dmiessler.com | grep understanding - Latest Comments in “Don’t Taze Me, Bro!”

Re: “Don’t Taze Me, Bro!”

Rob — Fri, 21 Sep 2007 14:16:33 -0000

Anybody that's ever run around on the streets a little knows for a fact that "the cops make the rules". We don't have to like it. Nevertheless, unless we're up for a beating, or worse, we need to come to terms with it. It's unfortunate that some have to learn this the hard way.

Re: “Don’t Taze Me, Bro!”

Adam — Fri, 21 Sep 2007 11:45:16 -0000

My current setup has no sound, so I can only watch the visual of the video. If you disregard what he is saying (or can't hear it) it really becomes obvious that he was ejected for causing a public nuisance. While the tasing might actually have been justified (hard to see from the angle of the video) it probably was not required. THis guy went in to make a scene, and when the police did their job in removing him, he got violent. It was then he gave up the protection of the "Right to gather peaceably."

Re: “Don’t Taze Me, Bro!”

Dr X — Fri, 21 Sep 2007 11:26:31 -0000

"He was asking questions, maybe uncomfortable ones and off topic, but he asking them. In my eyes they clearly over stepped there bounds and should have handled it with far more tact."

I'm the first to criticize the police for heavy-handed or abusive behavior, but this student did not get tazed for asking questions or going off topic. He got tazed for resisting the police who were trying to get eject him from the building.

The student willfully disrupted a public event by deciding to superimpose his own format and rules, defiantly declaring that he would not yield because "he [Kerry] had two hours." Never mind that there is nothing wrong with inviting Kerry to speak for two hours and limiting questions to one minute per audience member, the fact is that the student was ordered to leave because he decided that he was in charge and damn the rules and consideration for the rights of others. Did he think that everyone there that day would get to do their own two-hour attention-seeking performance piece?

The police responded to a request to remove him and he was tazed because he was resisting. He did not have the right to physically resist a lawful order to leave the premises.

And, apparently, the tazing worked because the student stopped resisting after they tazed him, bro.

Re: “Don’t Taze Me, Bro!”

lars — Fri, 21 Sep 2007 05:27:07 -0000

6 officers aren't able to arrest some unarmed, slightly struggling guy. Geez! What amateurs! If they don't get fired for excessive force they should be fired for incompetence.

I don't think they had to start to arrest him in the first place. His questions might have been impolite and out of line, but there was a senator on the stage who should be able to fight those off within the flick of an eye. Force against verbal questions, although unwanted, is not what any decent police in a democracy should use.

Very bad image this is sending into the world now.

Re: “Don’t Taze Me, Bro!”

Zhasper — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 23:12:58 -0000

My thoughts are over yonder *points to link*

Re: “Don’t Taze Me, Bro!”

Jason Holmes — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 21:25:20 -0000

It's called resisting arrest. Once a cop says you're done, you're done. You're not going to convince him otherwise.

On the other hand, he didn't really have a reason to be done. Great for him to stand-up for his right at first, but he should have realized he crossed the line.

Re: “Don’t Taze Me, Bro!”

kuza55 — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 19:11:47 -0000

Its not that I disagree with his tazering, he was resisting arrest, I disagree with the police's right to arrest him in the first place. And as such, just as resisting arrest would count against the victim, the escalation of force should count against the police if they are ever brought to account.

How exactly was he out of line? Asking uncomfortable questions? Not shutting up because the police want you to? If that's your definition of out of line, well, its only a few steps from there to thought crime.

Doesn't the US have constitutionally protected Free Speech? To me this would seem simply illegal. But IANAL, so maybe I'm wrong. If it is illegal, I would really like to see heads roll over this, and any similar incidents to illustrate to law enforcement the seriousness of this issue, if its not, I think there needs to be a revision in the laws.....

Re: “Don’t Taze Me, Bro!”

Jonathan S. — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 17:50:03 -0000

Hrm, I was torn on this as well. However, ask yourself, what if when the police officers were escorting him out of the building if he had just gone peacefully. He never would've been tazed. However, he CONTINUED to resist arrest. He was warned verbally numerous times to stop resisting and at one point he was warned verbally multiple times he would be "tazed" if he didn't comply.

If you disagree with the police officer's escalation of force that was displayed, then attack the PD's policies and procedures. However, when a person is warned THAT many times to quit resisting, he's going to get what's coming to him.

If the time ever comes that I'm in that situation where officers are attempting to detain or have their hands on me, you can be dang sure I won't be fighting. If they are in the wrong when they detain me and I've been very compliant, my case will look that much better in court when I go to sue. :)

Bottom line, I say he got what was coming to him.

Re: “Don’t Taze Me, Bro!”

Brian Amerige — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 16:31:46 -0000

An obnoxious fellow, but that doesn't mean his rights are void.

Albeit a bit of jackassery, there is nothing technically wrong with asking those questions.

Re: “Don’t Taze Me, Bro!”

Ken — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 16:10:58 -0000

The guys is an idiot, but there is no law against that. He was asking questions, maybe uncomfortable ones and off topic, but he asking them. In my eyes they clearly over stepped there bounds and should have handled it with far more tact.