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Do you deny that the old man was resisting arrest, and that in the struggle he knocked himself and the cop to the ground ? Why was he under arrest? Why did the cop escalate it to that point? There was no justification for it.

Is it just because of the man's age that you think the use of a taser is somehow 'illegal' ? The taser was just a continuation of the cop's loss of self-control escalating.

Isn't a taser exactly what the officer is supposed to use if he can't get a suspect under control ? Yes. I contend that there was no reason that the cop pushed this harmless situation to a boiling point.

Is it your assumption that older men are all physically weak? I'm 63 and at the top of my form, so no. And this fellow appeared to be muscular, so the presumption would be he could handle himself in a physically close confrontation.

I am a retired high school teacher, and some parallels obtain with policework, setting aside that teachers (at least in non-ghetto schools) seldom witness regular violence as the police do. With the mindset of defusing every situation, and doing everything possible to prevent a flashpoint, nearly all ugly confrontations can be avoided. It has to do with the mindset.

Why was he under arrest?

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.