Probe finds Taser use on student was OK

[ruksak]

All charges were dropped against him today, pending a written apology to the campus security.
Charges suspended in 'Don't Tase me, bro' case - 10/30/2007 - MiamiHerald.com

''I made the decision to supersede the rules, and for that I apologize,'' Meyer wrote. ``I should have acted calmer and obeyed the directives of the officers. If I had, none of the subsequent issues would ever have arisen.''

''I'm so sorry that I lost my control in that auditorium,'' he wrote. ``I went there to ask an important question. The question of voter disenfranchisement in America cuts to the heart of our democracy, and my failure to act calmly resulted in this important town forum ending without the discourse intended. For that, I am truly sorry.''

I take this as a concession that he was treated justly for his semi-violent uproar.

Don't tase me bro?

No

Don't fight the cops.........bro.

[ZNFYRH]

Agreed.

By not complying with security requests, you are basically allowing them to respond with the maximum level of force for the situation.

Instead of risking the safety of six personnel to drag him out, you can taser him and have two remove him safely.

[triad]

The taser was not needed. Period.

I think this is one of those things that was just so bizarre it should have never been caught on film. He was loud and annoying and didn't want to be arrested - yes.

The cops outnumbered him and could of handled the situation in a much less ZAPPY way.


My turn:

Don't tase me bro..

More like


Don't mess with power-tripping, over weight, taser-enabled campus security... bro.

[brien]

Instead of risking the safety of six personnel to drag him out, you can taser him and have two remove him safely

What risk was there to the officers? He didn't have any weapons and he wasn't punching them or even threatening them. He was merely resisting by not cooperating with them physically.

Six officers to drag him out? I'll ask again, who the hell was this guy the Hulk? Six officers couldn't even all get their hands on him at one time. Maybe three.

Two trained officers should have been able to take this guy out. If this wasn't the case, then either they should hire bigger officers, or train the ones they have better in arrest techniques.

There was absolutely no need to taser this guy at all. I saw the film clip and they had him on the floor standing over him. He wasn't punching them or threatening them by escalating the resistance. He just wasn't cooperating physically.

My opinion is they tasered him b/c they could get away with it. Plain and simple.

[Osborn F Enready]

I agree brien.

[ruksak]

Quote by: brien He was merely resisting by not cooperating with them physically

heheheheheh...ahhhhhhhhhhhh


Man I've been laughing for at least 3 minutes on that one.

"resisting by not cooperating with them physically"?

I think thats called 'FIGHTING'.

What risk was there to the officers? He didn't have any weapons

If I stood in front of you, you would likely give the same assessment. The Glock .45 in the small of my back and the Dillinger in my coat pocket would likely present themselves as quite a surprise to a mistaken aggressor.


I know first hand that for a police officer to make assumptions in any respect, is step #1 to getting himself killed.

[Osborn F Enready]

If you saw the video, the guy was making his verbal point, he wasn't even paying attention to the officers until they had him on the ground, at which point he didn't lash out, he simply didn't cooperate.

Either way, I said my piece, and I don't think it was reasonable to tase him.

[triad]

Quote by: ruksak heheheheheh...ahhhhhhhhhhhh Man I've been laughing for at least 3 minutes on that one. "resisting by not cooperating with them physically"? I think thats called 'FIGHTING'.

Wrong. Fighting would have been if he was swinging his fists towards the officers. This kid has his hands up and tried to run away - that is called being scared and confused, not fighting. The cops had him pinned on the ground and surrounded him completely - there was no possible way he could have harmed any of those officers at that point. Before he was tasered he even said, "If you let me go I'll walk out of here." Moments before he was tasered. Not fair. He was clearly not a threat and the officers used the taser as a torture device, in this case, to make him shut-up.

[ruksak]

Quote by: triad Wrong. Fighting would have been if he was swinging his fists towards the officers. This kid has his hands up and tried to run away - that is called being scared and confused, not fighting. The cops had him pinned on the ground and surrounded him completely - there was no possible way he could have harmed any of those officers at that point. Before he was tasered he even said, "If you let me go I'll walk out of here." Moments before he was tasered. Not fair. He was clearly not a threat and the officers used the taser as a torture device, in this case, to make him shut-up.

ANDREW MEYER;

''I made the decision to supersede the rules, and for that I apologize,'' Meyer wrote. ``I should have acted calmer and obeyed the directives of the officers. If I had, none of the subsequent issues would ever have arisen.''

End of story?

I doubt it.

Keep on keepin on. Stick up for the idiot that got himself tased, ADMITTEDLY.

[triad]

Quote by: ruksak ANDREW MEYER; End of story? I doubt it. Keep on keepin on. Stick up for the idiot that got himself tased, ADMITTEDLY.

Calmer down there. He isn't saying, "Yeah, I deserved to get tased." directly. He is saying he payed consequences for what he did, but ask him if it was right that he was tasered... whats he gonna say? "FUCK yeah I deserved it, watch the tape! I was begging for mercy and moaning in pain, all because I raised my voice when I got passionate about my opinion and then wondered why I got jumped by a bunch of cops. They shouldn't have tased me.. they shoulda just SHOT ME!"

He didn't say that. But I'll stop here anyways... you can get your last word in but I think we just gotta agree to disagree :confused:

[tivodan1116]

Quote by: ruksak Man I've been laughing for at least 3 minutes on that one. "resisting by not cooperating with them physically"? I think thats called 'FIGHTING'.

