Black Autistic Teenager Is Beat Down by Deputies After Being Mistaken for a Prowler

April 9, 2005 Tron Nick

DA clears deputies in struggle: Says beating of autistic teenager was unavoidable [more]

An autistic Mountain Gate teenager is recovering from a fractured elbow and a head wound after apparently being mistaken for a prowler by three Shasta County sheriff's deputies. Pierre Cowell, 17, whose parents say he has the mental capacity of a 4-year-old and no verbal ability, wandered from his Phaedra Lane home early Friday, his mother said. He had dressed himself in a shirt and jeans, shoes and a denim jacket that fit loosely over his lanky frame. Cowell's mother, Cynthia, said that at 5 feet 11 inches tall and 140 pounds, her son is "very, very thin." A neighbor, who did not recognize him, called 911 after seeing him approach her home about 2 a.m., sheriff's Capt. Tom Bosenko said Monday. The woman, who has two small children, reported that she could hear her doorknob jiggling, Bosenko said. "She was very scared," Bosenko said. At one point, she believed someone had entered her home, which increased the severity of the situation, the captain said. She said the deputies did not know he was autistic until she told them. While she said she understood how such an oversight could be made during a struggle, she was surprised that deputies failed to recognize Cowell's mental disability after he was apprehended. "Being totally nonverbal would be a clue," Cynthia Cowell said Monday. She also questioned the level of force used to control her son and suggested deputies receive better training to avoid future confusion of a mentally disabled person with someone on drugs. "I think I got more upset when I found out the extent of his injuries," she said, adding that she wants to read the police report. [ more ] and [ more ]