I'm sure everyone's heard about this story by now. It has generated a LOAD of feedback all across the internet. Alot of hate, alot of anti-government propagandizing, and alot of 'ignorant' responses.
Here's my angle.. If the subject is visibly unarmed, and it is clear you could grab him and take him outside, what does using a taser achieve, other than punishing him?
For the naysayers, if your security/police force of 5 officers can't subdue and remove 1 skinny student displaying passive resistance, you need to replace them.
2007-09-29 08:11:24 · 11 answers · asked by cjc1127 2 in Politics & Government ➔ Law Enforcement & Police
steven c :
Did they take him down fast? I've seen the video footage. They let him run around like a chicken for quite awhile, then when they finally had him pinned down, they started yelling at him. If that's fast, I would hate to see slow.
2007-09-29 08:20:31 · update #1
Why should an officer have to put himself/herself in harm's way to risk injury?
Because it's their job to risk injury. They chase armed suspects without even firing their lethal weapons all the time. If they really felt this guy was a danger, why didn't they move in with more speed, rather than wait for the one female officer to grab an arm?
2007-09-29 08:29:33 · update #2
tallerfella :
Gee. It sounds complicated. How in the heck did anyone get arrested without broken bones and lacerations in the days before tasers? It's a miracle. Do you really expect me to buy that?
2007-09-29 10:40:21 · update #3
Watch the video. There are several versions, but if the following doesn't happen, go ahead and correct the sequence of events.
First, a female officer tries to grab one arm of the subject.
Then, when this doesn't work, several officers chase the subject comedically around a large room full of bystanders, university staff, and a US Senator.
Several moments pass, and he is finally physically subdued. The officers appear to have the subject fully at their effective control. He is unable to hurt anyone else. He is overpowered.
After afew additional moments of verbal chaos (he shouts, the officers shout, some of the bystanders shout..) the subject is tasered.
Maybe he had to be tasered, maybe he didn't. Maybe everyone involved made poor judgement.
2007-09-29 15:50:26 · update #4
i suppose just one person tasering looked better then 5guys on top of the guy..making another police brutality case. i havn't heard about this case, i'm out of the loop. but there really isnt a reason they could not make him comply without going to the taser, pressure points seem to work nicely lol
2007-09-29 08:27:45 · answer #1 · answered by sugar 4 · 0⤊ 2⤋
It's not a case of five officers grabbing someone and taking them out of a building. It's about control without causing injury. The student was tased did the electric chicken and that was it. No broken bones, no sprained knees, no dislocated shoulders etc. Taser takes the fight out of the suspect. It works EXACTLY how it should. For the safety of the suspect and the officers involved.
Here's a test for you. Get five of your friends together. One of you plays suspect who does not want to be escorted out of the area. And move him. Get back to us all with your injury report. And make it interesting. Up a flight of stairs or through a narrow hallway to simulate an aisleway. Like the area where this guy was removed. Remember you will have innocent bystanders in the area.........
What happened in the "old days" as you appear to be to young to know, you were beat down with a night stick. They where made of wood when I was a cop. In 12 years, I broke six of them on suspects that resisted. A taser would have been a lot easier on all of us.
2007-09-29 16:28:28 · answer #2 · answered by tallerfella 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
This question made me LMAO. Have you not read any of the other 100+ questions/answers on this.
"If the subject is visibly unarmed"...ever hear of a concealed weapon?
Try to educate yourself just a tiny bit.
Read the definitions of resisting arrest, disobeying a lawful order and interference. Look at use of force protocol and policies. Using a taser is a lot more humane than using the good olde whacking stick. Research how many cops are killed or injured each year...
From your question its obvious that you've never been in any sort of physical confrontation outside 5th grade.
2007-09-29 21:19:12 · answer #3 · answered by lpdhcdh 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think tallerfella got a point, critiquing this is like being a Monday Morning Quarterback after a football game, it is so easy to solve the teams problem from your living room, but until you strap on the pads and a helmet, you have no idea what it takes.
Here is some info for you to digest: virtually every department that got tasers reduced both officer AND suspect injuries, and saved substantial money in lawsuits and workmans comp claims. It should certainly show that people did get lacerations and broken bones in the past.
http://www.taser.com/research/statistics/Pages/FieldUseandStatistics.aspx
2007-09-29 17:53:00 · answer #4 · answered by trooper3316 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Why should an officer have to put himself/ herself in harms way and risk an injury. There is a use of force module that was in place. He was a non compliant actor and he needed to be removed. I think that because of them getting tasered he was safer from injury rather than fighting it out with the police. I am not a fan of a lot of thing cops do but in that case i think it was justified.
Its not a cops job to risk there lives. It is there job to protect the laws of a community. A cop makes a choice about what personal actions that they take and if they chose to put there own life at risk that is the choice they make. You can't say that it would have been less hands on with out a tasing. that would just be a stupid thing to say. Yes i am sure that they could have got him out with out the taser but at high cost than needed.
2007-09-29 15:21:25 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋
There is a lot of talk about the campus police violating this students right to free speech. His allotted time was over and he refused to leave the podium. After being asked,then told to leave, the police were well in their rights to remove him. When they tried he resisted. When they attempted to restrain him the police got one hand cuffed and he resisted even more. That is when he got tased. On most police department use of force continuum's, a taser is on the same level as mace and or asp/baton. This would include resisting arrest.
2007-09-30 01:03:29 · answer #6 · answered by pawnsreign 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Tasers eliminate police brutality charges. No marks and it is pretty fast acting. I think it is a great tool. Lots safer than bullets. Cops do not get paid to go hand to hand with those breaking the law.
2007-09-29 16:24:44 · answer #7 · answered by sensible_man 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Attempting to break away from officers, who are trying to restrain you, in no way constitutes "passive resistance". He was tased when he refused multiple oders to put his hands behind his back and to stop resisting.
2007-09-30 02:01:20 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
The taser was warranted in that situation because they didn't know if that student had a weapon on him. He was acting crazy and needed to be taken down and taken down fast. I would have tased him as well.
2007-09-29 15:17:03 · answer #9 · answered by Steven C 7 · 3⤊ 2⤋
5 lamers vs 9 year old girl (happened a year ago)
she might have killed them all if they did not have the tazer
I hear that crayons can be quite deadly
Cheers
2007-09-29 15:23:11 · answer #10 · answered by james b 3 · 0⤊ 4⤋