One November night two years ago, State Police found Daniel Fried slumped behind the wheel of his van along Route 72 in Burlington County. He stared forward, eyelids drooping. He was incoherent, slurred his words and seemed to be falling asleep.
He may have looked drunk or like he was on drugs, but doctors say these are classic symptoms of diabetic shock. Paramedics found Fried’s blood sugar was so low he could have suffered a coma, seized or died, according to State Police records.
But two troopers took his erratic behavior for belligerence. They wrestled him down, hit him with a baton and arrested him, their reports said. The struggle was captured by a microphone on one of the troopers, and the recording was obtained by The Star-Ledger.
On the tape, Fried can be heard screaming and telling troopers they are hurting his arm, while they yell at him to stop resisting. Fried said in court records he suffered cuts, bruises and a broken wrist, and despite repeated requests, troopers refused to fetch the fruit punch he kept in his van.
Watch the dash cam footage:
Here's an interview with the victim, he explains he was wearing a medical alert bracelet, and told the police he was experiencing a diabetic shock. He says he was fortunate he didn't die. He said he was permanently injured as a result of what happened, with his hand being broken and a ligament in his wrist being torn, "which is never going to heal."
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