What should happen to the Cops in Florida who put the Taser to the College Student? Was it right?

Question

I saw the Video. While he was a little pushy, he did nothing wrong in my opinion to be zapped by a freaking Taser Gun. He is a journalist and reporters can sometimes be pushy. Your thoughts?

ok. now we are getting somewhere. I heard legal analysts saying that excessive force was used in this incident and I have heard others state that he got what he deserved. Come on.. The guy was on the ground with at least 3 police officers on top of him when he was tasered! I smell a law suit! If the cops were doing things to standard, why did two of them get sent home on administrative leave? (with pay)

Answer 1

well based on what i say i felt he had freedom of speech. some you could put on him while the other stuff you could put on the cops.

you don't go up there disturbing the conference. i understand he wanted to say something but there is a way to do it. some people just go over board with it. but when the police started pushing and stuff he should have just stopped because that would have been a law suit if there was unnecessary roughness .

Answer 2

The incident was a setup from the word go. He is a professional taunter who has bragged of taunting Kobe Bryant in the past, etc....

Notice the police were standing behind him when he started speaking. Normal? No. He pushed his way to the front and was acting rather nasty when last question had already been called. He demanded to be heard. Rather interesting how you only see him on tape after that.

His goal was to disrupt and appear as an upset supporter, he used a guilt technique, as in, he was let down by Kerry and wanted answers, to be reassured. This is how he was able to go on a little longer.

At any rate, he was escorted out and began resisting and yelling. Remember, he was resisting. This is TOTALLY on purpose. He continued to yell and resist over and over.

Why is it that cops must get hurt? That people such as him can strike a cop and that's ok? It's not. A taser is not a bad thing. Its intensely painful but not deadly. It hurts, locks you up but as soon as it's over, it's over. No more pain and more importantly, no more side effects. Pepper Spray would have cleared the hall. ASP batons would have hurt others and left long term effects.

I've seen MANY taser events and when its clicked off, they stop screaming. He was screaming for the cameras. How do I know? Because the 12 page report that was released. When he was escorted down the stairs he turned to the officer who tased him and said, "You did nothing wrong." and was peaceful and quiet. When he got downstairs he started screaming again around the cameras.

There is no excessive force here. He is not hurt, not injured and was only in pain for 5 seconds when the situation was out of control. Had he complied initially, none of this would be an issue. But it's only an issue because people think it's ok to do whatever they want. In the end, he should have complied. There is a lot about the situation that is unknown my many and yet they still comment on it.

Answer 3

He is not a journalist, he is a well known agitator that has done the same thing to many other speakers at Florida U.

The situation unfolded as such:

Kerry was speaking to Florida University students on a number of topics, none of which included the 2004 elections. Students were allowed to ask questions after the main speech was finished but were restricted on time and instructed to ask a question and sit for the response so others could ask questions.

The student in question, the part you don't see, never asked a question, rather he started on a rant about the 2004 elections and kept going and going. The camera only came on once officers were told by event staff that they would like the student removed as he was being disruptive.

The student was given a number of chances to remove himself from the situation and sit down. When he failed to comply with the orders of the officers to sit down he was committing disorderly conduct.

When the officers attempted to remove the student he became combative and resisted arrest, at that point the officers had both the right and the authorization to taser him.

If you watch the entire video I'm sure you can tell that the student has mental health issues as he believes that he is going to be hauled away and murdered.

Answer 4

The officers were doing their jobs. Investigate the use of force and clear them as far as I'm concerned. The suspect was causing a disturbance. He was given a chance to quiet down and didn't. He was then asked to leave and didn't. The Police tried to escort him out and he went crazy. The Police then attempted to arrest him and he resisted arrest. What I saw of the video would allow me legally (and under my agencies policy) to use a Taser on him.
The name of the game is compliance. If you fail to comply then the Police are permitted to use a reasonable amount of force to arrest you. Bottom line is he forced the issue and made the officers use force on him.
I have been Tasered five or six times in training. Its not fun but I haven't died yet from it. Taser has also never been successfully sued for wrongful death.

