Thomas Bounds is a sheriff with the Alberta Sheriff’s Service.  He requires, at a bare minimum, a severe reprimand and retraining to learn how to act like a human being, since he clearly has no clue at the moment.  For his blatantly abusive and potentially life-threatening treatment of Bill Berry, a 52-year-old deaf and mute cancer survivor, Sheriff Thomas Bounds should really be fired.

Does that sound harsh?

Perhaps, but it’s certainly an apt punishment for almost killing Bill Berry for the dastardly crime of trying to pay a parking ticket.

That’s right, Bill Berry was attempting to pay a parking ticket on December 9, 2011 at Red Deer’s courthouse when Sheriff Thomas Bounds became enraged that the deaf man wouldn’t follow his orders.

Photo Credit: JEFF STOKOE, Red Deer Advocate staff

Bill Berry, as you can see, has some serious health issues.

He is deaf, mute, survived cancer and now breaths through his neck through a tube.  He has a feeding tube that runs into his nose.

It is instantly apparent that Mr. Berry is

a) absolutely no threat to anyone and
b) seriously in need of help.

Instantly apparent, that is, to everyone except a mindless bureaucratic thug like Sheriff Thomas Bounds.

Sheriff Thomas Bounds, unlike Bill Berry, has some serious mental issues, first and foremost being his utter devotion to what I like to call Bureaucrat’s Rule #1.

For the benefit of those visiting this great site for the first time, Bureaucrat’s Rule #1 is simply this:

The Rules Are More Important Than People.

It’s a simple rule, and we mere citizens had better learn our place before encountering such all-powerful bureaucrats (at least in their own eyes) such as Sheriff Thomas Bounds.

The compassion I feel for people like Bill Berry is only outdistanced by the complete and utter contempt I feel for bureaucrats (bureaucritters, I prefer to call them) like Sheriff Thomas Bounds.

On the day in question, Sheriff Bounds approached Bill Berry to inform him that he had not properly passed through security.  That’s completely fair, and indeed it is Sheriff Bounds’ job to do so.  I have no issue with that.

The issue I have is with how Sheriff Bounds chose to deal with Bill Berry after Mr. Berry attempted to gesture to the good sheriff that he could neither speak nor hear him.

Instead of acting like a human being, figuring out what the problem in communication was and how best to deal with it, Sheriff Bounds decided the absolute best course of action was to take the severely medically challenged and frail man, grasp him in a bear hug and physically drag him back to the security checkpoint.

When the thug with a badge finally let Mr. Berry go, the poor man collapsed to the floor, unable to breath because the bear hug had caused his breathing tube to be pulled out of his throat, causing him to stop breathing.

Wait.  It gets better.

During an interview after the “incident”, Sheriff Thomas Bounds actually had the unmitigated gall to say that Mr. Berry responded, and I quote:

“non-verbally, by aggressively waving his arms at which time I took control of him.”

Seriously?  You’re really going to try and make that bucket of swill fly?

Mr. Berry’s photograph is at the top of the page.  He could wave his arms around all day long and I don’t think that even my cat would believe he’s acting aggressively!

That a grown man, trained and armed by the state, can with a straight face make the claim that Bill Berry is a threat means only one of two things:

1. The training Sheriff Bounds has received is not adequate for him to do his job or, the more likely choice,

2. Sheriff Thomas Bounds is a clueless, insensitive thug who needs a new job, effective immediately.

“Sheriff Bounds’ use and level of force against Mr. Berry was unjustified, excessive, led directly to Mr. Berry’s stoma tube being dislodged, and the resulting serious medical emergency,” the report says.

It is simply not rational to conclude that Mr. Bill Berry is a physical threat to anyone.  Look at that photograph!  The man isn’t a threat to a glass of water, for crying out loud!

If I sound offended, it’s only because I am.

I am sick to death of thugs of the state, armed with badges and guns, who think they can do anything they want to anyone they want, without consequence.

There are literally dozens and dozens of articles about state-trained thugs on this blog that cite case after case of this sort of garbage.   RCMP Constable Geoff Mantler and RCMP Corporal Monty Robinson are just two of the dozens of examples I could quote.

Responding through e-mail, Berry said he wants an unedited copy of the courthouse’s video surveillance of the incident. Berry said he will seek legal action against the sheriff.

“I (have) been pretty much bed ridden since (the) assault,” he said. “I just lost all hope in life, not even safe to leave my home.”

Dan Laville, spokesperson for Alberta’s Solicitor General’s Office, said the office takes complaints very seriously but could not comment on the specific incident. He said if there is merit found in a complaint’s investigation, the findings will be sent to the province’s head sheriff to determine the next step.

“The head sheriff would look at what appropriate action to take,” said Laville.

“This action in general could range from leave without pay all the way up to termination.”

Sheriff Bounds should be immediately terminated and be charged with assault.

Is that harsh?

No harsher than Sheriff Thomas Bounds physical assault of a deaf, mute cancer survivor with a feeding tube in his nose and a breathing tube in his throat.

Unless and until actions as disgusting as Sheriff Bounds’ are treated seriously, ideally with the immediate termination of the offender, they will continue.

Only the immediate termination of Sheriff Thomas Bounds (and the next ten government-paid thugs that pull this sort of crap) will get the message out to the rest of the troops that this type of behaviour will no longer be tolerated.

Until that day, police across the country will continue to treat citizens any way they want, not with the respect and dignity we deserve.

Is it really any mystery why the trust gap between citizens and police only continues to widen?

Only to insensitive thugs like Sheriff Thomas Bounds…

 
Video Clip #1. Walking in through the open door. (Outside POV)

 
Video Clip #2. Walking in through the open door. (Inside POV)

 
Video Clip #3. Bill Berry attacked by Sheriff Thomas Bounds