Apparently if you don’t “follow instructions” you can be electrocuted with 50,000 volts and “you’ll go to jail” if you don’t get in your car. The problem is, the guy who gets tased doesn’t realize that the fine print on citations says you can be arrested if you refuse to sign your ticket. Oops. Darn fine print.
Visually, it looks bad for the cop, especially when he opens his mouth on camera and says “painful isn’t it” and then threatens the frightened wife with jail. Darn cameras.
Frankly, I think the “tased” man is lucky he isn’t dead. Briskly walking toward a cop with your hand in your pocket is not the smartest thing to do. It will be interesting to see what the reviewing authorities decide on this one.
6 comments ↓
That is a bunch of BS but unfortunately we live in a time when cops can get away with violating peoples civil liberties. Its starts at the top and works its way down to the local level.
Vote Ron Paul.
Thanks for exposing this. It’s never a great situation when you don’t follow instructions from a state trooper. Furthermore, you don’t walk away from a cop when he places you under arrest.
However, I’m certain this trooper will receive a lashing for his actions. He was over the top considering the situation.
News article on this event: http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=2190410
Also, here’s an exhaustive set of links regarding police and military malfeasance:
http://www.theagitator.com/archives/cat_police_militarization.php
Perhaps he did go to far, but you must admit that the driver went to far as well and he put the officer in a tough situation.
I dare say that the super majority of them do a great job and take much more crap, abuse (including civil liberty abuse), than they dish out. Further I would say that probably over 99% of the actions of officers in their interaction with citizens is appropriate and not “abusing civil liberties”.
People need to understand that the police officer is not the one you take up the issue with, it is the courts. Imagine the society we would live in if everyone felt that the police had no authority over them and they didn’t have to do as directed.
Dev -
You make a very good point on that.
Russ
Personally, and I have three relatives who are or were cops, we pay cops to be in harm’s way. This officer never told the young man how fast he was going, just that “you were goin’ a little fast there,” and what’s more, he never warned the kid he’d be tased, which he informs the assisting officer that he had done. Listen to the kid’s radio interview and he thought the cop had pulled his gun on him — wouldn’t you be a little scared too?
I think tasers are becoming a first line defense for cops; don’t do what I’m saying and I’m gonna tase you. Again, police officers are paid to be in harm’s way, they knew that when they signed up.
I also agree that not all cops are bad, but this situation is no different from the old lady in Orem that was arrested for having a brown lawn, I wonder if that officer carried a taser or just didn’t think to use it.
Sadly, this is a miscommunication and the officer didn’t work to try and resolve the situation by trying to understand what the kid wanted. The officer gave limited information and therefore the driver acted on what limited information he had — and that got him tased, twice from what he says.
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