Posted on 12/17/2014 7:05:11 AM PST by servo1969
As I said in one of my replies, we don't know what the man said to the officer.
It looked like the man tried to ignore the officer and walk on into the business.
AND an officer can place you in handcuffs (ARREST YOU) for their safety while they continue to investigate. Maybe the tags don't even belong to that vehicle. Maybe the car was stolen. You don't know, I don't know, and the officer , AT THE TIME, likely didn't know either. But he wanted to place the man under 'arrest' until he could figure it out.
I have seen and been in situations where the officers handcuffed(arrest) a motorist. It doesn't mean they are 'charging' you with anything. It is done primarily for their safety until they figure out what the situation is.
If you seem to be trying to 'elude' them, (the guy didn't pull over, he kept going and then pulled into a private business) That right there CAN get you arrested(handcuffed) and charged. If you resist being placed in handcuffs and struggle with the officer, knocking the both of you over, well.... that's why they give the cops a taser.
“I turn around and he pulled that Taser and he shot me with it, and you know it looked like he’s enjoying that,” Vasquez said.
Vasquez is leaving out some (all, really) of the details of what happened before the officer used the taser.
So, is Vasquez even a US Citizen? Is the car his ? Why were the plates not current ? Did they even belong to that car ?
Why didn’t he pull over to the side of the road when the officer turned on his lights? Why did he try to ignore the officer and walk on into the business?
Why did he start fighting with the officer when the officer tried to place him in handcuffs ?
Maybe if your plates are not valid and you think it’s OK to ignore the police, and fight with them while they are doing their job, you shouldn’t even be driving.
So Texas has become a fascist state.
OK. ask the ex-cop sitting next to you this:
You see a car with invalid plates/sticker and turn on your lights. The car doesn't pull over, but goes on for a block or so, turning into a business. The driver gets out and tries to quickly walk into the business.
You tell him to come back to the car and try to tell him that his sticker is invalid/missing/whatever. He tell's you to screw off. At that point you ask him to place his hand behind his back, while reaching for his hand. He immediately starts struggling. As you try to control him, he shoves backwards quickly, knocking both of you to the ground. While on the ground, he continues to fight with you and your gun is within his reach. You shove him away and get back on your feet.
The man is still yelling and looks like he's going to get back up and continue to fight you. It's obvious he won't listen to reason, and that he does not want to be placed under 'arrest'(in handcuffs) no matter if it's just for YOUR safety while you investigate. Heck, he could have a dead body in the trunk for all you know.
You have a gun and a taser. No other officers are there to help you.
What do you do ?
Ahhhh.... the officer didn't pull his gun, he pulled a taser. Clearly if he was an out of control, steroid pumped , hyped up on rap COP, he would simply have shot the guy.
Had he shot the man, the same people here who condemn him for using the taser, would have been asking "WHY DIDN'T HE JUST USE HIS TASER?".
I am too old to correct spell helpers.
Please don’t tell me you are justifying the cops actions?
A photo of the “Officer” might clarify things.
See post # 16.
I am not one of those people who either CONDEMN ALL COPS, or DEFEND ALL COPS.
I look at each incident separately. There was only ONE cop involved in this until near the end.
Do you deny that the old man was resisting arrest, and that in the struggle he knocked himself and the cop to the ground ?
Is it just because of the man's age that you think the use of a taser is somehow 'illegal' ?
Isn't a taser exactly what the officer is supposed to use if he can't get a suspect under control ?
Is it your assumption that older men are all physically weak?
Or was obese, had severe diabetes, sleep apnea, Heart disease, and severe asthma.
OH , wait. Maybe he should have used the choke hold on the old man instead of a taser.
Arrest for what? For trying to explain to the asshole cop what the facts were? does that merit arrest for something? Personally I thought the old man was pretty calm through the whole ordeal.
Sorry, I forgot to add this.
What 'actions' in particular are you referring to
Just the tasering? Everyone acts as if this happened in a vacuum and that the officer had no reason to use a taser. I watched the video and I see someone resisting arrest. Did you watch the video ?
And what exactly are those facts?
The cop needs a new line of work. He was the provoking individual. A polite stop and discourse (though firm) should be expected toward all citizens unless the citizen becomes violent.
Under 'arrest' only means that you are placed in handcuffs while the officer does further investigation. It doesn't mean there are any charges yet.
Why did the cop escalate it to that point? There was no justification for it.
Well... we don't know, do we ?
Perhaps the man was lying. Maybe that's why he resisted arrest.
If it turns out that the officer was too inexperienced (or ignorant) and the dealer's tag was valid and legal, then I agree with you and others on this thread that the cop has a problem.
However, we have only heard one side of the story. I can't hear what the man is saying to the officer, nor what the officer is saying to the man, before the struggle begins. This article only contains the WORDS of the Old man, and for all we know he may be lying.
Were these dealer plates ? How long has he been using them? Was he using them illegitimately ?
It would be nice to hear the other side of the story, and more details about Mr. Vasquez, before blanketly assuming the officer had no justification for wanting to place the man in handcuffs.
According to... Mr. Vasquez.
Could you hear what Mr. Vasquez was saying to the cop ?
Calm would normally mean not resisting arrest. If what Mr. Vazquez says is true and everything was legal, and the cop pressed charges for illegal tags, Mr. Vazquez could have sued him. Or at least had the ticket thrown out. That is the legal, calm way to proceed, not fighting with the cop until he tazes you.
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