shhhh

[Spawn's dad]

http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/americas/11/...iref=newssearch

[blindgonzo]

sorry, but i have to bite.

 

this whole this disgusts me. there was no need for the use of a taser in the first place, let alone a second, or possible third shot. the man was not threatening any person, although the throwing of the computer and the table may have shaken up people who were watching the scene unfold. he seemed more confused to me than anything else.

 

this is an international airport. shouldn't there be employee's/security who can speak other languages? i mean, thousands of people probably get to Canada and don't speak English. does anyone know if airports generally have translators on staff?

 

i just think the situation should never have been escalated with the use of the taser. i think the members of the RCMP involved should be prosecuted.

[Duck-Billed Catechist]

This guy's a much less sympathetic figure, but the classification of tasers as non-lethal force seems questionable:

 

http://www.bnd.com/326/story/181348.html

[the_fliz1]

sorry, but i have to bite.

 

this whole this disgusts me. there was no need for the use of a taser in the first place, let alone a second, or possible third shot. the man was not threatening any person, although the throwing of the computer and the table may have shaken up people who were watching the scene unfold. he seemed more confused to me than anything else.

 

this is an international airport. shouldn't there be employee's/security who can speak other languages? i mean, thousands of people probably get to Canada and don't speak English. does anyone know if airports generally have translators on staff?

 

i just think the situation should never have been escalated with the use of the taser. i think the members of the RCMP involved should be prosecuted.

 

While I agree that a second or possibly third taser would be excessive, the man was being unruly and and throwing things, amidst all of the confusion and the language issue I can see why security tased him. It is unfortunate and tragic that the man died. As for having a translator on staff, I would imagine that they would have an individual or 2 that speak some of the more common languages, i.e. French, Spanish etc., but you can't expect them to be able to have somebody who covers all of the worlds major languages. Besides in a confrontation like that there is no way that the security force in the midst of the encounter can say "please sir hold on one minute, while we can retrieve a translator so we can understand what you are frantically raving about". It would be nice if that were the case but unfortunately the world doesn't work like that. I have a hard time seeing the security force getting convicted of wrongful or excessive force since it was deemed that the security guards at the University of Florida were with in their right. The kid at UF wasn't even throwing things.

[caliber66]

The kid at UF wasn't even throwing things.

The kid at UF at least understood what the officers wanted him to do.

[blindgonzo]

While I agree that a second or possibly third taser would be excessive, the man was being unruly and and throwing things, amidst all of the confusion and the language issue I can see why security tased him. It is unfortunate and tragic that the man died. As for having a translator on staff, I would imagine that they would have an individual or 2 that speak some of the more common languages, i.e. French, Spanish etc., but you can't expect them to be able to have somebody who covers all of the worlds major languages. Besides in a confrontation like that there is no way that the security force in the midst of the encounter can say "please sir hold on one minute, while we can retrieve a translator so we can understand what you are frantically raving about". It would be nice if that were the case but unfortunately the world doesn't work like that. I have a hard time seeing the security force getting convicted of wrongful or excessive force since it was deemed that the security guards at the University of Florida were with in their right. The kid at UF wasn't even throwing things.

 

I do understand that airports can't hire a translator for every language, but it just seems like the officers/security didn't even try to use any other options. i guess that's what frustrates me the most. it seems like because tasers are not MEANT to inflict severe damage to a person, then its ok to use them in any confrontation. i understand that there are certain circumstances when using a taser is absolutely necessary (and preferable to using a gun), but i kind of think that enforcers are using them too frequently. its like the first instinct is to take out the taser now, when other options aren' even considered.

[bjorn_skurj]

I had to spend 11 hours in an airport once. I almost went as nuts as that guy. Hopefully, progress is being made on less lethal nonlethal weapons. Set phasers to stun.