University of Florida student Tasered at Kerry forum

[W brad]

Short version:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6bVa6...ed&search=

Long version:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iqAVvlyVbag

Is this democracy in America?

[BCPVP]

I say taze the guy who filmed this for his incompetency with a camera.

-edit: talking about the "long version".
Serious response: he got what he he deserved. Trespassing and resisting arrest. I'll save my sympathy for people who are tazed for doing little or nothing (see the stories about a cop named Serna in San Fran).

[XxGodJrxX]

The kid is going to walk. Inciting a riot? Trespassing? I think it is pretty clear that he was not doing either of those things, and it is on video.

The rumor is that he was disrupting the forum long before the video ever came on; I think that is an important factor to take into consideration. At some point, somebody that is disruptive has to be taken out of the forum. If not, then people will be free to do this at all places, including restaurants, movie theaters, and school functions such as this. It is a shame that the police used a TASER on him, but not so much if he was just escorted out of the forum.

I hear there will be protests all over campus tomorrow as a result of this. Traffic is going to be horrible...

[TempusFugit]

[ QUOTE ]
I say taze the guy who filmed this for his incompetency with a camera.

-edit: talking about the "long version".
Serious response: he got what he he deserved. Trespassing and resisting arrest. I'll save my sympathy for people who are tazed for doing little or nothing (see the stories about a cop named Serna in San Fran).

[/ QUOTE ]

What strikes me is that such a response would never ever fly in Europe. The University police in question would probably lose their job and the University would probably face a very decent lawsuit whereas Mr Kerry's credibility would have been seriously compromised. After all, why didn't he stop it? And why didn't the students intervene? In my opinion this behavior and public opinion is more or less asking for a police state or a pseudo-dictatorship like in Russia.

[CORed]

I think this is clearly excessive force on the part of the police. The guy definitely deserved to be arrested, but the taser was not necessary to accomplish this. The guy was an obnoxious, uncooperative jerk to be sure, but I saw absolutely nothing to indicate that he was a threat to injure the police or anybody else. He had no weapon and threw no punches. He was resisting the efforts of the police to subdue and arrest him to be sure, but not in a manner that posed any threat of bodily harm to the police. If the three officers visible in the video couldn't get the cuffs on him, they could have called for backup.

A taser is a potentially lethal weapon. There have been quite a few deaths from tasers, mostly people who were either extremely high on speed or coke, or had some sort of heart defect. To be sure, it's pretty damn rare for a taser to kill somebody, but IMO, even this small risk means it should only be used in self defense situations, not as a means to force compliance. If this jerk takes a swing at the cops, or even an elbow, I would have no problem with their use of a taser.

[TomCollins]

[ QUOTE ]
Short version:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6bVa6...ed&search=

Long version:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iqAVvlyVbag

Is this democracy in America?

[/ QUOTE ]

Awesome. Whiny btich deserves it.

[Case Closed]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Short version:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6bVa6...ed&search=

Long version:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iqAVvlyVbag

Is this democracy in America?

[/ QUOTE ]

Awesome. Whiny btich deserves it.

[/ QUOTE ]
I always see the first part of your avatar and think it's Iron posting and get confused when it's really crass and vulgar.

[salesbeast]

This really bugs me...rental cops acting like total douchebags. I have no idea where free speach has gone in America..from Sally Field getting bleeped over nothing to this kid getting tazered and arrested over a comment?? Thank god I live in a democratic society that allows true freedoms. The States have handed to much over to private groups be it rental cops or service men that think there $10/hour donkeys are the law it's total BS and young american's should be outraged over incidents like this IMO.

[mjkidd]

[ QUOTE ]
This really bugs me...rental cops acting like total douchebags. I have no idea where free speach has gone in America..from Sally Field getting bleeped over nothing to this kid getting tazered and arrested over a comment?? Thank god I live in a democratic society that allows true freedoms. The States have handed to much over to private groups be it rental cops or service men that think there $10/hour donkeys are the law it's total BS and young american's should be outraged over incidents like this IMO.

[/ QUOTE ]

Kid was asked to leave, would not, rental cops escorted him out, he resisted. It seems like a pretty clear-cut instance of justifiable (and hilarious) tasering.

[mosdef]

[ QUOTE ]
this kid getting tazered and arrested over a comment??

[/ QUOTE ]

He didn't get tasered for a comment. He got tasered for repeatedly shoving and wrestling with people. He didn't need to jump up and down and shove security personnel to make his point. All he did was show that he was a gigantic attention whore and totally discredited whatever he was trying to get across.