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Taser incident at UF

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4arch

Very disturbing. If you haven't heard about it, it's all over youtube and news sites.

The guy undoubtedly was being a total dick, but by the time he was tasered he was on the ground in handcuffs with 6 cops kneeling on him. That's torture in my book.

 
Sep 18, 07 12:06 pm
drums please, Fab?

don't tase me, bro

Sep 18, 07 12:20 pm  · 
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drums please, Fab?
the incident

he's not complying at all and had many chances to leave peacefully before getting tased. and he wasn't in handcuffs when tased - clearly he was asked to put his hands behind his back but you see him partially turn over again and they zapped him - not torture

Sep 18, 07 12:33 pm  · 
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ether

the commentary to the abcnews.com video explains he was handcuffed and then tasered. because of filters, i can't see the youtube videos... do they say otherwise?

Sep 18, 07 12:38 pm  · 
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beefeaters

free ramos, sure he was resisting, but seriously 6 officers couldnt get one guy in handcuffs and had to tase him? they were on top of him when they tased him.... there is no way it was legit use of force

Sep 18, 07 12:41 pm  · 
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AP

there is a clear shot, perhaps in a different video, that shows he was cuffed but still struggling a bit before being hit with the taser. so ya, if he would've just complied he would've not been tasered. that said, give me a break, is this really necessary? i'm not sure they had any right to touch him in the first place...but once they did, 5-6 cops (including one huge guy) couldn't forcefully escort the kid out without using a weapon?

what a joke.

Sep 18, 07 12:42 pm  · 
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AP

pardon my clumsy grammar, bro.

Sep 18, 07 12:43 pm  · 
 · 
drums please, Fab?
the commentary to the abcnews.com video explains he was handcuffed and then tasered. because of filters, i can't see the youtube videos... do they say otherwise?

they were trying to handcuff him, but he partially rolls over, his left hand is clearly free - right at 1:50 in the above video

he keeps resisting - the taser threat was 40 seconds before he was zapped

Sep 18, 07 12:48 pm  · 
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4arch

even if he wasn't handcuffed, how does resistance alone justify him being "zapped"? he wasn't threatening the cops or anyone else and given it was 6 on 1 there was no way he was getting up off that floor, fleeing, or even swinging any punches.

Sep 18, 07 12:59 pm  · 
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dml955i

Not saying it's right, but I'm pretty sure they'll taze somebody if there's a chance of injury to an officer or the "suspect" injuring themselves while struggling. All that flailing around may lead to an accidental broken nose, finger, wrist, torn up knees, etc.

They will immobilize someone to get them secured and safely into the back of a squad car. It's not a brutality thing - it's to neutralize the situation and prevent further injury.

Sep 18, 07 1:08 pm  · 
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beefeaters

ramos: the point is not that they threatened him and he continued resisting, the point is that they had no reason to even threaten to taser him in the first place. he was not dangerous to anyone.

dml, it is a brutality thing. Six officers were on top of him and then tasered him? Thats not right. No one was getting hurt; he was struggling but he wasnt putting anyone in danger.

Sep 18, 07 1:36 pm  · 
 · 
A Center for Ants?

same thing with the incident last year at UCLA.

the issue isn't whether the person was being defiant or not, it's the justification for using such a device. and it IS a brutality thing. just because it probably won't kill you doesn't make it ok to put someone in excruciating pain and potentially cause long term damage?

Sep 18, 07 1:51 pm  · 
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dml955i

He was directly endangering himself and indirectly endangering the cops. If he got hurt or hurt himself during the struggle, he could sue the department for excessive force/brutality. As unnecessary as it may seem, tazing him defused the situation, prevented further injury to both him and the cops. What if one officer accidentally elbows another officer in the face and breaks their nose while trying to secure him? Who's fault is that? Not the cops - it's the jerk at the bottom of the pile not following instructions to relax...

