St. Joseph's/Candler expanding westward to reach communities amid growth

Autistic 18-year-old Tazed by Tybee police, family says

Arek Sarkissian II
Clifford Grevemberg

Clifford Grevemberg doesn't want to go to jail.

On Friday night, the lanky 18-year-old was arrested by Tybee police on a disorderly conduct charge in front of the Rock House on 16th Street.

He says he was Tased twice and thrown to the ground, breaking one of his front teeth and leaving scrapes on his face and knee.

But Grevemberg, who suffers from a form of autism, still wants to know what he did wrong.

"I just wanted to go to sleep," the 6-foot-9-inch tall, 170-pound teenager said Saturday. "I sat down on the curb and put my head in my arms, and they stopped me."

Tybee police officials could not be reached for comment Saturday, despite multiple attempts. Phone messages left for Tybee Chief James Price went unanswered, and a Tybee Police dispatcher said no one could comment on the issue until Monday morning.

Tybee Mayor Jason Buelterman said he was not aware of the incident, adding that several attempts to reach the island's city manager Saturday night were unsuccessful. 

Dario Mariani, Grevemberg's brother, said they planned to end their day at Friday's Beach Bum Parade with some food, but the island revelry left many of the restaurants with two-to-three-hour wait times.

So Mariani and Grevemberg stopped by the Rock House.

"I asked the bouncer, 'We just want to get food, and can he come inside?'" Mariani said. "He said no, so I told Clifford to stay outside while I ordered some cheeseburgers."

Mariani said he walked outside a few minutes later to find his brother in handcuffs, his face covered with blood. Two Taser barbs were stuck to the lower portion of Grevemberg's back, and their wires were wrapped around his legs.

Mariani says his brother was Tased twice.

"I asked them what … they were doing, and they said he was being drunk and disorderly," he said. "I said, 'No, he's a special needs child. He hasn't drank alcohol in his entire life.

"Their eyeballs got about that big when I told them he has a heart condition," Mariani added. The family said Grevemberg's heart must be regularly monitored due to the severity of the condition. 

Mariani said that after Tybee police told him he could be arrested, too, his brother was taken to the Tybee police station and later released.

Grevemberg's mother, Nancy Grevemberg, tearfully admitted Saturday night that she would have understood the officers' actions if they had apologized after learning her son suffers from autism.

"If they would have looked at me and said, 'OK, we're sorry,' that would have been fine," Nancy Grevemberg said. "Instead, they just kept on going."

Clifford Grevemberg is scheduled to appear before the Tybee Municipal Court on July 27.