Four years ago, Tracy Von Butterfield lost her child to a horrific series of uneducated, over-the-top, hasty attempts to subdue her son's 124 pound body. Adam Colliers was shocked not once, not twice, but three times in the span of 30 seconds. The second shock took his life. The third electrical shock and subsequent punches to his ribcage were on his lifeless body.
On the night of his death, neighbors in Gold Bar had called 9-1-1 to report a disturbance. Adam, who was high on methamphetamine at the time, was in the street in the middle of the night, yelling.
There's difficulty looking into the eyes of a mother who has lost her son. There's sadness, heartache, unrelinquishable confusion. There's also an immeasurable amount of determination to find change, not just for the loss of Adam, but for others who may fall into the same unfathomable series of events he experienced on September 4, 2010.
In August of 2011, Tracy requested the training records for the use of tasers from the Snohomish County Sheriff's Office. Those records didn't arrive within the time allotted by law, so she filed suit for failure to comply with public disclosure laws. January the suit was filed, and in February she received the documents. Tracy won her public disclosure lawsuit, which gave her the funds to finally sue the department in federal court for improper use of tasers on people showing signs of delirium, over-exertion or influence of drugs. The risk of death or injury when shocked by a stun gun during these critical times was what she set out to change.
Eight hours were spent debating on a settlement in litigation prior to trial. Emotionally taxing, Tracy asks, "How do you put a price tag on your child? How can someone put a price on a human?" The county finally agreed to pay $600,000 to Adam Collier's family with a written promise to revise the Snohomish County Sheriff's Office taser use policy. Prior to the death of Adam, no written policy specifically in regards to stun guns had even existed. The county has promised to make Tracy aware of any significant changes that have and will take place since the death of Adam.
Sheriff Trenary is said to care deeply about his community and wants very much to make sure that the services his office delivers meet the highest standards. In collaboration with Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs, Trenary has undertaken a comprehensive organizational review designed to identify areas in need of strengthening and highlight existing positive and innovative programs and practices. The Sheriff's Office has also engaged a third party vendor to assist them in the review of their standard operating procedures, which are to be updated perpetually and will reflect changes in the law whenever necessary. Given such a huge task, this endeavor will go into 2015 before it is complete.
The Sheriff's Offices use-of-force policies will be among the first policies to undergo review, along with policies relating to the use of less lethal weapons, including tasters.
Furthermore, the sheriff's office has continued to expand their "Critical Incident Training" for its deputies and other law enforcement agencies countywide. The goal is to equip deputies with the skills and resources to respond effectively and efficiently to situations involving individuals demonstrating a need for mental health assistance prior to more drastic measures. Further changes in its current training protocols to ensure that all deputies who carry a taster electronic control device are re-certified yearly are in place, as well.
Along with the changes put into place for the Sheriff's office, the county has promised to communicate directly to Sheriff Trenary, any and all thoughts and concerns Tracy wishes to bring to his attention and notify her of any developments in Snohomish County Sheriff's Office policies, procedures and training.
In the meantime, Tracy has compiled a small list of questions she'd like all deputies to carry in their pockets while on duty, titled "Approach Citizens with Care,GÇ¥ or ACC, which are also Adam's initials. They are based on Tracy's own training experience and points made by the training expert in her lawsuit.
On this card, each side has a series of steps, either verbal or non-verbal such as "Display non-threatening posture," and "Slow breathing and speech." Tracy's own verbal cards, will be presented to Sheriff Trenary.
Attorney and expert fees took a large portion of the settlement received by the family for Adam's death. Tracy used another sizeable amount to donate to local foods banks from Sultan to Monroe and Snohomish, as well. With the donation to the Sultan Food Bank, she wrote: "In the fall of 2010 I tragically lost my son, Adam, and just this summer I met Kathy, who told me a story about Adam frequenting the Sultan Food Bank for sack lunches. The story touched me deeply and I just want you to know how much I appreciate your kindness to my son. Please know that your kindness is far reaching. Because of you I will be making donations not just to Sultan Food Bank but also to Monroe and Snohomish Food Banks, in addition to other local charities. Thank you for your kindness to the kid on the bike. Thank you for your non-judgmental service to your community. You are heroes disguised as ordinary people. Sincerely, Adam's Mom, Tracy Butterfield."
Adam lost his life far too young. He was a smart, hilarious and talented. Walk into the local grocery store and everyone knows who Adam was. He was loved and he was cherished by all. The theme song to "CheersGÇ¥ plays in the background of Sultan and Gold Bar. Wherever you end up, you're bound to know someone who knows someone, who knows someone.
As a valley mother, Tracy knows this all too well. That is why, despite the circumstances she has faced, her concern lies within the future of our little valley and mothers who are not too different from herself. She wants to see change; she wants to see progress, empathy, and understanding because that is how she honors Adam Colliers.
Comments
Use the comment form below to begin a discussion about this content.
Sign in to comment