Cop Tasers Guy for Walking Away From Him

[mr.jameswoods]

So, basically, you're saying that the officer was not justified, but that it's okay because the driver was being disrespectful. Ok. So was the cop justified or not?

No, that's not what I'm saying. I'm saying the driver could have also avoided this situation had he applied some common sense and not antagonized the officer by being a smart a$#%#. No intelligent and mature person would have behaved in the same manner as that driver regardless if the officer was being a punk.

And he clearly resisted arrest once he was outside the vehicle. If the cop is giving you an order, as a citizen, it is your job to comply. You can dispute the arrest later but if he is asking you to turn around, you don't ignore him and do what you want to do (walking toward the speed limit sign)

 

[theogt]

No, that's not what I'm saying. I'm saying the driver could have also avoided this situation had he applied some common sense and not antagonized the officer by being a smart a$#%#. No intelligent and mature person would have behaved in the same manner as that driver regardless if the officer was being a punk.

And he clearly resisted arrest once he was outside the vehicle. If the cop is giving you an order, as a citizen, it is your job to comply. You can dispute the arrest later but if he is asking you to turn around, you don't ignore him and do what you want to do (walking toward the speed limit sign)

Ok, let me ask you this question. Was the cop justified in pulling the taser while (not after, but while) he was telling the guy to put his hands behind his back?

Recall that the cop never told him he was under arrest and began pulling the taser before he even finished saying put your hands behind your back.

 

[mr.jameswoods]

Ok, let me ask you this question. Was the cop justified in pulling the taser while (not after, but while) he was telling the guy to put his hands behind his back?

Recall that the cop never told him he was under arrest and began pulling the taser before he even finished saying put your hands behind your back.

Watch the video, he told the guy to turn around and put his hands behind his back the first time without the use of the taser. The driver ignored him. The cop pulled out his taser while he REPEATED the command. So yes, at that point, the officer was justified in pulling out the taser and telling him to put his hands behind his back. The cop is not required to tell him he is under arrest prior to telling him to turn around. He can do so while he is in the process of doing so.

I've seen a lot of these police abuse videos. And in almost all of them, the victim is usually polite or does nothing. In my opinion, this video is different. The man was antagonizing and being condescending toward the cop. I hope the cop gets punished but I think some consideration shoud be given in regards to the driver's behavior.

Let me ask you a question: do you think the officer would have tasered the driver had he shown more respect to the officer? I don't think that would have occurred. Respect goes both ways. You can't expect the officer to be completely polite if you are speaking to him in a condescending manner. Again, that's not justifying what the cop did but people need to take responsibility for their actions as well. Would you speak to the officer in that same manner had you been pulled over? Probably not

 

[theogt]

Watch the video, he told the guy to turn around and put his hands behind his back the first time without the use of the taser. The driver ignored him. The cop pulled out his taser while he REPEATED the command. So yes, at that point, the officer was justified in pulling out the taser and telling him to put his hands behind his back. The cop is not required to tell him he is under arrest prior to telling him to turn around. He can do so while he is in the process of doing so.

I've seen a lot of these police abuse videos. And in almost all of them, the victim is usually polite or does nothing. In my opinion, this video is different. The man was antagonizing and being condescending toward the cop. I hope the cop gets reprimanded but I think some consideration shoud be given in regards to the driver's behavior.

This is wrong. The officer began pulling the taser before he even finished saying it the first time. He was already pointing it at the drive by the time he repeated himself.

Let me ask you a question: do you think the officer would have tasered the driver had he shown more respect to the officer? I don't think that would have occurred

No. But that doesn't mean the cop was justified.

 

[Rack]

Dude atleast admit the cop was an ***, the way he yelled at the guys wife for checking if he was ok. he brought him out of the car for what? he was going to take him to prison for not signing the ticket?. They send the ticket in the mail and you get a court date. the cop should not of done what he did. he must not have many friends or get picked on at the office.

