Posted on 05/10/2005 1:51:41 AM PDT by Stoat
Sorry, but she did no such thing. All she did was refuse to sign the ticket--note the section where she wasn't REFUSING the ticke---just refusing to sign it. All the rest was on the cops heads--showing HUGE bad judement by both the officer and his supervisor. I hope she sues the hell out of them and that she gets a huge settlement.
The cop was dumb for arresting her? If tasering her was part of the departments policy and procedure and they chose to skip that and force her to release the steering wheel by other means of force such as pain compliance or impact weapons, they would truly have opened themselves up for a whopping civil suit. Deviating from policy in use of force situations is a fast track to the courthouse. Of course people can sue over anything, but it is more legally defensible if the officers act according to established departmental policy.
As far as physically forcing her to release her grip on the steering wheel, it is nearly impossible to make someone do that without injuring them. Try it sometime. If an adult doesn't want to let go of a steering wheel, it often takes amounts of force that lead to sprains, broken bones, nerve damage etc.... Tasers and pepper spray are a step down from impact weapons on the force continuum.
Sounds like mom shouldn't have endangered her baby by being such an obstinate ass. The courts are there for a reason other than filing civil actions....
I don't disagree that the woman should have signed the ticket and gone her merry way, but to be tasered for a non violent act to an eight month pregnant woman - my guess is the officer wanted to see what it looked like to taser a pregnant woman (the officer was really, really stupid, and should be dismissed from the force).
Yes the cop was dumb, dumb for tasering a pregnant woman.
Robberies, rapes, bank robberies, muggings, white collar theft, drug proliferation,on and on and this little man of a cop feels threatened enough to shoot an 8 month preggers female with a taser?
Ever wonder why cops sometime get a bad reputation.
Perhaps she should have watched THIS before she got in her car...
http://www.ifilm.com/ifilmdetail/2458063?htv=12
(Chris Rock on "How not to get your ass kicked by the Police")
ROTFL!!! Hey you're right hehehe.
I've never had a moving violation, but fail to understand why you have to sign the ticket. You either take it and pay the fine or go to court and contest it. What difference does it make if you sign it when it is issued? If you ignore it, they will issue a bench warrant so they are protected.
That said, I noticed that after they used the taser, 2 policemen forced her out of the car (one pushing), got her on the ground and handcuffed her.
I would never advocate breaking the law, but this sure seems like overkill in this situation.
I think they should have just let her go. Sounds to me like a case of overbearing authority, which people need to resist, or risk the second coming of fascism, or worse, another Jonestown incident.
"I've never had a moving violation, but fail to understand why you have to sign the ticket"
A traffic stop is a non-custodial arrest. The Police officer has the otion of issuing a citaion or taking the violator forthwith to a magistrate. The Citation is the default option.
The violators signature is a promise to appear, and acts as a bond. If the violator refuses to sign, they are stating they want to see a judge NOW. Depending on the state, the officer is required by law to take the violator to the judge "Without Delay"
I hope that explains some things on this.
The above being said, I won't second guess the officer on scene, because I wasn't there and the media couldn't report a nursery rhyme properly. I will say I would have looked for other options given what I've read
Please forgive my typos
"Option"
"Citation"
Somebody sent me that link after the guy got tasered in DC because he was pissed that his street was blocked off for the VP's motorcade...I laughed my butt off. It IS comedy, but...there is a grain of truth there!
I admit it, I am usually of the police butt-kissing club. Unless I really feel egregiously wronged. And even then, I don't want to make a scene anymore. Those days are wrong.
As to the poster above who was worried about facism or Jonestown, well, I think that is a bit melodramatic. When the first cave tribe gave a club to one members to enforce discipline, he usually ended up hitting someone over the head inappropriately. Not to say one shouldn't eye their government institutions suspiciously, but I don't think this is one of those cases. Stupidity, but not institutional.
Thank you. I never realized that.
Additionally, this is the Seattle Post-Intelligencer...the editors at the paper probably see no irony in their moniker, but many of us at FR who have followed the type of reporting coming from this paper don't miss it!
Me either. Anyone able to explain the rationale behind that? Why compell you to sign something if they don't give you a line to say you dispute it?
Please see Post 30
Oops - should have read on down.
Happy to help
Well, unless one really read it, of course.
I wonder if she named the baby Tasaresszziaaticksabazza
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