Posted on 11/21/2007 11:58:07 AM PST by Sopater
An internal police investigation is under way after a formal complaint was filed against a Utah state trooper who was videotaped Tasering a man who refused to sign a speeding ticket.
The officer's conduct has been called into question after a videotape of the incident was posted on YouTube.
The video, taken from a Utah Highway Patrol dashboard camera, shows Trooper John Gardner using a Taser on Jared Massey during a traffic stop on State Road 40 in Uintah County on Sept. 14.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
This driver didn't sign so I guess he can be arrested. But we all know officers can create a situation in which you're in a corner and you will be arrested if you don't shut up or toe the line. In my opinion the officer acted too abruptly and helped the situation along that led to the taser and the arrest. The driver was too determined and didn't realize the officer drew a short line.
the man who was tasered deserves compensation
I’m willing to bet that this jerk has a record of some sort. This obviously is not the first time he has dealt with officers of the law.
But the officer did use lethal force ~ a taser can kill. Happens all the time. We have a regular cottage industry here at Free Republic where we examine taser deaths insideout.
He didn’t shoot anybody.
He used a TASER.
Do some research.
Get tasered, peppered and clubbed and then come back to me with your preference. I, unfortunately, have had all three (the taser was a demonstration, though).
I will bet your Aunt Fanny that you’ll pick the taser every time.
Better yet, let somebody defy your legitemate authority, act irrational and then give them a chance to move toward their car or pockets.
no, to the officer. he is the professional and is supposed to handle the situyation. remember? its not a “contest” between equals.
the guy never said he wouldnt sign, watch the video. he said he wouldnt sign until the officer explained it and he wanted to tell his side. that would have beeb easier for all concerned in retrospect, dontcha think?
I don't know myself, I'm just taking the word of Ramius that the law doesn't require an announcement of arrest before using force to compel compliance with an order to submit.
I'd prefer that the officer must announce arrest first, to help keep distinct the difference between the law and an officer's ego. But the law may side with the officer in this case.
In most states refusing to sign a ticket will result in arrest. Signing it is not usually an admission of guilt - it may still be contested in court. Tasers should not be used as a form of torture-compliance, however.
140 deaths out of 40,000 applications (per the guy on Fox News).
I’ll take those odds against any other device the officer has on his belt.
A taser is not a “lethal” device because it isn’t designed as such and the statistics support that.
The idiot that got tasered should have gotten the snot knocked outta him.
For Example?
I just watched the video. My view is:
1. the VERY VERY LOW IQ cop did not realize he never said the word ARREST to the guy before tasing him.
2. I doubt tasing a nonthreaten person by the side of the road where he might fall into a busy highway is going to enhance the VERY VERY LOW IQ cop’s career progress.
3. Personally, I think at a minimum the cop should be charged with felony witness tampering for the way he tried to alter the woman’s perception of the event. Even at his VERY VERY LOW IQ he certainly knew that taking a respectable looking person into custody on a traffic stop was very likely lead to a complaint or even charges being lodged against him. He chose to try to tamper with the one eyewitness to the event. And by this I just mean talking to her. He similarly ordered the unarmed citizen back into the SUV so any criminal actions on his part could not be observed.
A simple if you don’t sign this then I a required to arrest you probably would have defused avoided the entire situation. But alas police work attracts control freaks.
Not signing a traffic ticket is not a good enough reason to taser someone. Handcuffing would do nicely, unless the guy put up a fight.
I would actually like to see tasers done away with in LE because they are taken for granted by officers and used way to often and cause far too many deaths.
It would have gone better for the guy if he’d just decided to get all belligerent. He did refuse to sign... and that means he gets to go for a ride in a police car.
The driver created the situation, and escalated it, and the cop *did* respond and control the situation. This guy could’ve just gone merrily about his business, but instead he decided to get into the cops face. Big mistake. Didn’t need to happen. He got what he deserved.
The video on the You Tube site is being monitored for comments. It will not allow comments that are in support of the cop or makes comments about the stupidity of the person arrested. Your comments must fit the outrage template against the cop or they block your post. I have seen this on You Tube many times. The guy who got arrested won’t last long in the gene pool of life with his dumbass attitude. Cop says stop, you stop. If I was on the jury, I would not be real impressed with everything the cop did, but watching the other guy would bring a comment of “What a moron” out of me.
Sorry, I consider a taser to be lethal force.
114 people dead this year alone due to being tasered by a cop.
The threat of a taser means you are possibly going to get killed.
[not] decided to get all... dang it.
That cop was totally out of control.
Sorry, I’m with the cop on this one.
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