The incident is getting a lot of stupid media attention. We'll see how the University responds. Unfortunately, if the University officials are making decisions for the Police Chief there then the officers may be screwed.

EDIT: Okay, Administrative Leave (with pay) is standard for officers who are being investigated for Use of Force. It is my agency's policy manual that officers can be put on Admin. Leave (with pay) during these cases. If they are Suspended Without Pay then you can start doing your victory dance.

Answer 5

Even Freedom of Speech has it's limitations. You can't yell fire in a crowded theater.

Taser is considered non-lethal. The person was resisting and refused to comply with verbal orders. His intent was to cause a disruption based on his own right to free speech. When he continued with his actions, he stepped on the rights of everyone around him. He got what he deserved and he probably intended to get arrested from the beginning. He could have gotten his point across much better if he had just spoken in an appropriate manner.

In your opinion? You weren't there (nor was I) so how do you know he wasn't high/drunk/previous mental patient? All you saw was a bit of video. You have no idea what happened. The cops who were there and dealing with it, the witnesses etc., they know way more than we ever will.

He got zapped. Too bad. Cops have better things to do than babysit. God Bless 'em ALL.

Answer 6

It is standard operating procedure to send the officers home on administrative leave following a shooting, even a shooting with a taser. It gives the administration time to complete an investigation. The disorderly was far from a journalist, just another louud mouth liberal who wanted to make a scene. He was resisting arrest, disrupting, and being disorderly. They should have tasered him earlier. The police did their job, nothing more.

Answer 7

Nothing should happen to the cops, they were doing their jobs appropriately. They were maintaining order in the public forum.
The guy was getting pretty lippy when he said "Clinton gets impeached because of a *******!!". While this statement is understandable, he could have approached his questioning in a much more civil manner. I know he is trying to make a point but if he ever wants to be a journalist, he should learn how to control his emotions and temperment.
The cops warned him to watch it and to stop. Right then and there, he should have stopped, its that simple. If you dont comply to an officers order, then you are resisting. Everyone who watches this video and has ears can obviously hear the cops saying "get down, do it now" and the guy continues to resist. He had his chances to stop. Now the cops got him on the ground and he is physically resisting, at this point, the cops bring out the taser. The use of the taser in this situation and environment is justified because the guy had many opportunities to comply with the orders and did not do so.
Everyone there is yelling "police brutality, rodney king" etc.
Why do you think that is? Its because its a forum with a liberal public figure!!! It's inherently going to be that way because liberals are semi-anti-law enforcement.
He should have complied. Its his own fault.

Answer 8

they'll review the case find no wrongdoing and the cops will go back to work.

first of all.. you don't ask questions about skull and bones.. you just don't.

if the police come and the moderator shuts off your mic, then it's time to leave... he wouldn't leave so the officered grabbed him to escort him out. he resisted, he got tasered. the situation got got of control so the police had to get him under control.. remember he was in the middle of a group of people.. you can't just spend 10 minutes wrestling around with some wierdo, you have to take care of things nice and quick...

had this been in the middle of a park, then maybe it would have been a little early. but with lots of people so close around, they needed to get him cuffed and out of there ASAP

Answer 9

Go Here To See What Really Happend!! And Also The Best Angle Of It On The Web!!

http://myspacetv.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=18391359

Answer 10

From the video I am unsure why he was arrested (videos don't alway show everything).
Once he was arrested that is the end of it. He can have his time in court to protest the arrest but he has no right to resist. The officers have a duty to finish the arrest with the least amount of violence on his person and they do not want to get hurt by a kicking, flailing resister.
Using a Taser, which obviously did not injure him (check his mugshots on line), allowed him to be cuffed and controlled without injury.
What would you want them to do, use their clubs to beat him until he was unconscious? The tasering only looks bad, it is much better than other methods of control.