Officers use tazer on student

[Kralizec]

http://www.dailybruin.com/news/articles.asp?ID=39010
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AyvrqcxNIFs

The student wouldn't/couldn't show his ID. After being told to leave by the police, he did. One of the officers grabbed his arm, to wich he objected. The police did the natural thing and tazered him. The police kept telling him to stand up, and after refusing to cooperate again, tazered him some more.

wtf?!

Also, the student (who is of Iranian descent) will sue the university

[CrossLOPER]

Police tend to go a bit crazy at times. They could have just escorted him out.

[AntiochusIII]

I...don't really know what's going on in there.

The article only described the reactions -- and the video wasn't clear; was all that screaming the resulting of tazer? If yes, that's way messed up and we probably have another police brutality case here.

[Kralizec]

Here's another article on it: link

Officer: Stand up! Stand up! Stand up! Stand up! *BZZZZ* Stand up! Stand up!
Bystander: That's abuse of power!
Officer: Back off or we'll use the tazer on you too!

[CrossLOPER]

I...don't really know what's going on in there.

It opens with the student protesting the officers' grabbing him in an attempt to remove him. After being tasered once, he began screaming and declaring that he would have left on his own. After blaming the Patriot Act, he began berating the way in which the officers are conducting the situation and how they are abusing their power. At this point, the students overcame their initial shock, they began asking the officers for their info. The officers ignored these requests (focusing on the task at hand), and proceeded to threaten the student with another dose of shock. He refused to stand up and was shocked again, much harder and longer apparently as the screaming got louder.

At this point, the officers dragged him outside as the other students began closing in on the officers and pressing for their info. The police then proceeded to do the same routine of asking him to stand up and then shocking him for about five times. He is apparently cuffed after the first (in the hall). After the third, he begins to cry. After a little break, they do it one more time. At this point, he is probably unable to walk, but still able to yell and berate the officers in a much lower voice, which he does. Finally, the police apparently realize that they are being filmed and drag him out. All this time, the students are asking the officers to stop.

The video only lowers my opinion of these officers. I'm surprised they didn't knock him with their clubs.

[Kralizec]

edit: nevermind. Mods, please remove this post.

[Shahed]

Wow. Nuts.

[Rurik the Chieftain]

Yeah, I've heard about incidents like this. It's one of those power and responsibility issues with "non lethal" weapons. Once people are told something is non lethal, they start to jump to the conclusion that it's OK to use for non-life threatening situations and compliance. A lot of people want tasers banned for this reason.

[Ice]

I bet he'll listen to the officers from now on.

[CrossLOPER]

I bet he'll listen to the officers from now on.

Officers should not be feared by anyone who is not considered a criminal.

[Shahed]

Excessive force.

Did anyone notice the first person to speak up amongst all those 'men' was a woman ?

[Crazed Rabbit]

I think next time he will consider presenting his ID more promptly, and not resisting police every step of the way as they try to escort him out.

Crazed Rabbit

[AntiochusIII]

Thanks for the explanation. Now that I get a picture...wow.

If you're shocked by a tazer once -- may be you really can't stand up even if they try to force you to...

I think next time he will consider presenting his ID more promptly, and not resisting police every step of the way as they try to escort him out.

Or he might be very angry with the police and actually become a criminal!

I'm not sure how anyone can defend the police beyond "the kid has it coming" or "they're just doing their job" or other kinds of tip-toe-tap-dancing arguments when they tazer him after he's on the ground like that.

[Shahed]

The first time he could get up and he did but after the 2nd and specially the 3rd time no way he could have gotten up if he wanted to even. Anyway why does he have to be tasered in the first place, that just shows they failed to do their job.

I was REALLY drunk once and was walking home, met two armed cops on the way, I kinda freaked inside because I knew I was too drunk to walk and I'd probably get taken in for the night, probably to a freakin cell. I literally bumped right into the guy in front of me. They asked me some questions, produce ID, where you going, where you coming from etc. And then I was drunk so getting aggressive could have come easily, and they could tell. They stopped asking questions, and guess what ? They walked me home, helping me as I stumbled along the way. I made two friends that night. I came to the station where they were posted and the next time we all had a drink together, on me. Time after that they paid. I still meet them sometimes on the street as my home is in their juristiction, I see them on the street. And I always feel GOOD that those guys are the ones with guns. That's the way it's supposed to be.

You guys should watch the movie, CRASH. Very good movie.

