Home > Assault > Deaf Man Stabbed After His Sign Language Was Mistaken For Gang Signs

Deaf Man Stabbed After His Sign Language Was Mistaken For Gang Signs

January 12, 2013 at 10:12 pm by Morbid

Burlington, NC – Witnesses to a stabbing say a deaf man was signing with another man when a third man mistook their sign language for gang signs and began stabbing one of the men.

Burlington Police believe 22-year Robert Jarell Neal stabbed 45-year-old Terrance Ervin Daniels with a kitchen knife Wednesday after possibly mistaking the deaf victim’s sign language as gang signs.

Witnesses described seeing Neal stabbing Daniels with a kitchen knife multiple times. “My voice is gone from me screaming, ‘Stop, stop, leave that man alone,” said Candace Gerrington, who witnessed the attack.

“He was stabbed all around his body, his hands and face were cut up,” said Mary Latta, who saw Daniels after the attack. “It was bad.”

Police responded to the scene and found Daniels lying in the grass. He was rushed to UNC Hospitals in Chapel Hill were he underwent surgery. He was listed in stable condition on Thursday.

After the stabbing, Cathy Sanford saw Neal running through her backyard. She called police after Neal returned and threatened her 12-year-old granddaughter.

Police arrested Neal and charged him with felony assault on a handicapped person and assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill inflicting serious injury. He’s being held in the Alamance County jail on a $500,000 secure bond.

As you probably suspected, Neal is no stranger to police. His criminal history includes three assaults on a female, assault with intent to kill, two communicating threats, DWI, injury to real property, injury to personal property and two resist, delay or obstruction of officers.

To be fair, and regardless of what the headlines are to the other articles I linked to, police did not confirm that sign language was the actual motive for the stabbing. However, they did say alcohol was a factor.

I knew this story sounded familiar, and Jaded commented that is because she wrote up a similar story back in 2011. In that case, a deaf man celebrating his birthday at a club was stabbed after his sign language was mistaken for gang signs.

Tags: Assault, Crime, deaf, handicapped, North Carolina, Robert Jarell Neal, Stabbing, Terrance Ervin Daniels

49 Comments

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newstarshipsmell

Too bad we can’t lock Robert up with Sarah Wulchak – then maybe he’d have a little more sympathy for his victim’s condition.
Cory

I seen this guy a few weeks ago in Yancyville food lion, buying what looked to be 20+ things of toothpaste. not even kidding I even asked the clerk I said I know us rednecks suffer from bad teeth (Lots of mountain dew) wondering what he needed with all those tubes of toothpaste lol
http://www.dreamindemon.com Jaded

Again? Really?

http://www.dreamindemon.com/2011/05/02/three-hearing-impaired-men-stabbed-after-sign-language-is-mistaken-for-gang-signs/
GGMon

Man, how fucking retarded can you be to mistaken Sign Language with gang signs?
newstarshipsmell

Well, keep in mind the folks doing the mistaking already chose to join a gang. No surprises, here.
Wolf_of_Mars

Guess the gangs have stopped giving the pre-initiation IQ tests…
daMonBrooks

Even the army won’t let you join with an IQ below 85, and those folks stand out…
glitterpuss

He’s a shitty gang member. He should stab himself instead cause he sucks at life.
glitterpuss

Damn…85 is pretty low
dawnatbeach

UNBELIEVABLE. he’ll get up close and personal with gang life in prison. Won’t get confused after his initiation .
Sam

Police a few towns over from me tasered a blind guy last summer when they mistook his walking stick for a samurai sword. I guess I’m thankful the police don’t normally carry guns here…
Eliza Berntsen

I remember that one!
JohnQknowitall

Mean, stupid and selfish: a dangerous combination. He needs to be removed from society for a LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONG time.
alphatroll

I’m not convinced of that part – sounds like it may just be a police theory.

Some people also react badly to people speaking foreign languages, and I wonder if that’s closer to what was going on in his head. There’s a very common sort of “paranoia” over things like that, with people assuming any conversation they aren’t privy to is somehow “about” them or “behind their back”. And alcohol often seems to exacerbate things like that too.
alphatroll

Why are we assuming he’s a gang member? Is it because of the neck tats?
G.I.R.L.

Oh my! How frickin retarded was that? Lol
G.I.R.L.