OMG. Are you freakin' serious?

Again, it's not his job to be a psychologist. And obviously he HAD to yell at her cuz she kept getting out of the vehicle.

The only fact here is that if the guy had just done as he was told, NONE of that would have happened.

I see there is no reasoning with you. You can use that argument no matter what. Any reasonable person would have complied. The guy is just a young punk and resisted. Have fun with this I am done trying to reason with you.

I could have told you that a long time ago.

 

[Rack]

No. But that doesn't mean the cop was justified.

Pulling the taser and using it are two different things. He WAS justified in using the taser.

 

[theogt]

Pulling the taser and using it are two different things. He WAS justified in using the taser.

So was he justified in pulling the taser?

 

[mr.jameswoods]

Admittedly I do not know the laws in Utah. So my argument could be pointless. The only thing I can really see that could have been different was how quickly the officer pulled the tazer. However, if you watch the video you see the driver putting his right hand in his pocket and keeping it there as he walks away. That being said the reasonable person should know if an officer has a tazer pointed at you telling you to put your hands behind your back its safe to assume your under arrest. Once you refuse to comply you are now resisting arrest.

As far as my policy goes.... In a nut shell its says if the situation requires us to go hands on we are allowed to use the tazer. Again in this situation. The officer is in the middle of now where by himself. He has no idea what the driver is capable of.

Exactly, I don't know the laws in Utah either. If a signature is not required, then it does change my impression of this incident to a great degree. If the signature is not required then the cop was completely unjustified and wrong.

But if the signature was required then I think the police officer was justified to some degree but I still think he could have communicated with the driver much better.

 

[Rack]

So was he justified in pulling the taser?

What does that even matter? It's a non lethal weapon and the taser wouldn't have been used if the subject complied.


You're arguing semantics (as usual). The guy resisted arrest and got his arse tasered. He deserved it. End of story.

 

[mr.jameswoods]

This is wrong. The officer began pulling the taser before he even finished saying it the first time. He was already pointing it at the drive by the time he repeated himself.

Watch it again. The first time he asked him to turn around, the officer was not pointing his taser at the man. And even if he did, that is not illegal. Pointing a taser and firing it are two different scenarios. An officer is completely within his right to point a gun let alone a taser to get a person to comply with an order, in this case it was having the person turn around and put their hands behind their back. The man resisted arrest AGAIN by backing up and saying "What's wrong with you man"

No. But that doesn't mean the cop was justified.

Agreed

 

[theogt]

Watch it again. The first time he asked him to turn around, the officer was not pointing his taser at the man. And even if he did, that is not illegal. Pointing a taser and firing it are two different scenarios. An officer is completely within his right to point a gun let alone a taser to get a person to comply with an order, in this case it was having the person turn around and put their hands behind their back. The man resisted arrest AGAIN by backing up and saying "What's wrong with you man"

He began reaching for and pulling the taser out before he finished saying "put your hands behind your back."

The point is that, because the cop was not justified, the driver was shocked that he pulled the taser. Any person would be shocked in that situation. The driver was scared because the cop was acting irrational and began to back up. That's when the cop tased him.

The cop made no attempt to arrest the driver without the use of the taser. The police department's taser policy requires that the cop use other means of arrest and that the use of the taser is only justified when other attempts would be unreasonable. There was no other attempt by the cop. There was nothing showing that such an attempt would be unreasonable.

Thus, the cop was not justified in either pulling the taser or using the taser. Tasers are dangerous weapons. They can be lethal. The cop was in the wrong and should be punished.

 

[heavyg]

He began reaching for and pulling the taser out before he finished saying "put your hands behind your back."

The point is that, because the cop was not justified, the driver was shocked that he pulled the taser. Any person would be shocked in that situation. The driver was scared because the cop was acting irrational and began to back up. That's when the cop tased him.

