WUFT News News and Public Media for North Central Florida from the University of Florida in Gainesville
Watch the live broadcast of “First at Five” on Florida’s 5, weekdays from 5-5:30 p.m. ET.
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Pingback: Life in the J-School | Mike's Headset
Watch the live broadcast of “First at Five” on Florida’s 5, weekdays from 5-5:30 p.m. ET.
Pingback: Life in the J-School | Mike's Headset
Is there a way to get sound on these? There’s no sound for most of them
Wed the 17th won’t work, can someone please fix ;)?
Trying to watch the broadcast from June 27, 3016 and its not working.
Great show .. good work to all of you !! on your most recent show..
Regards from gator in Panama, R. of Panama.
The politicians need to stop trying to discredit each other and put all that energy into make the United States of America great again.
From the bottom of our hearts thank you for the incredible job you did covering the Pulse memorial with both humanity and compassion.. it means gore then you know
Thank you for telling my story so thoughtfully.
Is it possible to get the newcast from yesterday? My son was at afterschool and didn’t see himself on TV! Ha! Any help would be appreciated.
My son, Jeffrey D. Dean Jr. was diagnosed with High Spectrum Autism when he was in 1st Grade. He began taking medication for it at that time. We tried several until we settled on Risperidon and Intuniv (with Hydroxyzene to help him sleep at night). At about the age of 15 he began to resist the medications. He was too old and too large in stature to force medicate (even his pediatrician agreed, although she felt he should stay on the meds).
I called the police to help my me with my son on December 2 around 9:20 AM.
Jeffrey was in an emotional tizzy and completely irrational. I was hoping we could get him taken to the Meridian and held for re-evaluation of his meds.
Instead, the police insisted he had to be “arrested” and I had to “press charges” before they could do anything. (Something that is completely untrue).
When Jeffrey heard that I was “pressing charges” against him and that he was “going to jail” he went off the emotional deep end. This was too much for his fragile psyche to take, that the father who had nurtured him and protected him all these years was now sending him to JAIL!
The events that led up to this tragedy are as follows:
My son and I were arguing about how a registration on a computer program works. I got frustrated with him and he started yelling at me and I started yelling back. He screamed for me to “stop yelling” in a very threatening tone and began to punch holes in my wall (which he is apt to do quite frequently). I yelled even louder. He walked over and struck me. At first it felt like he punched me (I did not see the blow coming I was reading something on the computer), but in hindsight it’s clear from the ringing in my ear and the dull hearing that he opened handed me in the left ear (causing an effect we called “cauliflower ear” when I was growing up).
I instinctively jumped up to grab him and prevent him from hitting me again. He interpreted this as a threatening move and moved to subdue me, which he did. He is 6 foot 5 and I am 58 years old. He managed to get me in a choke hold (with his arm firmly around my neck) then he was striving to bring me to my knees to subdue me. I thought he was punching me at the same time but what I was feeling was my spine popping under the strain of being bent sideways.
I finally just got on my knee and told him “let me go son” and he did.
I then called the police.
Jeffrey left the house and rode his bike down the street.
When the police caught up with him and brought him home again the officer asked if he is “diagnosed with any mental issues.” (The officer did not appear to believe me when I told him yes). I told him that he was high spectrum autistic with ADHD features and possibly ODD and bipolar (they were leaning toward that when he left therapy). I explained that he was taking medications for it and probably should go back on them.
I asked to have him baker acted as a danger to himself and to others. It was explained to me that he would have to make an arrest for that to happen and asked if I wanted to press charges. I said, “I guess so, if that is the only way to get him baker acted.”
When the officer attempted to pat Jeffrey down he asked my son “do you have any weapons on you.” Jeffrey reached around and grabbed his flashlight that has a built in taser in the tip (for scaring away stray dogs, we have a problem with that in this neighborhood). As Jeffrey attempted to hand it to the officer it went off. There is a flaw in the design of this flashlight. The taser button is right on the hand grip in the middle and you can easily accidentally press the button and activate it.
The officer jumped back and then immediately tried to subdue my son (thinking my son was attacking him with the taser).
Jeffrey broke free and then ran the officer gave pursuit and they disappeared in a nearby wooded lot.
My neighbor from across the street came and told me that she saw Jeffrey “fighting with police” and then running.
I called 911 for backup (since the officer was alone).
As Jeffrey ran from the officer the darned taser kept going off repeatedly. I guess in the excitement he didn’t think to just drop it.
When the officers caught up to him they wrapped their hands around the hand Jeffrey was holding the flashlight with and this caused the taser to go off again. One officer ripped the taser from Jeffrey’s hand and broke it (so it couldn’t inadvertently go off again).
It was Jeffrey’s intention to run (because he panicked) but he never intended to “violently resist” the officers. Jeffrey was in an emotional downward spiral from being yelled at and then arrested and he panicked and ran when the taser went off because he knew the officer thought he was attacking him with a taser and he knew they could have legally shot him for that.
He was in fear for his life.
I never wanted Jeffrey jailed. I wanted him baker acted to Meridian where we could get him the help he needs an get him back on some form of medications.
Jeffrey is NOT A CRIMINAL. He is a wonderful kid who has problems and needs HELP! Yet the authorities here in Dixie County have CONTINUALLY treated him as a criminal rather than as a Disabled American.
Now, Jeffrey is facing NUMEROUS FELONY charges and being threatened with DECADES in a prison.
Is there ANYONE out there that can help me stop this madness before it’s too late for him?
I’m retired Air Force, and a DISABLED VETERAN. Jeffrey is my ONLY CHILD. Please, someone help me.
Jeffrey D. Dean, Sr.
Mary Grace, You are a beautiful Blessing!!! Gilchrist County School District is extremely proud of the Coverage you did on our Students and Their Accomplishments through the Arts4All Program.
May God continue to guide and bless your gift.
Peggy Sue