[Desert Tyrant]

While the useage of the tazer was a bit overboard, I will shed no tears over it.  Mister Meyer acted like a douchebag, broke free from the Police repeatedly when they tried to escort him out.  

Plus the ****er being a truther(BUSH ORCHESTRATED 9/11!) pretty much torpedos any kind of sympathy I have for him.

[karajorma]

wait... you're telling me SIX POLICEMEN/WOMEN could not subdue ONE SKINNY STUDENT?

Yep. He really is. Repeatedly. As though we're all fools for believing that it couldn't possibly not be the case.

While the useage of the tazer was a bit overboard, I will shed no tears over it.  Mister Meyer acted like a douchebag, broke free from the Police repeatedly when they tried to escort him out. 

Plus the ****er being a truther(BUSH ORCHESTRATED 9/11!) pretty much torpedos any kind of sympathy I have for him.

The day when you start making your attitude towards a defendant a reason to abuse his civil rights is the day that give other people who don't agree with you the right to do the same to you.

Whatever happened to "I don't agree with what you are saying but I will defend to the death your right to say it?"

[redsniper]

It went the way of "no unreasonable search and seizure."

[Scuddie]

Before anybody goes further, it seems some things need clarification.  Did the officers use more power than was necessary?  Yes.  Was it abusive?  No.  They did the wrong thing, and handled it inappropriately.  That doesn't mean I think they were abusive.

In layman's  terms, they ****ed up.

[karajorma]

I'll go a little further and say that if this is the first time something like this has happened for these officers I'll say it was a **** up. But if the officers who were suspended have a history of overusing the taser then it's probably more than just that.

As I hinted before the problem here is probably a lack of training in when and when not to use the taser. We had the exact same problem in the UK when pepper spray was first introduced.

[Kosh]

I'm sorry, but that's BS.  9 volt batteries can't discharge enough amperage to cause a heart to stop.  Also the path of the electrical current wouldn't go further than a small part of your tongue.

How much amperage can a battery make? It only takes .03 milliampes to stop your heart.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0OnV7e2eNbc&mode=related&search=

Now they are tasering 11 year old boys as a "last resort". If they can't physically overpower a 5th grader then we as a society are in big trouble

[Snail]

11 years old?

[TrashMan]

Remember that the police officers ARE being investigated. So you can talk about normal until you are blue in the face but it won't change the fact that the supervisors involved think that there is merit for an investigation here.

Of course the'yre being investigates. Some ppl are making a lot of noise and the only way to shut them up is an investiagion.
Investigations and accusations happen in RL even where tehre is no REAL cause or guilt - but rather to pacify a crowd and create some scapegoats for something.

No doubt Trashman believes that the Rodney King beating was also justified. Had to make him scared of the police and all.

I have no idea who that is, but police should be left to do their job wihtou having their hands tied. I'ts a sad day when the public cares more about the lawbreakers than the police.

People these days b*** and moan about everything too much...

[karajorma]

I have no idea who that is, but police should be left to do their job wihtou having their hands tied. I'ts a sad day when the public cares more about the lawbreakers than the police.

People these days b*** and moan about everything too much...

The free world is built on the premise of innocence until proven guilty. That's why I compared your attitude to that of someone who thinks Judge Dread is a good idea. **** the judiciary, let's have the police decide who is guilty and who isn't. That way if they decide someone is guilty they can treat them however they like.

I'd bet you'd be the first one to start *****ing the second you actually got picked up by the police under the system of policing you seem to want though. But it's okay Trashman because although you'll ***** and moan about it there are people out there who do actually understand why presumption of innocence is important and why the police can't be allowed to run the streets with an iron fist. Don't worry. We'll protect your civil liberties. Even the ones you can't understand that you need.

[BloodEagle]

The free world is built on the premise of innocence until proven guilty.

Exactly, so the police officers are currently innocent of an abuse charge. 

[TrashMan]

The free world is built on the premise of innocence until proven guilty. That's why I compared your attitude to that of someone who thinks Judge Dread is a good idea. **** the judiciary, let's have the police decide who is guilty and who isn't. That way if they decide someone is guilty they can treat them however they like.

1. Judge Dread sucks. the movie, the comics, hte concept...well, at least to me.

2. Innocent untill proven guilty..yeah..but what does that have to do with this? If you witness his lawbreaking then the guilt is allready proven..he was resisting arest, there's no denying that.

I'd bet you'd be the first one to start *****ing the second you actually got picked up by the police under the system of policing you seem to want though. But it's okay Trashman because although you'll ***** and moan about it there are people out there who do actually understand why presumption of innocence is important and why the police can't be allowed to run the streets with an iron fist. Don't worry. We'll protect your civil liberties. Even the ones you can't understand that you need.

nope.. you know why? Becoasue I respect and listen to the police. I never break the law and I allways show everyone it's due respect. I wouldn't b*** and moan and generally act like a tard like that guy did. I would never give the police any REASON to use force against me in the first place.
Funny that you completely miss the point. This has allmost nothing to do with civil liberties in the first place - you don't have the right to break the law and resist the police.

