Lawsuit: Homeless Man Used For Police Target Practice?

Posted by Jose Lambiet , October 24, 2011 Print

Homeless Dennis Gaydos is suing Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw and the Village of Palm Springs police for these injuries

A homeless man recently filed a federal lawsuit against Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw and the tiny Village of Palm Springs Police Department for sending out the SWAT team to dislodge him from his camp, seriously wounding him.

Dennis Gaydos

The SWAT team, in full military gear, fired at least two rubber bullets at him at close range, ripping out a chunk of his right ear and reducing his left eye to mush!

– Click here to see the complaint

“What happened to Mr. Gaydos was outrageous,” said Kevin Anderson, his police liability lawyer. “The behavior of the police officers and deputies at the scene was simply unexplainable.”

Down-on-his-luck Dennis Gaydos claims he was minding his own business in his makeshift camp in the back of a Palm Springs church in March 2007, when he called an assistance agency for food. Gaydos claims he received permission from the pastor to live there.

After Gaydos hung up, however, the agency’s operator called 911 to report Gaydos living in underbrush by the church’s parking lot. Palm Springs Police requested assistance from PBSO, and within minutes, SWAT deputies and cops met at a nearby staging area.

Authorities claim Gaydos wouldn’t come out. And when the lawmen approached him in a “military-like tactical march” with a PBSO helicopter hovering, Gaydos stood up. In one hand, he heldÂ a cell phone, and in the other what authorities claim was a knife.

Two shots were fired with supposedly-safe rubber bullets, and Gaydos was hit both times. Gaydos went into convulsions and had to be medevaced to St.Marys Medical Center. He suffered head trauma. What was left of his eye had to be surgically removed by doctors who felt so bad about the incident that they didn’t charge Gaydos anything.

And neither did authorities. He wasn’t charged with a crime or arrested. And Palm Beach County records show he was never convicted of a crime here.

By the way, Gaydos’ lawsuit shows that no knife was recovered at the scene.

While the incident occurred at night, Anderson claims there was plenty artificial lights from the parking lot to prevent an accidental shooting.

The lawyers for PBSO and Palm Springs police declined comment.

Palm Beach federal lawsuit, homeless, Jose Lambiet's Gossip Extra, Kevin Anderson, Palm Beach County, Palm Beach County Sheriff, PBSO, police brutality, Rick Bradshaw, rubber bullets, shooting, SWAT, Village of Palm Springs

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Geraldine, 1 year ago Reply

OMFG!!! PBSO is sick!
Xavier Onassis, 1 year ago Reply

Why do they need to dispatch SWAT for one homeless guy? They don’t have a leg to stand on.
Amigajoe, 1 year ago Reply

AND they fired at his head, strictly against policy. Bored cops in a nowhere little town with nothing to do decided to go all out and have some fun at the expense of a vulnerable person. Disgusting.
Luke, 1 year ago Reply

Wow this is sickening, I hope these cops are brought to justice and put where they belong-in prison.
- rob v, 1 year ago Reply
  
  they wont go to prison.. but the guy will get paid. no more sleeping in the brush..
cornish justice, 1 year ago Reply

I hope this will atleast make him a rich man via lawsuits.
gloria perez, 1 year ago Reply

OMG. IS SHAME OUR LEADERS DONT PROTECT THE PUBLIC FROM THIS BULLIS WHO CALL THEM SELF THE LAW.
Julie, 1 year ago Reply

Isn’t this Rush Limbaughs back yard and the police force that protect his property and family? Wonder how he would cover this sad and revolting story?
Bonnie Jeanne, 1 year ago Reply

And for the Christians out there who are gung ho to see this happen, the Bible says, “An eye for an eye…” so when are the cops who shot him going to pay?

If you adhere to homosexuality as a sin, what these men did to a man like Christ should NOT go unpunished from the inside either.
Walt, 1 year ago Reply

I’m glad he’s suing the actual Sherrif but who’s going to pay for the villages costs, THE CITIZENS, just thought I would point that out.
P.S.- I doubt any of those officers were charged with anything, even though if you or me shot someone in the face for not leaving their home we would probably be locked up.
Ninety nine percent, 1 year ago Reply

I say an “eye for an eye” quote has never been more poetic and called for.
xenubarb, 1 year ago Reply

$15,000? That hardly seems ample compensation for being terrorized and mutilated by “peace officers.”

$15 million, yeah. $15,000 won’t even get you a piece o’ swamp to set up your tent on and call your own.
Anthony Zarat, 1 year ago Reply

Another example of feminist violence. The tireless feminist campaign to paint every man as a perpetrator, and every woman as a victim, is an act of mass violence by proxy. This man is just one example of millions. Law enforcement, the court system, and political institutions are completely corrupted by the feminist message of anti-male hatred.

Feminists: clean your hands if you want, but the blood that you have shed will never wash off.
Veggie Tails, Lawsuit Served up at Morton’s in Boca Raton | Gossip Extra, 1 year ago Reply

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Sandy N Johnny, 1 year ago Reply

This is one example of Plam Beach County’s finest at work. Over reacting, bullying an unarmed man, maning an unarmed man for life, and probably laughed about it and tried like hell to lie their way out of it. I am surprised that they didn’t plant a knife just to make things look good. SWAT was uncalled for on a man sleeping under some brush and their protocal is not to shot in the face or head with rubber bullets but the arms, legs, and chest areas only. This is a true example of the ” Law ” that is to serve and protect just being what we all know they really are … Scared little people who think a badge gives them a right to hurt who ever they want to and lie about what really happened just to cover their own tracks. These police officers are nothing less then ” Bullies wearing a Badge.” I hope this innocent man gets everything he deserves from the county and their police force. Take them to the cleaners and don’t leave them anything to get anything new with … they don’t deserve to have a job like the one they have.
Boot Licker, 1 year ago Reply

Obviously the guy had it coming. The evidence? The cops shot him, that’s evidence enough for me.