Quadriplegic's parents detail his 'aberrant' behavior

TAMPA -- He told his parents that people were out to get him. When his mom gave him soup, he banged on the bowl with a spoon for an hour. He kept repeating, "Big Bird's okay," "Not dead yet" and "No one's going to get hurt."

Those are among notes from a timeline that Brian Sterner's parents kept of their son's actions since Sept. 28. Sterner’s parents wrote that their son changed last fall from an accomplished intellectual and champion of rights for the disabled to a man who could not take care of himself. Their notes describe bizarre behaviors that led up to his arrest, when a deputy dumped the quadriplegic man from a wheelchair, sparking a flurry of allegations of inmate abuse at the Orient Road Jail.

The notes also detail his interactions with law enforcement. His parents wrote that Sterner has been involuntarily committed four times to mental health centers. Investigators have been called to his residence at least 12 times since the end of September.

“His actions, behavior and mental state since this past October have been clearly out of character with everything else in his life thus far,” his parents wrote. “Not only have we experienced this dramatic difference but so have his neighbors, his friends, his family, his doctors, his therapists, and even his casual acquaintances. If anything, his behavior is becoming increasingly aberrant, and more frequently so.”

Much of that timeline was made public at a Thursday morning hearing after the St. Petersburg Times argued for the release of the documents. Sterner's attorney, John Trevena, presented the documents to the judge at a hearing Tuesday in Sterner's criminal case, but the documents were not immediately released because Trevena said they contained private medical information.

Before Thursday's hearing, Sterner was stopped by police in downtown Tampa. They said he made an improper turn and was driving on a suspended license. He was released in time for the hearing.

Sterner, 32, of Riverview has garnered national attention since the release of a video that showed Detention Deputy Charlette Marshall-Jones dump him from his wheelchair in Central Booking at the Orient Road Jail. Sterner had been arrested on a warrant, accused of fleeing and eluding police during a traffic stop. Trevena, who represents Sterner in that criminal case, says his client’s competency is in question.

Sterner’s parents, who live in Maryland, say their son’s behavior first changed at the end of September. The day before, he had called to say he believed he would be promoted to general manager at work. At the time, he worked for a company that sold vans equipped for wheelchairs.

On Sept. 30, Sterner called his parents.

“Don’t worry, I’m not suicidal,” he told his father, according to the timeline. He was crying. He told his parents that people were out to get him. Later that day, he called again. He said he had called the Hillsborough Sheriff’s Office to his workplace because he wanted to be sure there was no one inside who would harm him.

The next day, he continued to make paranoid statements, his parents wrote. He started to talk about himself in the third person, saying things like, “Brian has worked n a PhD in philosophy, so he knows reason, and what he’s saying isn’t reasonable.” That night, he called 911 and said he feared someone was outside his house trying to “get him.” Deputies found him locked inside his bathroom, where he had fallen from his chair, his parents wrote.

He was taken to the hospital, where he wrote on a wall with his excrement, his parents say.

On Oct. 2, he was held under the Baker Act, which allows police and medical authorities to take people into custody who might otherwise harm themselves. His parents, concerned for his well being, flew to Tampa to help.

They visited him at the hospital. On Oct. 5, they brought him home to Riverview.

On Oct. 6, his odd behavior continued, his parents say in the timeline.

Hospitalized again, he came home on Oct. 14. He told his mother goodnight, then called a taxi and headed to Ybor City for the night, his parents wrote.

By Oct. 24, he had been to another hospital and then returned home. His parents decided to give him some space. They drove to Vero Beach, leaving him “some room to work things out,” they wrote.

The next day, Tampa police stopped him in Ybor City, the traffic stop that led to the warrant for his arrest. Police took him to St. Joseph’s Hospital. He was so disruptive at the hospital that the emergency room workers sent him home in a taxi at 7 p.m., his parents wrote.

About 11:30 p.m., Sterner’s neighbor called Sterner’s parents. Sterner did not have his wheelchair when he was sent home from the hospital, his parents learned. He was rolling around in the front yard, and his neighbor feared he would roll into the street and be run over.

Sterner’s problems escalated to the point that his parents tried to get a power of attorney to take charge of his decisionmaking, they wrote. A magistrate ordered a 90-day involuntary committal for Sterner, his parents wrote.

His parents’ timeline ends with a plea to a judge: “We, his parents, Terry W. Sterner and Jean Marie Sterner, respectfully request the court to ensure that Brian’s condition be thoroughly examined in a professional fashion and, if necessary, treated by whatever means necessary to give him balance and personal safety in his life.”

-- Abbie VanSickle, Times staff writer

Comments

Sure am glad this guy is driving his car around Tampa this morning. Granted, he got stopped for driving while suspended - but still . . .