Probably something sexual… oh, and gang-related.
alphatroll

Not really, studies (well, A study) have found the average among Fox News viewers is 80. I’m inclined to believe it.
alphatroll

Bizarre… I wonder if we’re dealing with another untreated schizophrenic here?
midniteshadows

I was thinking the same thing.
tkaz

I don’t think stupid is going to go away so the deaf may need to get smart & improve a few of their signs.
tkaz

Well, I guess if he DID indeed mistake the signs for gang signs…how would he know gang signs if weren’t in one? And why would he be offended by them?
My cousins are criminals but not gang members & they have neck tats. The only good thing about them is it’s their children’s names.
wastintime

I hope the deaf guy will be okay. I hope this guy gets stabbed in prison.
wastintime

When I first read the headline, I thought it was an update on that case. To bad it was.just another fucktard thats as smart as.a box of rocks. No offense, rocks.
wastintime

Im inclined to be amused by that!
Abroad

And the toothpaste in question was not on special offer?
Sam

Oh, thanks. Now I’m envisioning him sat in a bowl of toothpaste in a DIY effort at anal bleaching.
http://twitter.com/MeliMachiavelli Prudence.

Please tell me SOMEONE sued SOMEONE.
http://twitter.com/MeliMachiavelli Prudence.

Starting a fund to put money in the commissary account of whomever takes care of the dumbass once he’s inside…
JGo555

Another idiot.
Minerva

What an idiot. Education is this country is a joke. Instead of spending money on educating our youth we spend more money on jails and prisons then any other “industrialized” nation.
Sam

he only just put a claim in 3 days ago, doesn’t say how much for. I can only guess it took him that long before he stopped vibrating.
Heather_Habilatory

Foooooooooooooooooorrrrreeeeeeeeeeeeever is more like it.
OutOfBubbleGum

Decisions, decisions, decisions.

“Do I replace that kitchen knife or do I wait for the D.A. to return it after the conviction?” “What if there’s a retrial?” “What do I do without my favorite kitchen knife?” “Knife sets: that knife set has been passed from Mother to her oldest Daughter for countless generations?” “How about first dating conversation openers, ‘Why don’t you ask me about why one knife is missing?’”

Decisions, decisions, decisions.
weneedhelpnow

As a teacher I have students with lower IQ’s to whom I must teach algebra. Then in a court the defense is that their IQ is too low to understand right from wrong.
LeaveMeBe

Wasn’t there a story here on the DD about a deaf guy who was taken down and roughed up by the PoPo because he didn’t hear them yelling at him? I vaguely remember it being a case of mistaken identity, too.
LeaveMeBe

This was my first thought, too. I’m having a hard time believing the idiot thought the victim was throwing gang signs and maybe he just wanted to be a dick and stab someone. But on second thought, maybe I’m giving him too much credit.
LeaveMeBe

This really puts things in perspective.
LeaveMeBe

And now that you’ve shared this lovely bit of imagery, the rest of us are seeing it to. Thaks for that.
Sam

Oh, admit it – you chuckled. And possibly salivated…
glitterpuss

That only confirms what I said though
JohnQknowitall

I am usually more liberal, but I kind of agree that once he learns to make the donut sign with his lips he will have found his place in the sun especially with that vaginal beard. Best of luck to him!
Cory

The guy obviously is off his rocker. Really sad story all around and now I want some chocolate chip mint icecream! lol
Gee

Your assuming this guy got an education. You can’t blame the education if he never went to school.
Minerva

No what I’m assuming is this guy was given the opportunity for an education. There are other countries that ae spread thin enough that children are given tests usually once in 3rd grade, another in 6th, and the final in 9th. If they fail to meet the qualifications they are cut right there and told to go get a job.

With the way our system is going that would be better because at least they get job training/help. Instead of having 40 kids per teacher in an 11th grade school where 90% are reading on a 4th grade level. Then we wonder why we have idiots who commit crimes.

If you do some research prisoners have better access to education and the ability to get a college degree, however at that point isn’t it a little late ? Why not put the effort in before prison? ( I know a lot of people are just bad and that this doesn’t apply to them, I’m just talking in the way our system rewards criminals with better opportunities then young children in a poor neighborhood.
Gee

Sorry just being a wise ass… didn’t mean to strike a debate about shitty educational system. I agree with you
http://twitter.com/killa_worldboss larnelle® worl boss

loool wtf
takurospirit

People with IQs that low can learn algebra? I suck at math, and my IQ isn’t anywhere near low. I think you need to tutor me.
takurospirit

Maybe his gang is big on oral hygiene. Bright white sparkling teeth are necessary because a nice smile is shown to increase profit while selling crack rocks. Or something.