Slippery Slope, Gaping Chasm and Torture
In February of last year, I told you about Lester Eugene Siler, a Tennessee man who was literally tortured by five sheriff’s deputies in Campbell County, Tennessee who suspected him of selling drugs. The only reason we know Siler was tortured is because his wife had the good sense to start a recording device about halfway through the ordeal.
The audio is now available online (read the transcript here). Drug war outrages lend themselves to overuse of superlatives. But I gotta say, this may be the most horrifying 40 minutes of audio I’ve ever heard.
So writes Radley Balko in “Torture and The Drug War.” I don’t know, but I suspect the very existence of a “debate” around torture civilizes this sort of repulsive behavior in a way we should not tolerate. I hope those responsible get the book thrown at them.
Sebastian Holsclaw has other comments at “Drug War Atrocity,” where I found the story.