[bozell]

What does this have to do with being dumpep on the floor like an animal?????????????????

[TC]

WOW, okay maybe he should not be driving, but no matter what his behavior he should not have been dumped out of his chair like that!

[Linda]

This draws cause for concern Now the Sheriff is off the hook . The Good News
his parents become power of atty and get the Lawsuit$$$ money from their son.

Before the sheriff dept pops open the Budweiser in celebration,they not only abused a crippled man in a wheel chair but one that was mentally handicapped as well.
Lets' hope the fall didn't further damage the nervous system and brain function of this" Tragic Man".

His parents keeping a diary on him and turning it over to authorities smacks of 1984 Orwellian.

IF THE PARENTS KNEW ALL THIS INFO ABOUT THEIR SON'S MENTAL CONDITION THEY WERE NOT DILEGENTLY ACTING ON IT,AT BEST THE JURY IS STILL OUT.
MAYBE THE PARENTS SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED!

[anonymous]

rolling around in the front yard??? why is this guy still driving? if he acts like a child, why would the parents let him have keys to go out and drive around town? they should be to blame now too

[frankie]

News Update

His parents last seen at a Las Vegas casino spending the lawsuit money.

This man needs our prayers his Parents may need to be Investigated!!!

Book title:HOW OUR BROKEN SON CHANGED OUR LIFE FOR THE BETTER$$$$$$

[bdiddy]

Something ain't right with that boy

[ChargerGuy]

In the words of Paul Harvey: ". . . and now it's time . . . for THE REST OF THE STORY."

Fortunately, it's really none of our business. Hopefully the HIPAA will prevent us from being subjected to it.

[Dude]

Wow. This explains everything. No wonder his original lawyer asked for and the judge granted a competency exam. His new lawyer Mike Maddux must be crazier than his client to argue against it! Sounds like the greedy new lawyer is taking advantage of both a physically and mentally handicapped client. The Bar should investigate!

[Joe]

How come the Trib isn't reporting this?

[Cheryl Lassiter]

Good grief people! Listen to your selves! You have already convicted his parents of fraud and already decided they are doing it for money? Is there any proof of this if so where? Just because it had not happened to you or your family does not mean there is ill intent on the parents part. They obviously love their adult son and are trying to figure out just how to help him. I have a son who is dying and all I can think of is how I can make life better for him and how I need to protect him!

GIVE IT A REST AND WAIT TO SEE WHAT TAKES PLACE THEN SEE IF YOU ALL HAVE SOMETHING TO BE MAD ABOUT!

[spongebob squarepants]

Remember Folks this can only happen in Florida!!!!!Land of the weird?

The stories out of Florida seem to be even weirder than Callyfornia{Gov Arnold's pronounciation}

Put your 45 on and soak up the sun!!!!

[Dr Phill]

I need these people on my show.
contact my office.

The parents are innocent at least until after my show.

What were you thinking{parents}?

My Gutt Feeling "Guilty As Sin"!!!!!

[J]

He is an adult. His parents are in MD.

[Byron]

okay.....question? what relevance does this have with the fact that Hillsborough County Deputys have always had a issue with using excessive force on the streets and in the jails. They just took it a lil far when they started abusing the disabled! I really hope that this timeline of "aberrant" behavior is not going to be used as some sort of excuse for the abuse this guy underwent.

[Cheryl Lassiter]

oK ...Dr. Phil...COME CLEAN..if you were a real criminal analyst you would realize how dumb most of these peoples statements really are! There is no credible wittness here in the bunch who can actually prove the parents have any thing other than their son's safety in mind!

Cheryl Lassiter

[Cheryl Lassiter]

realize it say's dr. but to be honest the real DR. Phil is only a therapist not an Medical Doctor nor a Criminal Analyst...So as I said..where is all the proof the parents have done anything wrong?

Cheryl Lassiter

[Fabio]

The parents are Innocent.
Lets not railroad the poor parents,but did they really do all they could do or just enough to meet the requirements of the law.

Maybe he should have been taken in on the more severe mental sanction
"THE BAKER AND CANDLE STICKER MAKER ACT" This act requires two not one mental professional to declare compentency.

[voxy]

THank you, bozell. That's what I said.

What does THIS have to do with THE CRIMINAL ACTION by a Hillsborough County Sheriff's Deputy in regard to the treatment of a human being entrusted to her CARE?

Exactly NOTHING.

