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Latest Discrimination Articles
Mr. Universe Assaulted by Police During Low Blood Sugar Episode
3 April 2007
Diabetes Health magazine recently had the pleasure of interviewing Doug Burns for a lengthy feature. He is a well-spoken and forthcoming man with a good sense of humor and an easy-going manner. Altogether, he comes across as a very nice person. On Sunday, however, Doug Burns was severely beaten by police during an episode of low blood sugar that occurred at a movie theater in Redwood City, California.
Doug states that he remembers seeing his friend in the theater and then feeling that he was getting low. He hurried to a snack counter to find food but apparently was intercepted by a security guard who thought he was intoxicated, even though he did not smell of liquor and was wearing a medic alert bracelet. The next thing he remembers is waking up while being given glucose by paramedics. He was surrounded by seven armed policemen who had severely clubbed him in the head and body, maced him, and handcuffed him, in spite of his medic alert cards and jewelry. The police had even brought in dogs.
Doug believes that had he been less well dressed or from a different ethnic background, the police might have shot and perhaps killed him. He comments that one of the worst things the police did was to call his young daughter and tell her what was happening to her father. The incident serves to underscore the need for better education of police officers and security personnel about how to distinguish hypoglycemia from intoxication.
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Posted by Michael (who has type 1 diabetes)
It's interesting that most of the 'blame the person with diabetes' posts come from people who don't have type 1 diabetes themselves.
Not all hypos are easily detected. Sometimes a person does not detect them until they have lost the ability to treat them. Sometimes you forget the bag of lollies in your bag because a hypo impacts your ability to think and reason.
I use a CGMS and can tell you they do not detect all hypos because their readings run 10-15 minutes behind the actual blood sugar levels (they measure glucose in interstitial fluid) and can miss a fast fall in levels.
As a parent it must be comforting to imagine that this can't happen to your children if they do what you tell them so I understand wanting to believe this is somehow Doug's fault.
Doug is a smart and successful athlete who manages his life with discipline and precision. If a sudden debilitating hypo can happen to him, it can happen to anyone.
Posted by Michael (who has type 1 diabetes)
It's interesting that most of the 'blame the person with diabetes' posts come from people who don't have type 1 diabetes themselves.
Not all hypos are easily detected. Sometimes a person does not detect them until they have lost the ability to treat them. Sometimes you forget the bag of lollies in your bag because a hypo impacts your ability to think and reason.
I use a CGMS and can tell you they do not detect all hypos because their readings run 10-15 minutes behind the actual blood sugar levels (they measure glucose in interstitial fluid) and can miss a fast fall in levels.
As a parent it must be comforting to imagine that this can't happen to your children if they do what you tell them so I understand wanting to believe this is somehow Doug's fault.
Doug is a smart and successful athlete who manages his life with discipline and precision. If a sudden debilitating hypo can happen to him, it can happen to anyone.
It is not the diabetic's fault! There will come a time when even the most prepared diabetic forgets a snack or needs help. The fault lies with the police who did not bother to research the facts before they used their weapons. Weapons were not necessary in this case. And what if he was drunk? Should that give the police the right to club? The police involved should have their badges taken away!
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