Don't mess with the US state department!

**Fragony** · 06-07-2005, 10:41

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/co...r_video3a.html

Ouch! I guess the moral of this story is: TASING HURTS

**Ja'chyra** · 06-07-2005, 10:58

There seems to be an outcry here because the some police units are trialling them, the argument being that you can accidentally kill people with them. Personally I would rather take the risk with a taser than have the police call out the armed response unit and then get shot in the head.

I'm sure people will say that sooner or later an innocent person will be tased, if that is the right word, but I see that as regretable but acceptable to protect the police and allow them to protect everyone else. Look at the nutter that was running around with the sword a couple of years ago, people complained when he was shot but with this he caould have been taken down with a lot less risk of death. (there was also complaints because it turned out he was mentally ill but if he's running at you with a sword then there's not much chance to sit him down and ask about his mum)

All in all I would say that these are reasonable addition to the police's arsenal.

**doc_bean** · 06-07-2005, 11:01

And I thought they were harsh on people going over the speed limit here !

**Don Corleone** · 06-07-2005, 11:45

The police officer told her three times to get off the phone and exit the vehicle. She refused, and in fact, told her friend to come down to the traffic stop location. Calling for reinforcements could be viewed as threatening behavior.

Besides, the cops have to get tased themselves, several times, during training so they know how much it hurts. If you ask me, the driver was lawsuit shopping. What she didn't know was the whole thing was captured on tape, showing how she repeatedly refused to follow police instructions.

**BDC** · 06-07-2005, 17:04

Wow, that's harsh. Why didn't they just pull her out and sit on her?

EDIT: Although to be fair, anyone who doesn't just get out when someone points a tasar at them probably deserves to be shot for being terminally stupid.

**Ldvs** · 06-07-2005, 17:23

She truly deserves what she's got. When a policeman demands something you do it, even though he's harsh or rude (the policeman behaved properly in that case). Moreover, I've never got tased but I doubt it makes you scream to death as though you're thrown into fire, does it?

**Don Corleone** · 06-07-2005, 18:00

Speaking from experience, it friggen hurts, but not that bad. There's no current behind it, it's a static discharge. So, it's like the zap you get on a doorknob on a cold winter's morning, but more intense. It's gone almost as soon as you feel it.

And BDC, she wasn't stupid. She was intentionally provoking the policeman. The first words out of her mouth, after she finished screaming were "you're racist, you're abusing me". Even though the police officer was African-American!

Trust me, this woman was looking for a way to buy a new Pathfinder. You don't drive 70mph through a busy intersection, and a RED LIGHT, and then tell the cops 'you hold on, I'm on the phone. I'll get off when I feel like it. You just wait for now", unless you're trying to get a response. When the cop pointed the taser at her, the first thing she said to her friend was "get down here". Lawsuit shopping, maybe not very identifiable to Europeans, but alas, all too common here in the US.

**Kanamori** · 06-07-2005, 18:41

I'd imagine it's good for business

**Laridus Konivaich** · 06-08-2005, 15:21

But see, I suggest that you would all say, "The criminal got what they deserved," if the incident was just described as a criminal speeding through the light at seventy, et cetera. You are only defensive and questioning of the officer because the criminal was young and female. This is my suggestion.