Since you do know what you are talking about since you are a cop, shouldn't anyone in law enforcement be able to put some sort of grapple or whatever on someone to restrain them?

 

I couldn't believe at least one guy couldn't do some sort of move to get this guy on the ground. Any metro police officer you see would have had that kid's ass on the ground in no time.

 

I would have zero problem if the kid just got thrown down (hard as it needed to be) and cuffed. The taser is where it went over the line. It's inconcievable to me that 5 or 6 people when having someone pinned, need a taser in that situation. If there is something I missing here seriously let me know since there may be procedure or what not that I don't know about but I just don't see it.

 

 

 

Yeah all they needed to do was a take down maneuver of some kind (leg sweep woulda done the trick). Taking out a taser when there are 6 officers on scene in a CONFINED SPACE WITH CAMERAS was a head scratcher.

 

Now Fox, you would have been OK with a take down maneuver but what about the rest of the public? Would some people still be crying abuse of power?

 

 

 

Oh and for someone else who mentioned it, officers going on paid administrative leave after a high profile incident is extremely common.

Since you do know what you are talking about since you are a cop, shouldn't anyone in law enforcement be able to put some sort of grapple or whatever on someone to restrain them?

 

I couldn't believe at least one guy couldn't do some sort of move to get this guy on the ground. Any metro police officer you see would have had that kid's ass on the ground in no time.

 

I would have zero problem if the kid just got thrown down (hard as it needed to be) and cuffed. The taser is where it went over the line. It's inconcievable to me that 5 or 6 people when having someone pinned, need a taser in that situation. If there is something I missing here seriously let me know since there may be procedure or what not that I don't know about but I just don't see it.

 

 

 

Yeah all they needed to do was a take down maneuver of some kind (leg sweep woulda done the trick). Taking out a taser when there are 6 officers on scene in a CONFINED SPACE WITH CAMERAS was a head scratcher.

 

Now Fox, you would have been OK with a take down maneuver but what about the rest of the public? Would some people still be crying abuse of power?

 

 

 

Oh and for someone else who mentioned it, officers going on paid administrative leave after a high profile incident is extremely common.

 

Yes. Like Boog says, everyone is just playing the result. If they cuff him to remove him and injure his arm, everyone is screaming still. If they drop him and it looks like he falls hard, screaming. If they do nothing and he gets waaaaay out of hand (likely would not have) then people would say "where the hell were the cops?".... It seems like a lose-lose. He was up and normal and making more noise moments after being tasered, so it didnt do much besides subdue him for a short time, its not like he cant resume daily activities at this point.

So, apparently, in a police report filed today, he told the police that he felt they did nothing wrong, and was completely subdued outside the building until more cameras showed up, additionally, he asked if there would be cameras when he arrived at the Alachua jail.

 

Also, to just further fuel this, he brought a camera with him and asked someone to film him while he was asking his quesiton.

"As (Meyer) was escorted down stairs (at the University Auditorium) with no cameras in sight, he remained quiet, but once the cameras made their way down stairs he started screaming and yelling again," Mallo wrote.

 

Mallo was one of two officers who actually rode in the vehicle as Meyer was escorted to the Alachua County jail, and she said he told them during the ride:

 

"I am not mad at you guys, you didn't do anything wrong, you were just trying to do your job," according to Mallo's account.

 

Mallo also wrote in her report that he was "laughing and being lighthearted in the car, his demeanor completely changed once the cameras were not in sight."

 

- Gainesville Sun

 

Well, that being the case, those who say HE BETTER SUE might think differently? If somebody asked you to hold something for them at your home for a couple weeks would you appreciate others crying "SUE HIM FOR THEFT" one week later?

Since you do know what you are talking about since you are a cop, shouldn't anyone in law enforcement be able to put some sort of grapple or whatever on someone to restrain them?

 

I couldn't believe at least one guy couldn't do some sort of move to get this guy on the ground. Any metro police officer you see would have had that kid's ass on the ground in no time.

 

I would have zero problem if the kid just got thrown down (hard as it needed to be) and cuffed. The taser is where it went over the line. It's inconcievable to me that 5 or 6 people when having someone pinned, need a taser in that situation. If there is something I missing here seriously let me know since there may be procedure or what not that I don't know about but I just don't see it.

 

 

 

Yeah all they needed to do was a take down maneuver of some kind (leg sweep woulda done the trick). Taking out a taser when there are 6 officers on scene in a CONFINED SPACE WITH CAMERAS was a head scratcher.

