Sign language interpreter crashes police press conference - and gets it very wrong
A US sign language interpreter has left deaf audiences stumped after delivering gibberish during a police press conference.
Derlyn Roberts joined the Tampa police department on November 28 in a live broadcast following the arrest of a mass murder suspect.
But instead of translating word for word what Chief Brian Dugan had to say on the arrest of Howell Donaldson, she delivered impromptu gibberish to online and television viewers.
"She sat up there and waved her arms like she was singing Jingle Bells," Rachelle Settambrino, who is deaf and teaches ASL at the University of South Florida, told the Tampa Bay Times.
To add insult to injury, the Tampa police department confirmed they hadn't ordered an interpreter for the press conference, meaning Roberts turned up on her own accord.
A "confused and upset" Settambrino tried to make sense of Robert's incoherent gestures, which left hearing impaired viewers extremely confused at Chief Dugan's address.
"Fifty-one hours ago, zero 12 22 (indecipherable) murder three minutes in 14 weeks ago in old (indecipherable) murder four five 55,000 plea 10 arrest murder bush (indecipherable) three age 24," he is believed to have said at one point.
In fact, Chief Dugan was providing a timeline of four shootings and was describing how his agency had received around 5,000 tips before arresting the 24-year-old suspect.
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Tampa police department has confirmed an investigation is underway as to who ordered for Roberts to attend the press conference but said she wouldn't be facing any charges.
A person matching Roberts' name and age has an extensive criminal record that includes convictions for fraud over $50,000 and fraudulent use of personal information, but police failed to confirm whether it was the same woman, ABC News reported.