St Pete Times: Stalwart SUPPORTER OF RICKY TRICKY BAKER AND SHERIFF DAVID GEE AS supported by the fact that they did NOT advertise any public meeting to discuss the JAIL. BUT, they managed to find the time to burnish the sullied reputation of BOTH these men and now to help attack the reputation of a man who was treated in an INHUMANE MANNER in the Hillsborough county Jail.
Couldn't attack his character....

WHICH leads one to understand the true nature of the side that Mr. Trevena plays.

As expected.

Sheriff Everett Rice sending him clients, indeed.

Shame on you.

[voxy]

When will the deputy's mental health be evaluated and WHEN will the st pete times make it public for us??

[Hounddog]

It is all done with smoke and mirrors.

This story is done to discredit the case against the Sheriff Dept.

The local media is controlled by the power brokers.

Free Speech doesn't exist except on this message board that only idiots participate{including myself} and idiots read.

[voxy]

LOL Hounddog I agree with the free speech bit but we're (at least not me and other posters here, yourself included) NOT idiots.
These boards and my blog and others are read far and wide. Believe it.
What we are is : under attack and disorganized.
That must change.
In the words of those who know:
Don't mourn.
Organize.
Organize.
Organize.
Because, if not, they'll get away with worse.
Please don't refer to yourself as an idiot.
I beg to disagree.

[voxy]

check out his property listing. NOte all the missing odd #'s !! Exactly HOW MANY sheriffs live 'across the street' from him???
What does THIS MEAN?

Hmmmm.

ANOTHER PROPERTY GRAB????

http://www.hcpafl.org/perl/re_address.pl?str_num=&str_pfx=&str=MERRIMAC+MANOR+&str_sfx=DR&c0=1&c1=1&c2=1&c3=1&c4=1&c5=1&c6=1&count=25

[The caped crusader]

Did anyone read page 5 (Oct. 3rd, B)? It states that Sterner intentionally threw himself out of his wheelchair throughout the day and was not cooperative while at Tampa General Hospital? Hmmm... Sounds just like his day at booking.

I'm sorry folks, but the HCSO booking Deputy is innocent unless proven guilty in court (and I don't believe it should or will happen). Sterner is a sick man. No one else should have to suffer because of his misfortunes.

I agree with ChargerGuy... Get ready for the rest (full version) of the story.

[George]

So what does all of this have to do with him getting dumped out o a wheelchair? Sounds to me like the guy should've been committed a long time ago. Then again, Florida let's all these people over 75 drive around and cause accidents, why not mentally and physically handicapped too?

[voxy]

well, the difference BEING that I guess you guys might be the idiots that hounddog referred to AND, if they had DUMPED him out of his wheelchair at TGH they'd be UP ON CHARGES>

See, it's ONE THING if I hit myself over the head but ANOTHER THING if YOU do it. Do you kinda get THAT scenario?
Just checking.
Yes, and George I can hardly wait til you're 74. I'll be at your door with my hand out and my swastika armband to nab your license.
You guys are obviously hacks.

[Lisa]

you know the sad part about all the thing some of you are saying is you just do not understand. I am going to say that maybe mister Sterner is suffering from Paranoid Schizophrenia. This is a very common mental illness and symptoms maybe hidden for several years. I think instead of making fun of the parents and Brian Sterner that you should be taking a closer look at people in your own family who maybe suffering from the same thing. I deal with people like this on a daily basis and it is sad to see someone go from a Doctorates degree and having all kinds of great dreams to living homeless because of this disease.

[AFriend]

I am so saddened by this story. I knew Brian Sterner before his neck was broken. He was a light. And after his injury, he was a source of inspiration to me. He seemed to never dispair, at least in public, even to me, one of his friends. He really just go in his chair and moved on. His spirit was incredible. If your wondering what his mind was like, he was brilliant. I went to school with him, he was one of the top in his class in college. If you are wondering about what kind of person he was, he was one of the most caring. Girls loved him because of his charming personality. Brian seems to need all of our prayers. Please pray for Brian

[Don Gamber Bradenton Florida]

Hello Brian's family and friends,
My name is Don, I have experience with quadriplegic's like Brian and I can understand how he feels sometimes because I had to deal with a Quad's emotions quite a bit. They just need someone to listen and cry with them sometimes and incourage them. Always help them to see a bright outlook for their future. I took the time to design a device to fit onto this man's hand so that he could brush his teeth, paint and do other things. Has anyone done this for Brian ? Listen people, we live in a world that basically cares for self and thats it. People have turned their backs on the elderly and even their parents. Sad to say, the handicaped are running a close second. I am prepared to assist another quadriplegic and cannot find anyone to help me list my name so that I can be found. If you all know of a place that I can list myself to assist a quadriplegic please contact me. I can travel. gambo009@aol.com

Thank You Don Gamber