 

Now Fox, you would have been OK with a take down maneuver but what about the rest of the public? Would some people still be crying abuse of power?

 

 

 

Oh and for someone else who mentioned it, officers going on paid administrative leave after a high profile incident is extremely common.

Yes, for me personally, the take down and cuffing would have been apropriate if they feel he needed to be removed (which I still don't feel he should have been but that is really bside the point).

A guy who obviously likes filming stuff would have a friend tape him talking to a former presidential nominee and national figure?

 

Shocking!

 

Even if it was staged it again, has nothing to do with how the campus 'police' handled everything. People still seem to be having a hard time seperating the too. I don't care what his intent was, the taser use was not warranted.

If it were up to me, I would have turned the sprinklers on and tazed em all JUST FOR BEING THERE.

That being said, once someone resists an officer I have very little sympathy for what happens to them. If you cooperate with police you can expect to be treated decently. If you screw around with them, best of luck to you.

 

Bingo, he was asked by security a number of times to leave peacefully. Instead he made them drag him down the isles, screaming like an idiot. If he cooperates, he's escourted outside and asked to leave, but that wouldn't have created as much of a publicity firestorm -- which seems to be exactly what he was looking for.

 

Both parties are at fault here, he was causing no real harm, only making himself look a psycho with his insinuations about the '04 election. But he made the decision to escalate the situation by acting like an idiot.

Dammit, the whole darn school newspaper was full of this story today, you think at least something else is happening in the world besides a douche getting tazered.

Not only was this an excessive use of forced, this was and act of bigotry and an attempt to silence someone with a dissenting view.

 

The fact of the matter is that it was an open forum. The organizer's opinion should not have factor in the student's right to ask a question. The police officers came to escort the student out, but why were they escorting him out?

 

Or are we now selectively limiting speech rights at a PUBLIC university?

 

It was wrong for the organizers to ask for the kid, weather a douche or not, to be escorted out. It was wrong for the police to come and do so AFTER he had asked the questions.

Not only was this an excessive use of forced, this was and act of bigotry and an attempt to silence someone with a dissenting view.

 

The fact of the matter is that it was an open forum. The organizer's opinion should not have factor in the student's right to ask a question. The police officers came to escort the student out, but why were they escorting him out?

 

Or are we now selectively limiting speech rights at a PUBLIC university?

 

It was wrong for the organizers to ask for the kid, weather a douche or not, to be escorted out. It was wrong for the police to come and do so AFTER he had asked the questions.

 

If the police were told to do so from somebody that they are paid to follow orders from, you cant really blame the cops for coming and doing so. I also dont see how it was an act of bigotry. Please explain.

Not only was this an excessive use of forced, this was and act of bigotry and an attempt to silence someone with a dissenting view.

 

The fact of the matter is that it was an open forum. The organizer's opinion should not have factor in the student's right to ask a question. The police officers came to escort the student out, but why were they escorting him out?

 

Or are we now selectively limiting speech rights at a PUBLIC university?

 

It was wrong for the organizers to ask for the kid, weather a douche or not, to be escorted out. It was wrong for the police to come and do so AFTER he had asked the questions.

This is not selectively limiting speech rights, this was about stopping a moron from yelling and cursing at a United States senator and about using force when someone is resisting arrest.

 

Also, Poland.

Not only was this an excessive use of forced, this was and act of bigotry and an attempt to silence someone with a dissenting view.

 

The fact of the matter is that it was an open forum. The organizer's opinion should not have factor in the student's right to ask a question. The police officers came to escort the student out, but why were they escorting him out?

 

Or are we now selectively limiting speech rights at a PUBLIC university?

 

It was wrong for the organizers to ask for the kid, weather a douche or not, to be escorted out. It was wrong for the police to come and do so AFTER he had asked the questions.

This is not selectively limiting speech rights, this was about stopping a moron from yelling and cursing at a United States senator and about using force when someone is resisting arrest.

 

Im pretty certain he wasnt going to be arrested at first. He was resisting directions and resisting an escort out and only after that was he resisting arrest as he continued to make a scene. In the end, HE GOT EXACTLY WHAT HE WANTED so why should anyone complain that this was bigotry?!?!!?

Not only was this an excessive use of forced, this was and act of bigotry and an attempt to silence someone with a dissenting view.

 

The fact of the matter is that it was an open forum. The organizer's opinion should not have factor in the student's right to ask a question. The police officers came to escort the student out, but why were they escorting him out?

 

Or are we now selectively limiting speech rights at a PUBLIC university?

