CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A memorial service was held Tuesday for Daniel Harris, a 29-year-old deaf man who investigators say was shot and killed by Trooper Jermaine Saunders.
Advocacy groups from as far as Boston, as well as others here in Charlotte, are calling for answers as to what led to the deadly encounter.
"I'd like a full accounting of the details of the incident," Kyle Clements, of Safe Coalition North Carolina, said.
Daniel was killed Thursday night, and the SBI has not yet released details of the shooting, or the miles-long pursuit that led to it.
The State Bureau of Investigation spokesperson said witnesses have contacted the Highway Patrol with their statements as to what happened, and that they shouldn't have interviewed them before the SBI.
It's unclear if this would have any impact on the case.
A review by The Associated Press shows Harris had traffic stops in Denver, Colorado, in 2015 and 2008. The five misdemeanor charges filed in 2008 included obstructing a peace officer; all those charges were dropped.
He was arrested twice in Florida in 2010 — once for petit theft and once for speeding. A charge of resisting an officer was dropped. That year he pleaded no-contest to petit theft and guilty to speeding.
And in December of that same year, he pleaded guilty to interfering with or resisting police in Watertown, Connecticut.
Harris was shot and killed Thursday in Charlotte when a trooper tried to stop him for speeding.
The community held a vigil outside Daniel Harris' home Monday.
His brother, who is also deaf, stressed that police relations with the deaf community must improve.
"It needs to change, and now I feel that burden to tell the world," Sam Harris said in sign language.
The Highway Patrol showed Channel 9 a portion of a training manual showing that its troopers are versed in how to communicate and interact with a deaf person.
- PDF: Law enforcement training: Dealing with victims and training
- PDF: Law enforcement training: Citation and arrest guidelines
That portion specifically states that when arresting a deaf person, that "careful attention should be made of the person's hands and movement."
"Any loss of life - regardless of the circumstances is truly a tragic and sad event for all involved," Highway Patrol said in a statement." Let us all refrain from making assumptions or drawing conclusions prior to the internal and independent reviews."
"Keep your eyes on the person's hands," the Basic Law Enforcement Training manual reads. "Deaf people have been stopped by an officer and then shot and killed because the deaf person made a quick move for a pen and pad in his or her coat pocket or glove compartment. These unfortunate incidents can be prevented by mutual awareness which overcomes the lack of communication."
Harris' family said they want to make sure the incident is investigated thoroughly and also want the state to make changes so officers will immediately know they are dealing with a hearing-impaired driver.
Harris' family is raising money for his funeral and will put any extra money toward educating police officers on interacting with hard of hearing people and calling for a computerized system to alert officers they are dealing with a deaf driver, according to the family's posting on YouCaring.com.
"You don't see deafness the way that you see the difference in race. We need to change the system," Sam Harris said to reporters using sign language and an interpreter after the Monday night vigil.
The National Association of the Deaf works with law enforcement agencies to improve existing training manuals but doesn't have one of its own, CEO Howard Rosenblum said in an email.
The NAD supports intensive training for law enforcement officers on dealing with people who are deaf or hard-of-hearing and says some officers should be trained to communicate in American Sign Language.
The North Carolina training manual includes clues to alert troopers that they may be dealing with a deaf person, such as they seem alert but don't respond to noise or sounds. It also advises troopers on types of communication that deaf people may use.
While the NAD doesn't keep statistics on violent encounters between deaf people and law enforcement, Rosenblum said there are "too many" such incidents.
"Too often, officers make verbal orders for individuals to comply and act aggressively when those individuals do not comply," Rosenblum wrote. "Deaf individuals often are unable to understand the verbal commands of law enforcement officers, and this has led to many physical altercations between law enforcement officers and deaf individuals over the years, with some resulting in death."
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