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Man sent to jail for epileptic seizure

Posted Nov 25, 2006 at 06:36AM by Mabie A. Listed in: Mental Health Tags: Michigan, Epilepsy Foundation, Oakland
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Daniel BeloungeaWe've often heard of the cliche, "Ignorance is bliss". But when it involves another person's life on the line, ignorance is nothing short of being criminal.

In Pontiac, Michigan, Daniel Beloungea is a 48-year old single man who generally lives a normal life, if not for the once-a-week attacks of his epilepsy. While walking through his neighborhood one day in April, he suddenly had a seizure. An onlooker in a neighbor's house saw him, and thought he was masturbating in public.

Having that thought, she went on to call the cops, who in turn also misinterpreted his actions for criminal behavior. It came to a point that they had to draw their weapons, and even shocked him with a high-voltage taser gun, because he was acting disoriented and not responding to questions. Apart from that, he was also hit with a baton and wrestled to the ground.

According to Undersheriff Michael McCabe of the Oakland Country Police Department, they had to turn aggressive on him because Beloungea allegedly lunged at one of the cops. When he was finally restrained, he was then brought to jail, and was charged with assault of a police officer and resisting arrest.

However, according to the Epilepsy Foundation of America, those were all typical behavior of an epileptic restrained while having the seizure. The wild motions and inability to communicate were not acts of defiance or resistance, but rather, were classic symptoms of epilepsy.

Says Eric Hargis, the Foundation's CEO, Police should have been better trained to recognize the seizure and not to use force on an epileptic. Furthermore, the best thing to do when anyone sees somebody undergoing a seizure is to not to restrain the person. Instead, the seizure should just be made to pass, and make sure the person is not in harm's way. Now, if the seizure lasts for more than five to seven minutes, then they should call 911.

The good news is that Beloungea was relieved of the charges with guilty by reason of insanity. The bad news is that, well, he wasn't insane. He was just having an epileptic seizure. And because of this, he had to spend 20 days in a criminal mental facility. That's warped justice.

Meanwhile, he is still waiting for an apology from the Oakland Sheriff's Office.  He says, "In a situation like mine, look for a medical bracelet. Pay attention to what you're doing, know your job. Don't just grab a taser gun...50,000 volts in a situation like mine could kill a person."

All throughout the time of his seizure, Beloungea was wearing a medical alert bracelet, which identified him as an epileptic. The bracelet also confirmed information such as his name and the contact numbers of people who can be reached in case of an emergency.

Throughout the United States, there are roughly about three million Americans living with epilepsy. And we bet Daniel Beloungea wasn't the only one sent to jail for a seizure.
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