A man attempted to enter his neighbor’s house. He approached police officers and refused to obey their orders to stop. The police used batons, pepper spray, and tasers on the man to bring him to the ground. After he was down, they handcuffed him behind his head. While physical force is the best way to arrest an uncooperative suspect, appearances can deceive.
James Edward Wells had just suffered a tonic-clonic seizure. After the seizure, Wells mistook the house of his neighbor for his own. He couldn’t follow the orders of officers. Wells was unable to breathe immediately after he was pinned face down by police officers. This is a concern for the 3 million Americans with epilepsy. Epilepsy is a neurological condition marked by seizures or electrical disorders in the brain. People with epilepsy might lose control over their actions and words, have trouble responding to others, or display strange behaviors like crying, screaming, shouting, running, screaming, or even mumbling.
According to the Epilepsy Foundation there has been an increase of seizures, post-seizure confused and injuries by first responders. These include law enforcement officers or emergency medical services (EMS).
To help law enforcement and emergency medical services teams recognize and respond to seizures, the Epilepsy Foundation created First Responders Training curricula.
The Foundation suggests that epilepsy sufferers take the following steps to assist emergency medical service teams in responding appropriately.
* Wear medical alert identification at all times.
* Always carry a seizure first-aid card.
* Keep a list of your medications and allergies with you.
* Carry the names and contact information of your primary care physicians or neurologists.
* Tell family members or friends to inform EMS personnel that you have epilepsy should they have to call for help on your behalf.
For more information, please visit www.epilepsyfoundation.org.
