Anastopoulo Law Firm Files Lawsuit Against Pickens County Sheriff Who Tasered Autistic Teen 17 Times

Summons and Complaint – Vasquez v PCSD, et al – Final 8.9.22 – RTW (2) The Anastopoulo Law Firm announced today that they had filed suit against the Pickens County Sheriff’s Department, Sheriff Rick Clark, and Deputy Sheriff James Trotter, after non-verbal 17-year-old autisic teenager Aaron Vasquez was tased 17 times. 

According to the Complaint (see the full text here):

“James Trotter, exercised extreme, excessive, and unwarranted force by tasing Plaintiff Aaron Vasquez, an unarmed, non-verbal, severely autistic minor, seventeen times in approximately five minutes despite the absence of any clear or present danger, resulting in severe injury to Aaron’s person and in violation of his constitutional rights.”

On the morning of August 30, 2021, Aaron was reported as missing from his home.  Also that morning, police received a phone call indicating Aaron was walking down the road with pajamas on backwards, and not able to speak when the caller interacted with him.

According to the complaint, Deputy Sheriff Trotter responded to the scene and called Aaron various names like “Sanchez” and “Gomez,” but never by his actual name. The complaint alleges Trotter then repeatedly tased Aaron when the non-verbal teenager could not respond. When another deputy arrived, Trotter falsely reported that Aaron hit him. The teenager was then arrested facedown on the side of the road with his pants pulled down.

Deputy Sheriff Trotter has since been arrested and charged with assault and battery and misconduct in office. He retired from the Sheriff’s Office about two weeks after the incident.

The complaint also states that Sheriff’s Deputy Trotter violated Vasquez’ civil rights, by “depriving Plaintiff of clearly established and well-settled constitutional rights protected by the Fourth and Fourteenth Amendments to the United States Constitution.”

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