YouTube Video Shows Man Tasered After Refusing to Sign Ticket

Fox News ^ | November 21, 2007 | Sara Bonisteel

[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.

[cowboyway]

Did the woman fear tazering if she refused?

That's absurd.

guy was pulling over someone in a 40 MPH zone....

Are you suggesting that it's not possible to exceed the speed limit in a 40 MPH zone? I'm beginning to think that you have a tenuous grip on reality.

he needs to show respect and proper discretion with ordinary citizens.

And citizens should respect law officers, also. This punk was out of control and brought the tazing on himself.

You still refuse to answer my question. Let's try one more time:

What do you think the trooper should have done when the perp turned his back on him, ignored his command to halt, and began walking back to his car?

Come on.....answer it.........you can do it.......

[ArmstedFragg]

40302 of the California Vehicle Code enumerates the circumstances under which an officer is required to arrest an individual and take him/her into custody. It says nothing about a right to refuse to sign a citation. In fact, quite the opposite, it states that an arrest is required when the individual is unlicensed, refuses to sign a citation, or insists on being arrested.

40302 (c) of the California Vehicle Code covers those circumstances where an individual demands to be arrested and taken before a magistrate. I saw no evidence of such a demand being made in this case.

[USMCVet]

So when did all cops become absolutely right in everything they do - and all of the rest of us became "perps"?

Being a police officer can be the highest of our callings but it also attracts the dimwitted sadistic thug, too and this guy is well within that category.

My favorite part is where he brags about making this kid "ride the Taser" and says "It hurts, doesn't it?"

The offense was maybe going faster than the suddenly modified speed limit, i.e., speed trap - and nicely asking for answers when the cop stops him and his family. It's not like our cop is out solving armed robberies or murders or working the tough inner city beat. He's just a twit with a nicely fitted uniform, a fast car and way too much of himself - and the ability to torture anybody he feels like.

[ArmstedFragg]

Bottom line seems to be, ‘what would you have done when the guy turned and walked away from you?’ Seems like the options were to let him walk away and get back in a vehicle that may have had a weapon in it, put an arm on him and get involved in a fight, or zap him. I keep thinking about the ‘don’t taze me, bro’ guy who was talking a mile a minute, and the moment someone touched him started throwing wild punches. I think you’re arguing with a bunch of people who’ve never seen how quickly an incident like this goes south.

[ArmstedFragg]

nicely asking for answers when the cop stops him and his family

He could have nicely asked for answers while holding the citation book and the pen and reading the section above the signature line that says 'your signature is NOT an admission of guilt'. At the point he said, "I'm not going to sign this", the nice coversation was concluded.

[USMCVet]

Yup, you're right - all respect for a fellow citizen stops when they're accused of going faster than 40 and you actually imagine you're the same kind of American citixen the cop is. What a fool!

I'm surprised the cop didn't just shoot him. He's got the badge and that's all he needs, right? The guy failed to fall all over himself the way he should have...I'm sure he's just lucky that he was only Tased.

[phil1750]

In my state, signature is not required. The officer just makes a note that the driver refused to sign (signature only acknowledges receipt of ticket and promise to appear).

Obviously, I have no respect for 99% of law inforcement.

[PLMerite]

“The next time that you get mugged, car-jacked, or run into by some jerk running a stop sign, feel free to call...”

Yeah, when you’re the victim of a crime that might have been prevented if the cops weren’t all running speed traps.

This reminds me why I don’t give to cop charities any more.

[ArmstedFragg]

There’s a statement from the UHP today to the effect that Utah law is in the alternative. The officer can either write ‘refused to sign’ on the ticket, or take the guy into custody, his choice.

[cowboyway]

So when did all cops become absolutely right in everything they do - and all of the rest of us became "perps"?

That mouthy little punk became a 'perp' when the trooper placed him under arrest. It's nuance......you might not get it.

My favorite part is where he brags about making this kid "ride the Taser" and says "It hurts, doesn't it?"

Answer the question that tioga refuses to answer: What do you think the trooper should have done when the perp turned his back on him, after the trooper told him that he was under arrest, ignored his command to halt, and began walking back to his car?

The offense was maybe going faster than the suddenly modified speed limit

It's the responsibility of every driver to be aware of and obey all road signage and to be aware of changing road conditions. This is not a third world country. We live in a rule based society here in the USA.

