UCLA student tasered by campus police for not showing ID

[beam]

Most police have been tased, right? Isn't it part of going through the academy? I feel like if you're going to be a police officer, you need to have a higher IQ than a houseplant, and realize that when you send thousands of volts of electricity through a person's body, they're going to be a) KIND of testy and b ) have a tiny case of the jelly-legs. It's obvious from the video the kid can't stand very well (if he can stand at all).

he was testy long before the tasing

btw...doesn't youtube have a bunch of vids of officers getting tased? I don't remember them being out of commision for much more than the juice was going through them.

[Lohman446]

In the states I've lived in, a police officer is required to give you at *least* his badge number when requested, usually a name to go with it.

Are you 100% sure of that? Not asking to be a jerk, serious question. My understanding is that it is generally not true at all and is some underground urban legend.

[Riddler236]

I won't argue the merit of the initial tasering. That's a judgement call the officers made to resolve the subject's noncompliance.

From eyewitness accounts, the subject was handcuffed immediately after the initial tasering. So what the officers have is a young adult male, subdued, handcuffed, and laying prone on the floor. They should have hoisted him up and dragged him out. Instead, they yell at him to get up under his own power (why?) and proceed to tase him repeatedly for his noncompliance. That, to me, is excessive force. There is quite simply no need to tase someone who is handcuffed and curled up in the fetal position on the floor.

[billybob_81067]

I won't argue the merit of the initial tasering. That's a judgement call the officers made to resolve the subject's noncompliance.

From eyewitness accounts, the subject was handcuffed immediately after the initial tasering. So what the officers have is a young adult male, subdued, handcuffed, and laying prone on the floor. They should have hoisted him up and dragged him out. Instead, they yell at him to get up under his own power (why?) and proceed to tase him repeatedly for his noncompliance. That, to me, is excessive force. There is quite simply no need to tase someone who is handcuffed and curled up in the fetal position on the floor.

You're right... since he had the capability to walk they should have to drag his sorry butt out of there (or carry him like the little baby he's being). Heck while there at it why throw him in the back seat of the police car... why not just tie him to the bumper and drag him the rest of the way down to the station?

Go find someone and drag them around. Harder than it looks huh?

[Riddler236]

You're right... since he had the capability to walk they should have to drag his sorry butt out of there (or carry him like the little baby he's being). Heck while there at it why throw him in the back seat of the police car... why not just tie him to the bumper and drag him the rest of the way down to the station?

Go find someone and drag them around. Harder than it looks huh?

I'm sorry, your post is somewhat contradictory. Are you suggesting that repeated tasering of an incapacitated actor is an acceptable solution for his unwillingness to walk, because carrying him is just too inconvenient?

Not sure what point you were trying to make with the comment about dragging the subject by a bumper, but I don't approve.

[Lohman446]

Tasering him repeatedly may have been questionable. Around here they would have hogtied you and thrown you in the backseat. When the "deer jumped out in front of the police car and I had to slam my brakes" it would have sucked for him too.

[geekwarrior]

I guess I just feel he got what was coming to him for not obeying and acting like a moron. He's yelling at the top of his lungs when the video starts, so he's either crazy to just go off like that or there's more to the story than we know about.

[billybob_81067]

I'm sorry, your post is somewhat contradictory. Are you suggesting that repeated tasering of an incapacitated actor is an acceptable solution for his unwillingness to walk, because carrying him is just too inconvenient?

Not sure what point you were trying to make with the comment about dragging the subject by a bumper, but I don't approve.

I'm just saying why the heck should they have to drag his whiny butt anywhere. I would have kicked him in the ribs until he got up and walked on his own. Stop being a baby and just get up and quit resisting.

I just made the dragging behind the bumper of the car comment because everyone else thinks the cops should have to drag him to the car... why not all the way to the station?

Oh and I don't really care if you approve or not.

[Riddler236]

I'm just saying why the heck should they have to drag his whiny butt anywhere. I would have kicked him in the ribs until he got up and walked on his own. Stop being a baby and just get up and quit resisting.

