Police are going too far!!

[Laura's Babies]

That driver reminded me of thos kids who argued with Mama everytime she said "No!"..

I think the policeman was right to do what he did. When will those idiots learn to do as the policemen say and it will all be over with and the be on their way in a minute! I noticed that policeman was out there all by himself and he had to do what he had to do to keep himself safe( at first). That whole ordeal was drawn out far to long because of that idiot driver and how he acted.

You argue your case in COURT, not on the highway!

[Pam]

Well I guess only Caseysmom viewed it as I did. Don't get me wrong. I respect police officers. Just recently in Philadelphia a cop was blown away as he walked into a Dunkin' Donuts. He didn't have a chance and was just gunned down almost execution style. It was heartbreaking to watch this unfold on the TV. This particular cop seemed to me to be on a power trip. He lied to the second police officer when he told him that he warned the guy that he was going to tazer him. I heard no such warning and it certainly didn't appear to me that he was attempting to flee. Sometimes I worry that the wrong type of people are attracted to an occupation which gives them too much power. I am not speaking of police as a whole but there are some out there.

[K9soul]

I just see it differently I guess, having heard so many stories from having a cop "in the family" and having watched a lot of those live police video type shows. I have seen a person casually walking to their car seeming nice and apologetic only to whip out a gun and start shooting, or hop in and put pedal to the metal. The guy refused to sign his ticket which is grounds for arrest. So the cop was putting him under arrest and the guy repeatedly ignored the cop's instructions to put his hands on the car, kept walking away, even after the cop was YELLING at him to get back and put his hands on the car. That is resisting arrest. If he had whipped out a gun and shot the guy, I'd agree he went too far. But he only tased him, which I think he was fully within his rights to do in that case.

That's how I see it in this particular case anyway.

[moosmom]

I saw the whole thing on the news tonight. All the cop had to do when the guy refused to sign the ticket was to write on it "refused to sign" and send the guy on his way. I think excessive force was used and I also think emotions and egos of BOTH men, contributed to the whole incident.

They couldn't taser the wife because she was 6 months pregnant.

[K9soul]

I saw the whole thing on the news tonight. All the cop had to do when the guy refused to sign the ticket was to write on it "refused to sign" and send the guy on his way.

I was done commenting on this thread but this part I have heard conflicting information on when I was trying to find out more about this. I don't know how accurate it is but I found a quote by a cop re: this issue that said

"If I write you a ticket and you refuse to sign it I will take you to jail.
It really is that simple. When you sign a ticket ALL you are agreeing to is
pay the fine or show up at the appointed time and place for court as
explained on the ticket.

Directly and simply put if you refuse to sign the ticket I will (and every
cop I work with and know) take you to jail."


What aggravates me about it is all the headlines and rumors floating around say the man was tasered for not signing the ticket. But that's inaccurate. He was being ARRESTED for not signing the ticket. He was tasered because he was resisting arrest, i.e. walking away from the cop when told to put his hands on the car, etc. When I watched the video, all I could think was disbelief that this man would just ignore and walk away from a cop who is yelling at him to stop.

If a signature truly is not required, I think he could have just done as mentioned and put refused to sign. Once he was arresting the guy and the guy was given instructions, it was just absolute stupidity to ignore him and walk away, it was just asking to be tasered.

[Lady's Human]

You have a choice......sign the ticket or be placed under arrest.

http://law.freeadvice.com/general_pr...use_ticker.htm

With the number of police officers killed on duty in traffic stops, I see no problem with what the officer did. The man was resisting arrest by not following instructions, and the officer used minimal force to get the individual to comply.

[moosmom]

it was just absolute stupidity to ignore him and walk away, it was just asking to be tasered.

THAT was resisting arrest. I think the tasering laws need to be clarified, as SOME police officers can get a little "trigger happy" with them.

[Pam]

All the cop had to do when the guy refused to sign the ticket was to write on it "refused to sign" and send the guy on his way.

Well I got my first ticket ever, after decades of driving, a little over a year ago. It was for speeding. The cop took my cards and went off to his car and came back with a written up ticket and handed it to me. I was not asked to sign anything. I guess the laws vary from state to state.

I am not saying that the guy driving the car was a model citizen but I didn't feel that he presented any kind of threat to the officer. I particularly didn't like the arresting officer lying to the other officer about giving the man a warning that he would be tasered.