And it's not a threat - the cops have to say "if you don't stop resisting, we will tazer you" as a warning per SOPs. If they just tazered him out of the blue, then bingo - that's brutality.

I look at it the same way as if a bear wanders into your back yard. The authorities shoot it with a tranquilizer dart, load it up in the truck and take it back in the woods. Bear doesn't get hurt, people and property don't get hurt. Job's done.

Sep 18, 07 2:03 pm  · 
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CantileverApe

Now everyone knows what happens when you make a cop sweat.

Sep 18, 07 2:20 pm  · 
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LightMyFire66

That just pisses me off. Those fucking Florida pigs have not changed since they arrested Jim Morrison. I hope those pigs get what they deserve. Is there NO SUCH THING AS FREE SPEECH ANYMORE????

Sep 18, 07 2:31 pm  · 
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strlt_typ

it's easier to break rules than follow them...

Sep 18, 07 2:39 pm  · 
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eastcoastarch03

fuckin' cops, they need to cut that shit out. i hope they fire them. he has every right to free speech.

Sep 18, 07 2:40 pm  · 
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drums please, Fab?

the kid got exactly what he asked for

Sep 18, 07 2:43 pm  · 
 · 
drums please, Fab?

he went beyond free speech to filibuster the event - he was not being civil

Sep 18, 07 2:43 pm  · 
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beefeaters

A person is not a bear and a tranquilizer dart hurts a lot less than a Taser does. The use of a taser on a man who was simply asking a long winded, impassioned question who was not a threat to anyone is beyond the use of force necessary.

I thought it was funny how Kerry asks the crowd to calm down, and then starts answering the guys questions as hes about to be tasered haha

Sep 18, 07 2:44 pm  · 
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beefeaters

Free Ramos, i believe "filibuster" is included in free speech.

Sep 18, 07 2:44 pm  · 
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beefeaters

Those cops should be suspended or fired.

Sep 18, 07 2:46 pm  · 
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le bossman

look, being a cop is not that easy of a job. most of these people are good guys who are just trying to do their job, and they have to put up with shit all day. yes, there is such thing as free speech, but he was clearly the antagonist. it would be one thing if the whole auditorium was so riled up that they were acting like this, but he acted alone. it is also difficult given the emotions and adrenaline in these situations to pick them apart based on who's hand was where at what time, and whether someone was properly warned and so on. and who knows if these officers have had trouble with this individual before? the guy provoked 6 cops, resisted arrest, resisted the right to leave peacefully, and he was tased. tasers are non-lethal weapons, and i'm sure he'll live. who cares if he was in handcuffs? they didn't tie him to a tree and tase him over and over again for fun. clearly it took 6 people to control him. he obviously wanted the attention and perhaps wanted to get tased on television. this is not the kent state incident, the rodney king beating, or the abu gharib scandal. i can't even believe this made the national news. big fucking deal.

Sep 18, 07 2:46 pm  · 
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dml955i

So speaking from experience beefeater, you've been tranq'd AND tazered?

Also, people should know that if a cop carries a tazer, they're required to be tazed themselves as part of the training, so yes they know what it feels like...

Sep 18, 07 2:51 pm  · 
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alfrejas24

Couldn't agree more Ramos.

1st of all the guy was big. Did you the punk was bigger than the 3 1st cops and 2 were woman. Not until the big guy literally picked him up were they able to move him.

eastcoast yes we all have a right to free speech but we don't have the right to public disturbance.

Sep 18, 07 2:52 pm  · 
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farwest1

If he posed a physical or violent threat, then taser him.

But for talking too long or loud??!!!!!!!

There is no excuse for causing physical pain when the crime is simply talking....

Sep 18, 07 2:58 pm  · 
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drums please, Fab?

so beefeaters and others who champion free speech - everyone has every right to say anything (as long as they don't threaten the president or incite a riot) all the time?

an event like this would be chaos without agreeing to basic, civil rules. you ask your question then let the next person go. it was not to make a speech about bush stealing the 2004 election, skull and bones, etc. and essentially 'filibuster' the event.

sorry but the guy was given about 10 chances to moveon and refused/resisted. he got what he deserved (and i believe what he wanted - hey he's a star now for at least 48 hours).

