Tasered Student

[Analogman]

I am curious to why he was tasered with handcuffs on. I am not up on police procedure. The cops don't bother me now - I actually call the cops on people. When I was younger, however, I was not exactly cop friendly.

[Spawn's dad]

"If you're going to cry I'll give you something to cry about."

[ction]

I am curious to why he was tasered with handcuffs on.

 

Metal is a good conductor?

[embiggen]

you're a good conductor.

[JUDE]

I was actually tasered at a training seminar a couple of years ago. It's not that bad.

[aricandover]

I am curious to why he was tasered with handcuffs on.

 

 

he wasn't cuffed yet. they only had one of his arms, he wouldn't stop moving the other one.

[cryptique]

I'm really trying not to follow this story, but I'm assuming he's going to be whining about his First Amendment rights, correct?

 

...to which I reply: Why are his First Amendment rights more important than those of the other people in that auditorium? He took his allotted time and didn't stop. At that point, he was violating the First Amendment rights of anyone else who wanted to ask a question.

 

The guy's an asshat. I do think the taser was excessive, but he brought it on himself by not going quietly. I hope it left a mark.

[aricandover]

I'm really trying not to follow this story, but I'm assuming he's going to be whining about his First Amendment rights, correct?

 

...to which I reply: Why are his First Amendment rights more important than those of the other people in that auditorium? He took his allotted time and didn't stop. At that point, he was violating the First Amendment rights of anyone else who wanted to ask a question.

 

The guy's an asshat. I do think the taser was excessive, but he brought it on himself by not going quietly. I hope it left a mark.

 

 

exactly.

[Lammycat]

I guess the question for me is: is what he did prior to being tasered a criminal offense that merits being arrested for? I'm not talking about resisting arrest, which he obviously did and probably deserved the taser at that point in the scenario, but the simple act of speaking. Is going over the "time limit" an arrrestable offense? Public disturbance, maybe?

 

I'm not sure the heat had a lot of alternative recourses in the situation as it escalated quickly, but the initially contact with the guy (a couple of cops putting their hands on him and forcefully guiding him away from the mic) probably was unnecessary (excessive?).

 

Kind of "which came first, the chicken or the egg" deal for me.

[Sir Stewart]

Someday I will taze this kid.

[Lammycat]

Dare to dream, Sir S. Dare to dream.

[aricandover]

I guess the question for me is: is what he did prior to being tasered a criminal offense that merits being arrested for? I'm not talking about resisting arrest, which he obviously did and probably deserved the taser at that point in the scenario, but the simple act of speaking. Is going over the "time limit" an arrrestable offense? Public disturbance, maybe?

 

it probably falls under Disturbing the peace, which is one of the charges that were brought against him. if he had left the mic when the police first told him to, none of this would've happened, but he had to make an ass out of himself.

[cryptique]

To my mind, the campus police had the right to remove him when he went past his allotted time. It was clear from the way he "asked" his "questions" that he had no interest in actually getting any answers -- he just wanted to yell at Kerry. He was causing a disturbance, and it was perfectly reasonable that when he didn't stop after his time expired, the campus police sought to remove him from the auditorium.

 

At that point, when he resisted their efforts to usher him out (even through nonaction), he crossed a line and opened himself up to arrest. Further resistance led to the "resisting arrest" charge. The guy had plenty of chances to just shut up and walk out quietly with a police escort; he declined those chances.

 

The best approach to take in that situation is to adopt the "yes sir" and "no sir" pattern of responses, and to accede to all commands issued by the police ... in other words, be fully compliant. If the police still use physical force or other excessive measures, then you're in a strong position to complain. If you provoke those measures in some way, you undercut your position.

[anodyne]

i watch cops (A LOT), sometimes looking for former students. I see tazers a lot.

 

that guy =

 

his prank

 

 

edit: less than is the sign i meant to use. oops. i fuckin LOVE dirty work.

[aricandover]

 

I love Dirty Work

[Analogman]

he wasn't cuffed yet. they only had one of his arms, he wouldn't stop moving the other one.

 

I didn't view it close enough.

 

Kerry Condemns Heckler Arrest

 

September 18, 2007 11:48 AM

 

ABC News' Rick Klein Reports: Sen. John Kerry on Tuesday comdemned the arrest of a University of Florida student at one of his speeches, saying that he was engaged in a "good healthy discussion" with 21-year-old Andrew Meyer when he was Tasered and taken into custody.

 

"In 37 years of public appearances, through wars, protests and highly emotional events, I have never had a dialogue end this way," Kerry said in a statement. "I believe I could have handled the situation without interruption, but I do not know what warnings or other exchanges transpired between the young man and the police prior to his barging to the front of the line and their intervention. I asked the police to allow me to answer the question and was in the process of responding when he was taken into custody."

 

"I was not aware that a taser was used until after I left the building," he continued. "I hope that neither the student nor any of the police were injured. I regret enormously that a good healthy discussion was interrupted."

 

For politicians, hecklers come with the territory. But the arrest and detention of Meyer at Kerry speech on Monday stood out in at least two respects: Police acted aggressively in trying to silence Meyer, and the entire incident was captures on video -- making it an immediate Internet and TV sensation.

 

Videos show Meyer being pulled away from the microphone after as he sought to ask Kerry, D-Mass., a rambling series of questions that touch on allegations of voting improprieties in the 2004 election, possible impeachment of President Bush, Iran, and Kerry

[Jay]

http://www.bestweekever.tv/2007/09/19/bwe-...d-kid-t-shirts/

 

Best Week Ever has shirts for sale

 

 

[austrya]

Damn, Jay, why didn't WE think of making shirts? Those asshats at BWE ruin everything...

[EL the Famous]

i finally watched the video...best week ever indeed. that is classic.

[Sweet Papa Crimbo]

 

Article

 

 

He was looking to do a bit...get a little video for his website and got more than he bargained for.

 

 

One word of advice...never, never, NEVER run from guys dress in blue with badges and guns. It never works out well.

[Analogman]

One word of advice...never, never, NEVER run from guys dress in blue with badges and guns. It never works out well.

 

That's not always true.

[Good Old Neon]

I guess my two cents is this

[anodyne]

as i said, i watch cops A LOT. tasers were developed so cops wouldn't have to shoot people. now it's a threat weapon used for convenience quite often.

[Beltmann]

I was consulted on the mailing-a-box-of-poo thing, before it happened. For the record.

I once sent a baggie of pubic hair through the mail. Not my own, of course.

[SlowBurn68]

Tasers should be illegal - Maybe someone should use public records and FOIA to consolidate a public database of all police officers, addresses, family members, Salary, performance reviews, etc. Let's make sure America knows everything about theses "Public" servants who we so desperately rely on for our safety.