Police are going too far!!

[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.

[Catty1]

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]

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]

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]

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.

[Edwina's Secretary]

Gosh LH...I must be rubbing off on you...or are you rubbing off on me? I watched the video and not only does the guy argue and refuse to follow the direction of the police officer, but he reaches for his pocket....and did anyone notice the backup lights on the back of the SUV? Didn't they come on a couple of times? Which would indicate the transmission was shifted to reverse? Or maybe just the light.

A police officer...solo on what looks to be a rather remote stretch of road, a guy who will not cooperate, a guy who argues, a guy who refuses to follow direction, a guy who reaches for his pocket (and a cop who KNOWS his every move is being recorded and will be used against him if he makes a mistake)...what is he suppose to do?

And just to convince you that I may have crossed over (not really )...just how many languages is a police officer -- or a police department for that matter...suppose to know??? "Quick...there is a person acting irrational and apparently threatening to cause harm and tearing things up...he only speaks Abuscludian...get the translator over here right away!"

Even I know...if a police officer stops you for speeding....you can cry...you can plead...but you always...always are... polite and you never, ever argue.

p.s. Pam...as for not being a threat...do you know what was in the guy's pocket? That he was reaching to get? I don't!

[RICHARD]

don't tase me, bro!!!!


Oh, lolololol.

I am sorry Pam....

I love to see people get tased! j/k.....

If you behave yourself and just sign the friggin ticket, no harm no foul.


I think that this idiot deserved it...First of all

He walked away from the cop,
Second, his hands were in his pocket as he did so.
Third, he challenged the cop by looking over his shoulder.....I can't remember what he said but I would have tased his arse just for being an jerk.


Why does a person that gets hit by a taser look like a Jennifer Lopez dance?


Or is it St Vitus dance?


P.S. this totally sucks..LH, ES and me are starting to agree on stuff.

[Pam]

Is there a full moon? My goodness, this thread has Sara, LH and Richard all on the same page. How did I pull that off? LOL!

[Edwina's Secretary]

Sometimes even LH and RICHARD can be right!

[Lady's Human]

All I have to say to that, Sara, is

(We're all bein good fur sandy clause)