Sep 18, 07 3:02 pm  · 
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drums please, Fab?

and i love free speech

Sep 18, 07 3:03 pm  · 
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alfrejas24

I wonder if people would be reacting differently if it was only the 2 small female cops and they had tazered him when he refused to leave.

Sep 18, 07 3:03 pm  · 
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le bossman

FRC - exactly

Sep 18, 07 3:03 pm  · 
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beefeaters

Dml, no but id like to taser you for asking questions.

Sep 18, 07 3:06 pm  · 
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dml955i

Stop flirting with me...

Sep 18, 07 3:09 pm  · 
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mdler

at least they didnt shoot him

Sep 18, 07 3:10 pm  · 
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mdler

John Kerry is a fuckhead for just standing there and doing absolutely nothing...like he did in 2004

Sep 18, 07 3:13 pm  · 
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you'd want him to jump onto the pile?!

Sep 18, 07 3:14 pm  · 
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mdler

he is a Democrat...which means that he doesnt do much

Sep 18, 07 3:18 pm  · 
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dml955i

except complain...

Sep 18, 07 3:19 pm  · 
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beefeaters

now it makes sense... republicans

Sep 18, 07 3:20 pm  · 
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le bossman

dude, the cops are not george bush's cronies. i'm sure there was plenty of civil criticism of george bush during the forum.

Sep 18, 07 3:23 pm  · 
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mightylittle™

don't you think kerry should've implored the cops to lay-off and remain civil? the guy would've left more expediently and with less fanfare if they had not escalated so quickly.

that being said, i think the tazering was completely unnecessary, although the dude has a history of videotaping his own practical jokes and was clearly looking for the attention:

read here.

Sep 18, 07 3:28 pm  · 
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beefeaters

i wasnt referring to the cops le bossman lol... i was referring to the people posting above

Sep 18, 07 3:29 pm  · 
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drums please, Fab?


respect my authoritay!!

Sep 18, 07 3:30 pm  · 
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le bossman

right but saying that the only people that would agree with this action are republicans is essentially saying the cops themselves were as well.

Sep 18, 07 3:30 pm  · 
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strlt_typ

yeah, that dude sounded a little whiny yelling "help! help!" if he's gonna be a bad ass, be bad ass...

Sep 18, 07 3:31 pm  · 
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mdler

so you cant be a republican anymore????

at least they get shit done. It may be the wrong shit, but they have balls

Sep 18, 07 3:34 pm  · 
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dml955i

mdler = pot stirrer...

Sep 18, 07 3:36 pm  · 
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dml955i

beefeater = pot smoker...

Sep 18, 07 3:36 pm  · 
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yet another video of the event.

"I regret enormously that a good healthy discussion was interrupted."

UF Prez

From where I stand I would say that UF will have to pay out some cash and look pretty bad. I think the cops hurt the situation, maybe he wanted to ask some stupid funny jokes, but that was no reason to go as far as they did. The incident would have gone unnoticed had it been treated differently.

It is hard though, the cops look as scared and confused as the student. What would you do, as a cop, in that situation?

Sep 18, 07 3:37 pm  · 
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beefeaters

dml = flapsnot...

Sep 18, 07 3:40 pm  · 
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le bossman

i think archinect + you all / free speech (george bush/john kerry) = douchebags

Sep 18, 07 3:42 pm  · 
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WtfWtfWtf™

They should have tased him in the mouth - that would have shut his ass up.
I'm a firm believer that if you go around looking for shit, shit will find you.
Bro....That's what did it, I am convinced. Suddenly this cracker is an arresting cop's Bro.

Sep 18, 07 3:48 pm  · 
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