It's not like our cop is out solving armed robberies or murders or working the tough inner city beat. He's just a twit with a nicely fitted uniform,

That's a very interesting observation. My 'twit' deputy sheriff friend (female) pulled over a nice young man and his pregnant wife one night because of a driving violation. This nice young citizen became erratic and verbally abusive (just like our little perp friend in the video) and when my 'twit' friend tried to cuff him, he began fighting. In a matter of a second or two the nice citizen escaped my 'twit' friends grasp and ran. She pulled her weapon, a Glock 40, and requested the citizen to halt but he made it to cover and kept running. She didn't fire. A canine unit was in the area and responded to her radio call. The dog found the citizen and the citizen tried to fight the dog. Not a very smart idea on the citizens part. The dog won and the citizen was arrested (he was actually screaming for help). The car was searched and my 'twit' friend found weapons and meth. Citizen's nice pregnant wife was arrested, also.

How do I know this? I was riding with her that night. I rode with her the next night also when we went to the county lockup and served both he and his pregnant wife with multiple counts. BTW, that dog really tore his ass up. He could barely walk. And both me and my 'twit' friend laughed about it when we got back outside.

Oh, almost forgot! My 'twit' friend didn't solve an armed robbery or murder that night. And we live in a small county in the hills; not exactly a 'tough' inner city beat. But she did get a meth head and supplier off the streets.

[longtermmemmory]

the ticket generally contains a statement the signature is nothing more than acknowledging reciept of the document and does not waive any rights nor does it constitute an admission.

[RobRoy]

I just saw the video. The cop told him to put his hands behind his back and instead the guy started walking back to his car, even with the cop pointing the taser at him.

The guy deserved to get tasered. And as I watched the rest of the video I was more than convinced.

Note to self: When a cop tells me to turn around, turn around. Especially if he is pointing a weapon at me.

Tasers finally give cops the ability to handle belligerent people without chokeholds, etc.

It is like a phaser set to stun. Cop tells person to turn around, person doesn’t, cop stuns him and cuffs him. Problem solved.

The ticket is completely irrelevent. The guy is an idiot. You don’t have to sign a ticket but you will be taken to jail if you don’t. I always sign them and then deal with them in court - if I am innocent of the ticket.

It is not deadly force and it

[RobRoy]

>>Should they tell me that before or after they taser me?<<

Yes. Unless they are asking you to turn around and put your hands behind your back and you are ignoring them and going to your car instead.

[Just another Joe]

I make no excuses at all.
The situation was that the young man wanted to dispute the ticket, refused to sign the ticket (NOT an admission of guilt and most people know that), got mouthy, refused to obey lawful orders of the LEO, and created the situation himself.

Once the officer is involved the young man's wife got out of the vehicle and started to come to the back. Once again, the officer, IMO, controlled the situation with the least amount of force possible, telling her to get back in the car.

Once again, the young man created the situation, the officer, IMO, had cause, and both parties (all three if you include the wife) could have handled the situation much differently and had a different outcome.

Does that mean that the officer's actions are not subject to review? No.

Does that mean the officer was automatically in the wrong? No.

[Wallace T.]

Too often police officers have become too reliant on gadgets like tasers. They may be necessary at times, but officers need to rely on their own physical strength more frequently. There have been a few instances of smaller male officers and women officers being overpowered when the taser or pepper spray did not do the job. This is a problem that stems from equal opportunity employment practices.

[BigCinBigD]

Meow.

[BibChr]

<< But she did get a meth head and supplier off the streets.>>

You’re assuming that you’re not addressing a libertarian.

(c;

[moehoward]

"The officer simply asks the guy to “hop out of the car”. That’s it. Driver has no idea that he is about to be arrested. He just thinks that they are going to go talk about the speed sign.

Then the officer pulls his weapon out and points it at him, out of nowhere!"

Absolutely correct. The cop did everything wrong from that point on. Turns his back on someone he is about to take into custody!!LOL!!Then dropping the guy into a highway traffic lane!! Doubt that's SOP!!

IMHO, the cop had reached the end of his rope with the uncooperative driver and lost it. Thing is, this guy while being confrontational, did not really give the cop all that hard a time.

[cowboyway]

You’re assuming that you’re not addressing a libertarian

I'm not assuming anything. I detest libertarians. They're just a couple of letters away from being liberals, whom I really detest.

Libertarians are mostly just a bunch of old pot heads and fence sitters and I detest both of those groups.

(strong post follows......)

[RobRoy]

>>Too often police officers have become too reliant on gadgets like tasers. They may be necessary at times, but officers need to rely on their own physical strength more frequently.<<

I disagree. I am no lover of cops. In fact, quite the opposite. For the most part I consider them brown shirts.

That all being said, I think they need to qwell things as soon as possible. If I were a cop and I asked someone to turn around to be cuffed, I would not mess around. It is black and white for me.

Do what the cop sez or get put down, NOW! And the taser allows them to do just that. No choke holds, no videos of cops beating people. The cop sez turn around, the guy doesn’t, the guy is squirming on the ground. Problem solved.