[ajaxfetish]

I agree with Rose at the end of the Bruin article. The student was in the wrong when he did not comply. The officers were in the wrong when they repeatedly tasered him after he was completely in their power. Which is worse? In my opinion, the reaction of the officers is much more disturbing, and I hope this issue (which sounds like a broader problem on campus) is resolved soon for the safety of the students.

Ajax

[CrossLOPER]

Excessive force.

Did anyone notice the first person to speak up amongst all those 'men' was a woman ?

The men were too busy filming the scene.

[Shahed]

Should have got a closeup of that chick

[Spetulhu]

The student could have produced his ID immediately (or admitted he forgot it), but that's no reason to use force. Protesting when the cop grabs his arm is no reason either. There was no need to grab him as he was already leaving. When people are doing what I want them to do there's no reason to touch them. That would be me escalating the situation for no reason.

There are cops and security guards who do it like that, of course. Being brutal makes them feel good and they look efficient if things happen fast. And if they ever had friends they're at least not making any new ones.

I handle it the quiet way. Give people a while to think and they'll do as I want without fail. Who cares if I wait two minutes while some drunk drags his feet? He's still out after that and I don't have to write reports about use of force or tell it to a judge.

[BigTex]

The men were too busy filming the scene.

Quite wrong there, a few men started questioning the officers for thier information before she started the dramatic screams. The two men questioning the officer for thier information are admitedly a little hard to hear. I've yet to figure out why not one person did a thing to help that person when the "officers" didn't produce any information supporting that they are indeed officers. I'm also suprised that no one called 911, someone was being assualted.

As for the guy, he was acting a little crazy. Screaming and berating someone tends to get yourself beat, though that isnt an excuse for what anyone did to him. It's just one of those facts of life.


Yet to figure out why they tazzed him, he was walking out. Granted being an ass about it, but that is no way to use a violent "less then lethal" weapon on him. Just because something is "less then lethal" doesnt mean it doesnt cause major problems. Being repeatedly shocked with high voltage/low amp electricity has been known to cuase long term damage.

It's quite sad what happened, and sadder still that the people around him condoned it by doing nothing. Is there still a citizens arrest in California?

[Csargo]

I don't see why they tasered this guys. It was wrong and wasn't needed. He wasn't threatening the officers was he? If not then they had no reason to even taser him. They could of forcible removed him from the place with no use of a taser or anything else.

[BDC]

I like the effects everyone having video cameras on them is having. Police can't get away with anything now.

"You beat him up until he died."
"Prove it."
"5 bystanders videoed it."

Plus apparently police in Britain will get helmet-mounted cameras too. So expect to see a lot of first-person police abuse on YouTube in future.

[Sir Moody]

Plus apparently police in Britain will get helmet-mounted cameras too. So expect to see a lot of first-person police abuse on YouTube in future.

actually expect to hear of a helmet shortage after all the camera mounted ones are stolen

back on topic though i dont see any reason to have tasered the kid - i really wonder whether his Iranian decent was the determining factor in this

[ajaxfetish]

I have an uncomfortable suspicion that had a lot to do with it.

Ajax

[doc_bean]

I hope the cops get thrown in jail

[Adrian II]

(..) plans to file a lawsuit against university police

Amazing. University police? Is that a separate police department or something? Man, you sure have some weird customs over there. Cattle prods, four-strong police patrols in libraries..

Is anyone surprised that if some dumbo in uniform uses a cattle prod on a student in a library, the result is a general disturbance, a lawsuit and a crapload of bad publicity?

[CrossLOPER]

Is anyone surprised that if some dumbo in uniform uses a cattle prod on a student in a library, the result is a general disturbance, a lawsuit and a crapload of bad publicity?

I'm sure someone will be "Absolutely shocked."

EDIT: Idiot.(Me not anyone else.)

[Pannonian]

I'm someone will be "Absolutely shocked."

You have to admit the police had an electrifying effect on the student.

[Adrian II]

I thik the original article said it best.

Meyerhoff Park was electric Friday afternoon when more than 400 students, faculty, staff, parents and community members gathered to protest (..)

[macsen rufus]

I'm surprised no-one complained about screaming in the library... that must have really upset the readers

[Husar]

Bah! They should've tthrown those monitors at the "officers", make some civil revolt and show them how to behave.
The motto of the german police is "your friend and helper" and that's what I expect from them as a citizen.
They are there to serve the public, not brutalize harmless students.