 

It was wrong for the organizers to ask for the kid, weather a douche or not, to be escorted out. It was wrong for the police to come and do so AFTER he had asked the questions.

This is not selectively limiting speech rights, this was about stopping a moron from yelling and cursing at a United States senator and about using force when someone is resisting arrest.

 

Im pretty certain he wasnt going to be arrested at first. He was resisting directions and resisting an escort out and only after that was he resisting arrest as he continued to make a scene. In the end, HE GOT EXACTLY WHAT HE WANTED so why should anyone complain that this was bigotry?!?!!?

At first, he was resisting a request to leave, but by the time he was being tasered, it was resisting arrest.

Not only was this an excessive use of forced, this was and act of bigotry and an attempt to silence someone with a dissenting view.

 

The fact of the matter is that it was an open forum. The organizer's opinion should not have factor in the student's right to ask a question. The police officers came to escort the student out, but why were they escorting him out?

 

Or are we now selectively limiting speech rights at a PUBLIC university?

 

It was wrong for the organizers to ask for the kid, weather a douche or not, to be escorted out. It was wrong for the police to come and do so AFTER he had asked the questions.

This is not selectively limiting speech rights, this was about stopping a moron from yelling and cursing at a United States senator and about using force when someone is resisting arrest.

 

Im pretty certain he wasnt going to be arrested at first. He was resisting directions and resisting an escort out and only after that was he resisting arrest as he continued to make a scene. In the end, HE GOT EXACTLY WHAT HE WANTED so why should anyone complain that this was bigotry?!?!!?

At first, he was resisting a request to leave, but by the time he was being tasered, it was resisting arrest.

 

Agreed.

I am sorry, but I just so someone asking a question. Not a moron "yelling and cursing at a United States senator". I personally think the guy is an idiot, but he had a right to ask his question.

I am sorry, but I just so someone asking a question. Not a moron "yelling and cursing at a United States senator". I personally think the guy is an idiot, but he had a right to ask his question.

 

There is no way you only saw a guy "asking a question". First of all, he isnt asking a question, he is ranting in Dane Cook fashion and there are no questions anywhere. You can ask the kid himself and he would tell you he wasnt "just asking a question". He did have a right to ask a question, thats why he was given the mic, but he didnt just ask a question, he acted like an idiot and was treated accordingly and after a few minutes it escalated.

From another forum I read:

 

I was at the Kerry speech today, sitting 2 rows away from all the action. I'll let you know how it really went down.

 

The forum was going to be over at 2 pm, and Kerry spoke for so long that the Q and A portion had to be shortened. He only got through about 7 of the 50 people who were waiting to ask questions. While the final question was being read, some douchebag ran down the aisle, grabbed the mic from the other side of the room, interrupted the kid who was talking, and started yelling at Kerry, demanding that his questions be heard. He started ranting about how Kerry talks in circles or something, and everyone was getting annoyed. The cops are all over him in no time and try to escort him out, but he starts yelling and resisting. Kerry insists that they let him stay and even agrees to answer his question.

 

After the interrupted guy's question was answered, Kerry keeps his promise and lets the angry guy talk. This is the point where people started taking their cameras and phones out. All the videos floating around youtube start around here. You can see in the videos that his questioning gets kind of inappropriate, so somebody cut his mic. Instead of shutting up, he starts yelling and making an even bigger scene. He struggled all the way up the aisle, and started violently trying to free himself. They threatened to taze him and he wouldnt stop fighting, so he got tazed. They only had to arrest him because he was causing a disruption and wouldn't leave peacefully. He wasn't being silenced for asking tough questions, trust me.

 

It's a shame that they had to taze the guy, but he had a chance to calm down and didn't take it. He probably didn't pose a physical threat to anybody in the room, but someone can't just hijack the floor of a forum like that and expect not to get kicked out. This wasn't some poor guy who was brutalized for trying to ask some tough questions. He's just an obnoxious guy who had a fit when there wasn't time for his questions and refused to be calm even when he was given the chance to speak. He was looking for trouble, and everyone applauded when he was forced to leave.

 

Nothing pisses me off more than hearing stories about power tripping cops abusing their power, unnecessarily tazing or arresting people, etc. It's a huge problem and I'm glad it's being discussed. Just don't mistake this for one of those cases

http://www.alligator.org/articles/2007/09/...pus/protest.txt

 

At noon, the 300 students, some wearing shirts that read "End pig violence" and "Don't tase me, bro," gathered on the Plaza of the Americas to make signs and get ready for the march.

 

A sign made by Emily Soergel, a 22-year-old UF alumna, asked, "Who will guard the guards themselves?"

