In this episode, host Travon Free uncovers the racist roots of the debunked medical term “excited delirium.” A study from Maryland in 2017 found that excited delirium was referenced in 11 percent of cases where someone died in police custody. And when these cases go to court, the concept of excited delirium can be used to argue that the police did nothing wrong. How did TASER, a couple of doctors and a handful of so-called experts take a meaningless psychiatric term and get it picked up by police departments, medical professionals and courtrooms all over the country?

The Untold Story is a Lemonada Media original and is presented by Campaign Zero. This episode is produced by Nicolle Galteland with production help from Hannah Boomershine and Priscilla Alabi. Supervising producer is Kristen Lepore. Production intern is Jala Everett. Fact checking by Steve Crighton. Music, sound design and mixing by Hannis Brown. Engineering from Andrea Kristinsdottir. Executive producers are Jessica Cordova Kramer, Stephanie Wittels Wachs, DeRay Mckesson and Jay Ellis. You can find host Travon Free on Instagram and Twitter: @Travon. 

Resources:
Campaign Zero @campaignzero on Twitter and Instagram; Sign up to learn more: https://campaignzero.typeform.com/untold-story
Physicians for Human Rights: “Excited Delirium” and Deaths in Police Custody
Richard Burns documentary: Exposed: Last Writes
The American Medical Association: Policy on Excited Delirium
BART Police Department: New policy on excited delirium
Brookings: How “excited delirium” is misused to justify police brutality
Dr. Obasogie in the Virginia Law Review: Excited Delirium and Police Use of Force
Justice for Angelo Quinto
California Attorney General, Rob Bonta

In this episode, host Travon Free uncovers the racist roots of the debunked medical term “excited delirium.” A study from Maryland in 2017 found that excited delirium was referenced in 11 percent of cases where someone died in police custody. And when these cases go to court, the concept of excited delirium can be used to argue that the police did nothing wrong. How did TASER, a couple of doctors and a handful of so-called experts take a meaningless psychiatric term and get it picked up by police departments, medical professionals and courtrooms all over the country?
The Untold Story is a Lemonada Media original and is presented by Campaign Zero. This episode is produced by Nicolle Galteland with production help from Hannah Boomershine and Priscilla Alabi. Supervising producer is Kristen Lepore. Production intern is Jala Everett. Fact checking by Steve Crighton. Music, sound design and mixing by Hannis Brown. Engineering from Andrea Kristinsdottir. Executive producers are Jessica Cordova Kramer, Stephanie Wittels Wachs, DeRay Mckesson and Jay Ellis. You can find host Travon Free on Instagram and Twitter: @Travon. 
Resources:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://campaignzero.org/">Campaign Zero</a> @campaignzero on Twitter and Instagram; Sign up to learn more: <a href="https://campaignzero.typeform.com/untold-story" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://campaignzero.typeform.com/untold-story&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1666737912465000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1z47CM3AvCPtWHqV46GPA0">https://campaignzero.typeform.com/untold-story</a> </li>
<li>Physicians for Human Rights:<a href="https://phr.org/our-work/resources/excited-delirium/"> “Excited Delirium” and Deaths in Police Custody</a></li>
<li>Richard Burns documentary: <a href="http://exposedlastwrites.com/">Exposed: Last Writes</a></li>
<li>The American Medical Association: <a href="https://www.ama-assn.org/press-center/press-releases/new-ama-policy-opposes-excited-delirium-diagnosis">Policy on Excited Delirium</a></li>
<li>BART Police Department: <a href="https://www.bart.gov/news/articles/2022/news20220818">New policy on excited delirium</a></li>
<li>Brookings: <a href="https://www.brookings.edu/blog/how-we-rise/2020/08/10/how-excited-delirium-is-misused-to-justify-police-brutality/">How “excited delirium” is misused to justify police brutality</a></li>
<li>Dr. Obasogie in the Virginia Law Review: <a href="https://www.virginialawreview.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Obasogie_Book_107.pdf">Excited Delirium and Police Use of Force</a></li>
<li><a href="https://justiceforangelo.carrd.co/">Justice for Angelo Quinto</a></li>
<li><a href="https://robbonta.com/">California Attorney General, Rob Bonta</a></li>
</ul>

On seasons 1 and 2, we took a deep look into policing and criminal justice in America. This season on The Untold Story, we go even further, with three investigations of injustice happening in your own backyard. From executive producer Jay Ellis and Lemonada Media, this season covers how we can fix the humanitarian crisis happening at Rikers Island; why your tax dollars are funding software that leads to over policing in our most vulnerable communities; and the racist roots of the debunked medical term excited delirium. Host Travon Free talks to real people who have experienced the effects first-hand, as well as lawyers, organizers, and city officials who are all part of the effort to answer the question: How can we hold our most powerful institutions accountable?

On seasons 1 and 2, we took a deep look into policing and criminal justice in America. This season on The Untold Story, we go even further, with three investigations of injustice happening in your own backyard. From executive producer Jay Ellis and Lemonada Media, this season covers how we can fix the humanitarian crisis happening at Rikers Island; why your tax dollars are funding software that leads to over policing in our most vulnerable communities; and the racist roots of the debunked medical term excited delirium. Host Travon Free talks to real people who have experienced the effects first-hand, as well as lawyers, organizers, and city officials who are all part of the effort to answer the question: How can we hold our most powerful institutions accountable?

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