Disabled man dumped from wheelchair draws national attention

By: Beau Zimmer

Tampa, Florida — The video is making headlines around the world and is racking up thousands of hits as one of the most popular videos online. 10 News first broke the story Monday night.

Brian Sterner, a 32-year-old quadriplegic was arrested and booked into the Orient Road Jail. When deputies asked Sterner to get up out of his chair to be searched, the video shows him being dumped out of his chair and onto the ground.

“We’re shocked, but we’re not surprised. These sorts of things happen all too frequently,” says Doug Towne, an advocate for disabled individuals in the Bay area.

Blind himself, Towne says he didn’t have to actually see the shocking video to understand what happened.

“There’s certainly a lack of compassion, but there’s also a lack of training being exhibited.”

Towne says police and other public officials around the country need better education for dealing with those with disabilities.

“Another person they pull out of a wheelchair and dump on the floor like that, they could have killed them, simply because if you move them the wrong way, it can cause irreparable damage,” Towne said.

The Hillsborough County deputy involved, Charlotte Marshall-Jones did not return a call to her home Tuesday night. It is unclear why she decided to force Sterner out of his chair.

“What I understand is there was no altercation, she just grabbed the handles of his wheelchair and dumped him out of the chair, which there is no excuse for. I can’t imagine what was going through her mind,” Towne said.

The video is prompting outrage and an investigation by the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office but advocates say the entire incident may have gone unreported had it not been caught on tape.

“I think people should be concerned about this. I think they should be concerned about the other hundreds of cases that we hear about that there is no film.”

Because of the video, the deputy who tilted Sterner out of his chair has now been suspended without pay. Three other supervisors are also suspended. Sheriff's officials say some of those involved could face termination.