[karajorma]

Tell that to every man in jail for a crime they didn't commit.

Exactly, so the police officers are currently innocent of an abuse charge. 

Yes. But they are also suspected of having committed a crime or at least having to face disciplinary action. Which means that you can't simply say "They didn't do anything wrong" any more than you can say that they did.

[Flipside]

I'm still a little confused as to which law he was breaking when they bore him to the ground? Last I heard 'Using colourful language' or ' Asking a politician an awkward (or even silly) question' were not criminal offences, though the first could be considered public disorder, but even then, I really don't want the Police to get into the habit of using pain-induction to deal with public unrest, it's something that should be discouraged, it might have been the 'right reasons' but I still can't help thinking it was the 'wrong thing' to do.

[lenard27]

First, I'd like to say that I think the kid just caused the whole scene because he wanted to make a point about the police. I wasn't there so I could be completely wrong.  He also tried to resist being escorted from the building, so they had a right to use force. I'm not saying it was necessary force, but they had the right to use it.
 Second, most cops are nice. When they pull you over they're just doing their job. When I got arrested for underage drinking, they were actually friendly. As long as you treat them with respect, they're nice to you. Actually be nice to them, because they dropped the public drunkeness charge on my because of it.
And third, did anyone else hear in the video John Kerry in the background saying something like "I'll answer his question, It's an Important question, Well I guess he can't ask it now." while they were restraining the kid? I thought that was kinda amusing.

[karajorma]

For Trashman and the other people ignorant of who Rodney King is, here you go.

[TrashMan]

Can't you jsut tell? I'm not signing up just to wathc some vid..

But let me guess - he's some (probably black) kid who got beat up by police? If you're trying to pull police brutality into this you're barking at the wrong tree.
What they did wasn't brutal and was within their rights.

Tasering brutal? LOL... man, you hanv't seen nuttin.

[Nuke]

all suspects should be impaled on sight
and if it turns out they were innocent then wel give the body back to the family for a proper buirial, instead of feeding it to the bums

[karajorma]

The cops who beat Rodney King were also claimed by many to be within their rights. That's the whole reason I brought it into this discussion. 

And if you can't be bothered to sign up how about just typing his name into Wikipedia?

[DiabloRojo]

Yep. He really is. Repeatedly. As though we're all fools for believing that it couldn't possibly not be the case.

I don't appreciate having words put into my mouth... or my keyboard.  Had a thought you fools, I wouldn't waste the time on you.  However, you do seem to enjoy twisting facts of the story, and I am only trying to correct you.

Now then...  Rodney King was beaten to within an inch of his life.  That WAS excessive force and there's no doubt about that.  The officers contended (with much discredited by the 'Holiday Video') that he continued to resist arrest after being tasered and then badly beaten with batons.  On a side note, this situation also prompted a [new? I think there were a few] study about the mental effects on police from high-speed chases, where police often exhibit much more violent behavior from the stress induced by the chase, which partially explained the situation, though in no way excused it.

On the 6-year old, read THIS.  It contains much more information on the situation with which the police were faced.  Here, police are charged with protecting you from yourself as well, you know.  Without the taser, this kid might have managed to inflict mortal harm to himself, or the police may have inflicted further injury in an attempt to physically stop him.

In all, tou seem to see the taser as this great evil weapon of fear and pain induction when it's function is quick incapacitation and safely ending a situation with no lasting effects.  I am guessing, as I have heard it explained before, that seeing the effects, someone completely losing control over themselves at the hands of authority figures greatly disturbs you.  I'm happy to say that perception, while understandable, is impossibly flawed.  Yes it causes pain and momentary loss of control, but it is only temporary and again, this is just a tool for disarming a situation.  It is an 'equalizer.'  No, it isn't perfect, but it is far more safe and effective than forcing police to endanger everyone involved with an all-physical engagement against combative or potentially dangerous suspects.

[karajorma]

In all, tou seem to see the taser as this great evil weapon of fear and pain induction when it's function is quick incapacitation and safely ending a situation with no lasting effects.

Now who's putting words in someone else mouth?

I have no problems with police having tasers but the fact is that better training is needed for their use. This situation and the one with the 6 year old are situations in which the taser should not have been used. Do I need to point out that TASER International themselves say that the weapon should not be used on anyone that size?

The Taser should be used as a non lethal alternative to a gun. If someone threatens a cop with a knife you taser him when he charges rather than shooting him. That's when the weapon should be used. As a hopefully less lethal alternative to the baton or pistol. The problem comes when people think that since the taser is designed as a non-lethal weapon you can use it at times when you wouldn't use the weapon it's a replacement for.

Let me ask you a question. Had the police not had a taser would you have considered it excessive to beat the suspect with a baton until he complied?