I just made the dragging behind the bumper of the car comment because everyone else thinks the cops should have to drag him to the car... why not all the way to the station?

Oh and I don't really care if you approve or not.

I see.

I respectfully elect not to reply to your inflammatory, offensive viewpoint, and will let someone else take the bait and give you the argument you're so obviously fishing for.

[SCpoloRicker]

"A hive of scum and villiany"

[Steelrat]

"A hive of scum and villiany"

Villiany?

[SCpoloRicker]

My google-fu is weak.

[Lohman446]

I see.

I respectfully elect not to reply to your inflammatory, offensive viewpoint, and will let someone else take the bait and give you the argument you're so obviously fishing for.

Its not all that inflamatory. Many people in middle America who beleive in a respect for authority see no problems with the actions. The man failed to show ID, failed to comply wiht police instructions in a crowded area and started to respond in a less than logical fasion. Did the officers know he was not carrying a weapon? or (and oh look, I can accuse you of being racist when you say it so noone dares) having a bomb strapped to his chest? Racial profiling is highly questionable, but ignoring obvious facts is stupid. I'm not necessarily ok with it but I would have totally understood had one of the officers decided, given his actions, that he was an immediate threat and used his sidearm. Using the taser to me was being exceptionally nice to the guy.

[bleachit]

I think its pretty obvious after the first tazing the officers were trying to pull him up and he flat out refused. You can see his white shirt, barely, contrasting against their dark uniforms and you can hear the officers clearly state "stand up or you will get tazered again"


boo hoo. moron.



God forbid someone should do what an officer tells them... if he had half a brain the first time he was tazered would have been enough to make him comply. I mean, dogs eventually learn that if they go too far in the yard they will get zapped when you have an electric fence installed.

[Dubstar112]

You don't need to use a Taser to drag someone out of the building against their will. Two of the cops could have just grabbed under the arms and pulled him out. Any responsible officers would have done just that, and recognized that this is gross misuse of authority. I'd fight this until I had their badges and my tuition covered, especially at UCLA. That's screwed up.

You know, I sort of agree. I think the problem boils down to that anyone given athourity has the belief(or maybe its more of an attitude) that they are not to be underminded in any form, and feel the need to demonstrate this and make examples out of people if they are. It kinda comes to did the officers attitude relfect the severity of the situation??? I understood that less than lethal(Thats what a taser is right?) was to be substituted where a lethal device would have been used. Would they have used their guns, only to say "Oh.. let us use our less than lethal instead" The article is obviously biased but I would say the actions were unecessary from what I could see and read. Lacking in credible sources, its hard for anyone to make a fair judgement. (Cellphone camera, and the bruin are lacking quality, and biased)

I would not have left immediatley, but before they tasered me for sure. California law or not, if I know Im a student and Im there for a reason... screw'em. NY says if you refuse a breathalyzer test you are taken in custody and charged with DUI.

I got pulled over and accused of being intoxicated and underage. I was sober, and I almost refused the test, but I had to drop what I felt was right, and go by what the man says. right or wrong. .00 was my reading and they let me go without telling me what I did to get pulled over in the first place. They obviously checked my ins and regi.... even called my mom.(city police not state of sherriff). Maybe flinched and jerked the wheel a degree or two.... Must be drunk!! Forgot your ID? Must be a threat to the school and society. FRY!!!

If every rebellious student is a threat... theres a lot of threats.

I wrote a college term paper on police brutality, I dont think this is an example of that, but it is an example of something and Im sure the courts will give it a name. Id drop the police brutality face, maybe irrational treatment of a student without proper id. yeah..... :rofl:

I dont think anyone can say they didnt have adrenaline flowing, and we know what that does to peoples emotions and actions. The police act the best they can as humans, atleast they better have or they're done. The student? Was refusing to leave worth getting tasered? in a year we'll know.

As of now I have too many questions and what if's floating in my head to pass judgement and pick sides.