 

Soergel said UPD's Tasering was disgusting.

 

"When the people who are supposed to protect you go beyond the law themselves, it's scary to think who will protect you now," she said.

 

On the way to UPD down Newell Drive, students chanted, "Hey, hey, ho, ho, police brutality has got to go" and "No justice, no peace, no Taaasers for po-lice."

 

Packed closely together, students stood outside UPD.

 

Benjamin Dictor, a political science junior, approached Lt. Stacey Ettel, who handed him five pamphlets on how to file a complaint.

 

When Dictor told the crowd, protesters booed and chanted, "This is what incompetence looks like."

 

Then Steve Orlando, UF spokesman, came toward them.

 

Dictor quieted the crowd so people could hear Orlando's message.

 

"Let the man speak!" he shouted. "We are bigger than them! We don't suppress freedom of speech!"

 

Orlando informed the crowd of investigations that would be performed, in addition to UF President Bernie Machen's news conference in Emerson.

 

Students walked back to the Plaza of the Americas to wait until the conference.

 

There, they shared stories about police experiences and censorship, and they began a second march at 1:30 p.m.

 

About half the students made the trek to Emerson.

 

Dictor was one of two representatives allowed into the conference. With the paid suspension of two officers, he said he thought UF took a step in the right direction.

 

After Machen's address, Dictor spoke to dozens of news crews and asked for help on behalf of UF students.

 

Later that afternoon, the American Civil Liberties Union issued a press release expressing disapproval of the Taser use.

"We are not safe," Dictor said."We are students who are fearful of asking questions."

 

 

GIVE ME A BREAK. Live in fear then, it must be so scary to be on that campus right now! Who knows what might happen if you purposely try to make a scene and then don't follow normal directions. This is either a bunch of idiots marching around because they are causeheads (see CPU) or because they just looooooooooove trying to find trouble and problems with everything.

I was really hoping someone would get tasered at one of those protests. I like how the police just nonchalantly handed the protesters 5 complaint forms though.

http://donttasemebro.ytmnd.com/

Thanks for posting this. I also meant to mention earlier that what the videos are lacking is the full event (the beginning of him taking the stand and Kerry's response). The manner in which the video footage cuts in does not provide the full essence of what likely happened there.

 

 

Yeah. This is my perspective, having heard everything that happened that's not included in the videos circulating youtube. The kid made a scene before even getting to the microphone, well before any of the videos that are online even begin. The question and answer session was already about to end, and he didn't go through the normal procedure of being allowed to ask a question. Instead, deciding he wants to demand answers to his rambling questions, he hijacks the microphone, expecting everyone to be ok with this, and starts ranting. Kerry was not even supposed to be answering questions at this point anymore, the event was technically over. ACCENT (the UF Speaker's bureau) lets him speak for almost two minutes before the president, who I discovered while reading an article about this is the younger brother of a friend of mine from high school, decides enough is enough. Considering this is an event put together by a school-funded organization, they have the right to cut his microphone. At that point, he continues asking his questions, raising his voice to a yell in order to be heard. Since he has ignored the obvious cues that his time is over, the police are asked to escort him out of the building. Not arrest him, escort. He immediately starts yammering about "Why am I being arrested?" and at least two or three times shoves the officers off him and attempts to run away. More officers go over to restrain him. They manage to bring him to the back of the auditorium, at which point he gives one last attempt to throw them off of him, but he is instead dragged to the ground. Here is where they threaten to taze him if he doesn't comply and he starts yelling "Don't taze me bro!" They repeat that they will taze him, and he says if they let him go he will leave. I don't care if he said that, at this point how can you believe him if you are the officers? They don't believe him, so they do not let him free, and he continues his attempts to free himself. Then they taze him and are able to bring him out of the room.

 

Given the circumstances, I do not fault the officers. It's not like they shot him or clubbed him. This is the exact situation that a tazer should be used. 100% of the blame goes on the kid. He had numerous opportunities to leave the building and nothing would have happened to him. Instead he caused a ruckus and got what he deserved.

 

Also, this kid is from Cooper City and is friends with some of my fraternity buddies who went to high school with him. I've met him a few times and even tailgated with him at a Marlins game. Kid is annoying as hell.

Good post Lee. I agree with everything you said.

It sucks that hes a Marlins fan and weird that he has friends.

It being staged or whatever has absolutely nothing to do with being tased when you are pinned down.

 

I don't care if he had planned it since he was 14, he still shouldn't have been tasered while pinned down by multiple people.