No, that's called resisting. And the Use of Force Continuum does not permit the use of "non-lethal" weapons against someone who is partially restrained but struggling to avoid cuffing, which is all he was doing.

If I stood in front of you, you would likely give the same assessment. The Glock .45 in the small of my back and the Dillinger in my coat pocket would likely present themselves as quite a surprise to a mistaken aggressor.

1) He was not "standing in front of" anyone. He was on the ground partially restrained when he was tased.
2) The event was a speech by a current U.S. Senator and former Presidential candidate. I'm sure security would not permit you in with those weapons, and the officers knew that was the situation going in.

I know first hand that for a police officer to make assumptions in any respect, is step #1 to getting himself killed.

Really? And what police agency do you work for to know that? Alternately, from what accredited university is your degree in criminal justice or criminology?

Quote by: ruksak Keep on keepin on. Stick up for the idiot that got himself tased, ADMITTEDLY.

Bad behavior by one person does not allow police to break their rules.

Plain and simple, use of force continuum did not justify a taser in this case.

[Chaossaber314]

Quote by: Brien What risk was there to the officers? He didn't have any weapons and he wasn't punching them or even threatening them. He was merely resisting by not cooperating with them physically.

Incorrect. He elbowed the one black cop in the chin.

Quote by: Osborn If you saw the video, the guy was making his verbal point, he wasn't even paying attention to the officers until they had him on the ground, at which point he didn't lash out, he simply didn't cooperate.

And yet he visibly throws an elbow into the chin of a black cop. How's that fit into your description of inattention until he was on the ground?

Quote by: Triad Wrong. Fighting would have been if he was swinging his fists towards the officers.

Elbows work in your world?

Quote by: TivoDan Really? And what police agency do you work for to know that? Alternately, from what accredited university is your degree in criminal justice or criminology?

Semester away from a Bachelors in Criminal Justice. Interned with the Cape Girardeau Police Department just over this last summer. He's correct. One of the basic rules is that making assumptions will get you killed. We had a guy try to kill himself one night and then the sergeant on duty bitched out his platoon for not securing the premises as we merely arrived on scene and went into the basement of this house without making sure there were no additional threats. It's not just a matter of principle but actually enforced by the brass.

Bad behavior by one person does not allow police to break their rules. Plain and simple, use of force continuum did not justify a taser in this case.

You have yet to show how this was out of the Use of Force continuum for the state of Florida's requirements.

[grandpa]

Quote by: Chaossaber314 Incorrect. He elbowed the one black cop in the chin.

Which anyone might do when they're suddenly getting manhandled.

Grandpa h.

[brien]

Incorrect. He elbowed the one black cop in the chin.

Perhaps this happened in the course of the struggle and wasn't intentional.

Bottom line, the guy wasn't fighting, he wasn' threatening anyone, and the cops used what I consider excessive and needless force in tasering this guy.

Your obvious opinion is the opposite but I think you are ignoring some well stated salient points from other members here. So be it.

[Chaossaber314]

Quote by: grandpa Which anyone might do when they're suddenly getting manhandled. Grandpa h.

Perhaps, but then you admit that he was fighting back even if you believe he did so justifiably. Still it completely negates the argument that he was "merely resisting by not cooperating with them physically."

Quote by: Brien Perhaps this happened in the course of the struggle and wasn't intentional.

Well then, when he shoved the next cop a second later was that also unintentional? Also, what does struggle mean to you?

Bottom line, the guy wasn't fighting, he wasn' threatening anyone, and the cops used what I consider excessive and needless force in tasering this guy.

Which is inaccurate. He was quite clearly fighting back, the justifiability of which may be arguable. However, to say he was not fighting is to ignore what happened.

Your obvious opinion is the opposite but I think you are ignoring some well stated salient points from other members here. So be it.

No, I'm just tired of people not really watching the video and merely getting wrapped up in their emotions making claims that are simply false.

Was the use of the taser potentially excessive? Yes.
Did Meyer potentially deserve it because he was fighting back at least while he was still visibly standing? Also Yes.

People pretending he was just standing there trying to ask questions before the police immediately took him to the ground and tazered him are either being completely dishonest or don't really understand what happened.

[tinybear]

Meyer has since apologised and admitted he was out of line....

'Don't Tase Me, Bro': No Charges

[The Decider]

Quote by: tivodan1116 No, that's called resisting. And the Use of Force Continuum does not permit the use of "non-lethal" weapons against someone who is partially restrained but struggling to avoid cuffing, which is all he was doing.

Not according to Florida law, apparently. See the OP article.

[brien]

One can argue every little nuance of this case ad nauseum but the video clearly shows several officers standing over this guy who is lying on the floor, flat out. At that point I don't see much of a threat to anyone and BAM the officer tasers him.

If one thinks that is justified, then so be it. I disagree.

[Chaossaber314]

Quote by: brien One can argue every little nuance of this case ad nauseum but the video clearly shows several officers standing over this guy who is lying on the floor, flat out. At that point I don't see much of a threat to anyone and BAM the officer tasers him. If one thinks that is justified, then so be it. I disagree.

Then we're not watching the same video. I did not see anyone lying "flat out" or perhaps we have different definitions of what that means. To me if someone is laying on the ground flat out they are submitting. That did not happen here.

[Osborn F Enready]

Doesn't say much for the police training, if they had to rely on the taser, outnumbering the guy 6 to 1.