, I don't believe the family should be sueing the Seattle Police Dept. for 25 Million. We'll never know why he was in the alley unless he wakes up and that doesn't sound like it will happen. As far as we have been told he was there by himself and no body has came out and said why he was there, he doens't live in Seattle from what we have been told he lives about 20 miles from the alley.

This story is like most storys that are on here, tells parts of the story and doesn't really tell you the truth!! Don't believe everything you read!

[chris_online]

First it doesn't matter if it is 1am in the morning in a dark alley 20 miles from his home. Unless it is a restricted area he has the right to be there. And yes he might have taken a wizz and when the cops start running after him he was afraid to be caught for wizzing in the street. The minute you get in such stress situations your heart starts pounding and adrenalin will limit your ability to think clear. You first run away until you realize it's stupid and you stop which this guy did just before he got tackled and got his skull cracked and brain injured. Now I understand cops have a often difficult and dangerous job but it's by their choice and they receive stress management training for exactly such situations. The cop chose to take down the guy hard.
We will never know what exactly happened but what we do know is that the guy is permanently brain damaged and the cost for caring for him will be astronomical not to even think about the emotional stress for his wife and family. Its just terrible.

[scoobydob]

Did anybody think to suspect the guy that pointed him out could be the clever culprit?

[morebeer]

Your right don't believe everything you read like yours, everything you have heard is the cops side, not the real story!

[winslowe1]

There seems to be no end to these frivolous lawsuits.

[scoobydob]

And what planet do you reside on most of the time you freakin moron?

[lstrange]

"..used a standard takedown procedure."

How the hell does that become a standard take down procedure?

[bytheway59]

could be Minneapolis as well. until individual Police Officers stand trial for Civil Rights abuses and Police Officers becom aware that they are not exempt for unlawful behavior, then we will have Peace Officers and not police state.

[jtdev1]

The wife should sue the people who wrongly accused her husband in the first place. They too are responsible.

That cop needs to have the same thing done to him.

Welcome to the United Police States of America...