Imagine needing help and not being able to communicate it.

For individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing, the results can be disastrous, Anne Cooney, a senior at Attleboro High School says.

Cooney spoke to Tobey Reed’s criminal justice class at AHS last week for her independent study project about the deaf and the criminal justice system.

During a slide show, she presented examples of deaf men who were beaten and even shocked with a Taser by police because their attempts to use sign language with police were misinterpreted as not being compliant.

“Often times police officers can confuse the signs as signs of aggression,” Cooney said.

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