Police are going too far!!

**moosmom** · 11-26-2007, 06:57 PM

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** · 11-26-2007, 07:21 PM

Originally Posted by 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 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** · 11-26-2007, 07:35 PM

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** · 11-26-2007, 07:42 PM

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.

**Catty1** · 11-26-2007, 07:59 PM

This is quite a hot topic in Canada right now. It seems a Taser cannot knwo ahead of time of a pre-existing medical condition, or of the amount and type of a drug in someone's body.

I've posted the following for information only.

http://www.nationalpost.com/news/sto...c-9e531dab20e8

Taser related deaths in Canada

CanWest News Service Published: Thursday, November 22, 2007

Amnesty International says 17 people have died in Canada since 2001 after stun-guns were used by police. Besides the death Thursday of Howard Hyde, 45, in Dartmouth, N.S., the case of Claudio Castagnetta, 32, is also being reviewed. Castagnetta died in Quebec on Sept. 20 two days after being hit with a Taser.

2007

(NB: Recent death in Nova Scotia, not listed here, within 2 weeks ago)

Robert Dziekanski, 40, in the Vancouver Airport in October.

Quilem Registre, 39, in Montreal after being stopped by police on suspicion of drunk driving, also in October.

2006

Jason Dean, 28 in Red Deer while running from police in August.

2005

Alesandro Fiacco, 33 in Edmonton, arrested while wandering into traffic in December.

James Foldi, 39, of Beamsville, Ont. while being arrested for breaking and entering in July.

Paul Sheldon Saulnier, 42, while being restrained by police in Digby N.S. in July.

Gurmeet Sandhu, 41, of Surrey B.C., while being restrained during a domestic dispute in June.

Kevin Geldart, 34, in Moncton, N.B. in May during an altercation with police in a bar.

2004

Samuel Truscott, 43, of Kingston, Ont. was tasered by police during arrest. His death was ruled a drug overdose.

Jerry Knight, 29, a semi-pro boxer was tasered by police at a Mississauga motel in July after complaints he had become violent.

Robert Bagnell, 54, while in custody of the Vancouver police in June. He had cocaine in his system.

Peter Lamonday, 33, while being restrained by police in London, Ont. in May.

Roman Andreichikov, 25, high on cocaine and being restrained by Vancouver police also in May.

Perry Ronald, 28, while being restrained by Edmonton police after jumping from a window in March.

2003

Clark Whitehouse, 34, tried to flee the Whitehorse RCMP after being stopped in traffic in September.

Clayton Alvin Willey, 33, of Prince George was also high on cocaine when tasered by police while trespassing in July.

Terry Hanna, 51, was tasered by Burnaby RCMP in April during a break and enter. Cocaine was also involved.

Compiled by Kirsten Smith

**Lady's Human** · 11-26-2007, 08:04 PM

Tasers give police a far less lethal option than a firearm to deal with situations. Frankly, in many incidents (many, not all) where a taser is used, the other option would have been a gun or a baton.

**Vela** · 11-26-2007, 08:10 PM

Well about those peopel who died from tasers....perhaps they should not have been breaking the law? They were trying to harm others in MANY of those cases and a taser is better than shooting someone who is either running or resisting arrest or refusing to comply with what is asked. It is THEIR fault they are tasered. They made the choice to break the law. I'm afraid that is all in their hands. The police have every right to use a taser if someone refuses to comply to reasonable demands, and if they are breaking the law, being put under arrest is a reasonable demand. They also chose to take the drugs they were on at the time of their deaths. Unfortuantely that is the way of it, but it's a hell of a lot better than being shot!

**Pam** · 11-26-2007, 10:17 PM

Originally Posted by moosmom

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.