University of Florida student Tasered at Kerry forum

[ranger2112]

great feedback everyone. thx

[ooga booga]

he wasn't already in cuffs. I saw them put the handcuffs on him after he was tasered. They spent all that time TRYING to put him in cuffs but he was jerking around making it difficult for them to do so, and that's why they tasered him. Although it's hard to see, from the angle I gave in my last post you can see he's still trying to pull away even while he's on the ground.

[Warl0rd]

your telling me that half dozen trained policemans are unable to handcuff a 20y old student unless they tazer him?

[ooga booga]

I'm sure if they really tried they could. It doesn't really matter if it's 6 trained police officers, when you can only really have 2-3 on top of him restraining him at a time anyway. The other 3 are just there sort of surrounding him, there isn't much room for them to help out so all this lame "6 vs. 1" is kinda bogus. If 3 people are trying to handcuff a guy and you keep jerking and moving around it can probably be rather difficult to put handcuffs on. I'm sure none of us really know how easy it is unless you are a cop, haha. It's not like they pulled a real gun out on him and shot him. They gave him a little shock for goodness sake. Would they have eventually handcuff him without the use of a taser? Yes, I'm sure they would have, so you would be right there. I think they just did it because it was easier for them. Yes it's a painful shock, but you get over that quickly. Besides, no pain no gain, right?

[Warl0rd]

how many times i've seen on tv just 1 or 2 policemans handcuffing someone right on the middle of a riot... and i'm sure someone in the front of a riot will try to resist a bit more then a university student on a conference

[ooga booga]

you can't always believe what you see on tv haha maybe those rioters didn't resist much. Or, maybe those clips are all from the 1990's (I know they are when I watch them) and the police officers didn't have the use of tasers back then. Either way, each situation is different. I'm just trying to apply a viewpoint in defending the officers here since someone has to provide a good debate. I mean they probably could have done without it, I would agree, but I also don't think it was wrong in using it, if you know what I mean.

[Warl0rd]

there are pretty much more recent riots, remember the ones about globalization? and some weeks ago there was 1 in denmark.

like i said in my post, he shouldn't have resisted, but that doesn't mean it was necessary to taser him.

[ooga booga]

that's true with the riots, but I think when you get mass groups of people like that in riots it's harder to use a taser, and I believe they use alternative methods instead (tear gas, etc.) I agree I don't think it was necessary to taser him. But I don't think it's unjust to the point that the cops should get charged for anything. They gave the kid warning they would use it if he didn't stop and cooperate. I think it was within their right to use the taser. Now again, just because it's in their right doesn't make it necessary to use it, but I believe they had the right to, and that's what they chose to do. Personally I think they shouldn't have used it either, but it doesn't bother me that they used it.

[Acetriad]

This guy was trying to soliciate a reaction. That is what he got. The man was restrained, on the floor when he got tasered. I am assuming that none of you have never been tasered before and don't realise that it is quite painful and also does leave burns. Yes, he did cause a disruption. Whether that disruption was good means to remove him is subject to debate in my opinion, but heck, there hasn't been free speech in this country for some time anyway, so who really cares? The fact of the matter is, using a taser against a subject who is allready subdued is crossing the line. They could have shot him in the leg and produced much the same results. (Not saying that tasering and shooting are the same). So he was squirming around... if I had a guy pinned down like that with five other people helping me, I'd feel like a real man tasering him so I could cuff him.

[Hamlet]

there are pretty much more recent riots, remember the ones about globalization? and some weeks ago there was 1 in denmark.

Just to elaborate on that: Those riots took place downtown Copenhagen, and involved ppl throwing rocks, molotov cocktails, building barricades and setting them on fire etc. However, it was resolved with the use of good old police work; no tazers, no pepper sprays, no water cannons and no guns used - only teargas (the mild ver.) and normal physical restraint were used. You are innocent until proven guilty, therefore the use of force should always be kept to an absolute minimum.

PS: Not claiming that the Danish police are saints; I clearly remember, when they shot ppl demonstrating in Copenhagen after the 'No' vote to the Maastricht treaty