The cop made no attempt to arrest the driver without the use of the taser. The police department's taser policy requires that the cop use other means of arrest and that the use of the taser is only justified when other attempts would be unreasonable. There was no other attempt by the cop. There was nothing showing that such an attempt would be unreasonable.

Thus, the cop was not justified in either pulling the taser or using the taser.

Ok I said I wouldnt continue to talk with you on this but I must ask you again. This is at least twice you have stated that his departments policy requires that he use other means of arrest and use the tazer only if justified.

I will capitalize this and bold it so you wont miss my question:

HOW DO YOU KNOW WHAT HIS DEPARTMENTS POLICY IS?

 

[theogt]

Ok I said I wouldnt continue to talk with you on this but I must ask you again. This is at least twice you have stated that his departments policy requires that he use other means of arrest and use the tazer only if justified.

I will capitalize this and bold it so you wont miss my question:

HOW DO YOU KNOW WHAT HIS DEPARTMENTS POLICY IS?

Google.

 

[heavyg]

Google.

Ok after a quick search I found this in an article:


UHP policy says one of three situations can warrant Taser deployment, according to Roden. First, a person could be threatening himself, others or an officer; second, the use of more force would endanger people; or third, other means of control have proved insufficient.

Lets take a look at the second one. "The use of more force would endanger people". Ok they were on the side of the highway. If he were to go hands on and wrestled with this guy there is a great possibility they would have ended up in the middle of the highway into on comming traffic. The use of the taser was justified in this incident. PERIOD.

Also the first one says a person could be threatening himself, others or an officer. The driver had his right hand in his pocket the whole time. Was there a possibility of a knife, gun or some other weapon? Could be. That in itself is a threat to the officer. But im sure you wont see it that way.

 

[theogt]

Ok after a quick search I found this in an article:


UHP policy says one of three situations can warrant Taser deployment, according to Roden. First, a person could be threatening himself, others or an officer; second, the use of more force would endanger people; or third, other means of control have proved insufficient.

Lets take a look at the second one. "The use of more force would endanger people". Ok they were on the side of the highway. If he were to go hands on and wrestled with this guy there is a great possibility they would have ended up in the middle of the highway into on comming traffic. The use of the taser was justified in this incident. PERIOD.

Also the first one says a person could be threatening himself, others or an officer. The driver had his right hand in his pocket the whole time. Was there a possibility of a knife, gun or some other weapon? Could be. That in itself is a threat to the officer. But im sure you wont see it that way.

The guy was putting his wallet in his pocket as he got out of the car because the cop had just asked for his license and registration.

He never posed a threat to himself or the cop. And the cop never attempted to arrest the driver without the taser.

Not justified.

 

[heavyg]

The guy was putting his wallet in his pocket as he got out of the car because the cop had just asked for his license and registration.

He never posed a threat to himself or the cop. And the cop never attempted to arrest the drive without the taser.

Not justified.

Again no reasoning with you. I explained the threat of going hands on. Never mind

 

[theogt]

Again no reasoning with you. I explained the threat of going hands on. Never mind

You didn't explain squat. You've misstated what happened in the video several times. You just began defending the cop without (1) accurately knowing what happened on the video, and (2) knowing the taser policy for the cop.

Just go back to thinking this "young punk" deserved it.

 

[Kevinicus]

So the cop being alone on the road with this reasonably calm person and while being a potential threat, has in no way done anything to suggest it, makes it ok for the cop to whip out a gun, cause you know, he's afraid, all by himself, gotta protect himself and all.

But being an unarmed civilian having a gun pulled on you for no apparent reason by a seemingly crazy cop it is not justifiable to be scared out of your mind and just want to get away from the guy, you know, protect himself?

Stupid logic.

 

[smarta5150]

I think Theo was the guy who go tazed maybe

 

[Rack]

I think Theo was the guy who go tazed maybe

No I think a cop slept with his gf or something. Or maybe a cop pissed in his cornflakes.


The cop did his job. Period.


Of all the things to try and make something out of nothing, trying it with a cop doing his job is ********.