Posted on 11/17/2006 12:03:43 AM PST by BurbankKarl
The UCLA student stunned with a Taser by a campus police officer has hired a high-profile civil rights lawyer who plans to file a brutality lawsuit.
The videotaped incident, which occurred after the student refused requests to show his ID card to campus officers, triggered widespread debate on and off campus Thursday about whether use of the Taser was warranted. It was the third in a recent series of local incidents captured on video that raise questions about arrest tactics.
Attorney Stephen Yagman said he plans to file a federal civil rights lawsuit accusing the UCLA police of "brutal excessive force," as well as false arrest. The lawyer also provided the first public account of the Tuesday night incident at UCLA's Powell Library from the student, Mostafa Tabatabainejad, a 23-year-old senior.
He said that Tabatabainejad, when asked for his ID after 11 p.m. Tuesday, declined because he thought he was being singled out because of his Middle Eastern appearance. Yagman said Tabatabainejad is of Iranian descent but is a U.S.-born resident of Los Angeles.
The lawyer said Tabatabainejad eventually decided to leave the library but when an officer refused the student's request to take his hand off him, the student fell limp to the floor, again to avoid participating in what he considered a case of racial profiling. After police started firing the Taser, Tabatabainejad tried to "get the beating, the use of brutal force, to stop by shouting and causing people to watch. Generally, police don't want to do their dirties in front of a lot of witnesses."
He said Tabatabainejad was hit by the Taser five times and suffered "moderate to severe contusions" on his right side.
UCLA officials declined to respond directly to Yagman's statements, saying they still were conducting their internal investigation of the incident.
(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...
OH Please... The uni cops are are bunch of morons... I know I have had several runs ins with them... jerks
I suggest cops get busy with real and known CAREER CRIMINALS and leave snotty nosed college kids alone. Do you see or don't you want to see? Could it be that there is too much money for the state in organized crime to end it? Follow the money. Question authority. Checks and balances.
The only thing that screaming sissy deserves is a diaper.
In all things, excessive legalism is dangerous.
I see what you are saying but one thing most people don't realize is that we are at war, and during war people's civil rights get stomped upon. The trick is that we get these rights back, after the war is over.
That said, I remember someone making a great point about how the police, judges, civil servants, etc. are supposed to serve us, the people. We shouldn't be scared of them! But we are! How screwed up is that?
I just hope things get better for my family, personally speaking, when we finally move to a smaller town, where everyone knows everyone.
"Question authority"? Just another silly leftist slogan to those who are too stupid to distinguish between authority and tyranny.
The University has a reasonable ID policy to deal with valid safety concerns for late night library use. The students have a duty to know and obey the rules. In fact they signed a legal contract agreeing to do so when they enrolled.
""Question authority"? Just another silly leftist slogan to those who are too stupid to distinguish between authority and tyranny.
The University has a reasonable ID policy to deal with valid safety concerns for late night library use. The students have a duty to know and obey the rules. In fact they signed a legal contract agreeing to do so when they enrolled. "
EXCELLENT EXAMPLE OF BENDING TOWARD EXCESSIVE LEGALISM.
You keep addressing the behavior of the police. I would ask you to take them out of the equation hypothetically.
Tell me what you think of the behavior of the youth. When asked to show ID, which he refused to do, when asked to leave which he refused to do...was his behavior and language appropriate?
That a citizen feels so entitled that he does not have to comply with the rules or laws and we obfuscate what is really going on here by focusing on the police...it boggles my mind. This kid is seriously in need of counselling. His oppositional defiance is as much out of line as any aspect of the police response. I think even more so. The kid is responsible for his behavior. There needs to be consequences for his actions. He should be barred from the library for the academic year. He can go to the city library. Odds are, only the police will be condemned and pilloried, while the kid will be made a hero. Pretty sad.
The Boston Police didnt fire gas bombs into any bleachers. You must be a lefty
Seriously I think the UC system should force students to binding arbitration, to prevent torts via trials.
You really are an idiot. They have had rapes, assaults and tons of theft of laptops and other electronics in the library. They have a crime problem in LA and this is a reasonable way to stop outsiders from preying on students studying at night. They lock the doors and everyone is ID checked.
Your emotional and insulting post clearly makes you appear to be the idiot.
Racial profiling? Since when is insipid assh*** a race?
You don't pay attention to warnings, do you?
Take seven days off. Next use of force will be lethal.
Kathleen O'Toole was not at the game, was not in the stands...your post is wrong.
You should correct it while you are ahead.
Victoria Snelgrove was not at the game, and not in the stands.
See 176. You're going to have to wait for an answer. :)
Well, I agree it was bad that girl died...but she made a poor choice of leaving her college to go party down at the stadium. Generally speaking, you dont want to be in the middle of any mob like situation. His post made it seem like the police were shooting pepper balls at the crowd inside the stadium.
As for library boy, yelling out "martyr" and other terms like that with a backpack on is sheer lunacy.
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