Student tasered at John Kerry event

MadDogBV · 09-18-2007, 04:48 AM

Link to the story here

Someone who came to a John Kerry rally in my area was exercising his right to freedom of speech and was tasered as a result. How are these police going to act when they actually come up against petty crimes?

***red shoe paul*** · 09-18-2007, 07:56 AM

There's no such thing as freedom of speech, why don't people understand that already? He had it coming to him and he wouldnt've been arrested if he didn't try running.

K0LD · 09-18-2007, 11:22 AM

If we didn't have that right, then explain why my University refused to do anything about a group of crazy bible-based cultists who were parading around campus claiming higher education was evil. The University said they couldn't do anything because of their first amendment rights.

As for the topic, I read about that on CNN, and while I'm glad that the police force is investigating the possible use of excessive force in this guy's case, I won't be impressed with them until they drop all charges against him and formally apologize. The taser was completely unnecessary when all they really had to do was cuff him.

桜の色 · 09-18-2007, 11:38 AM

Yeah...he should have been arrested for trying to run away, but once they had him on the ground...he really wasn't struggling other than asking "Why are you handcuffing me". Taser was completely unnecessary.

Stupidity.

Ztype · 09-18-2007, 11:38 AM

He was resisting arrest. His time was up, people repeatedly told him to stop, the police grabbed him and pulled him away, repeatedly warning him not to resist. Despite that he continued to act like a dumbass and he got what he had coming to him.

Alex · 09-18-2007, 11:58 AM

Retitling the thread, suggesting that the OP actually add a bit more contextual content to his posts instead of just ranting generic political diatribe in the future.

Razer · 09-18-2007, 02:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ztype

He was resisting arrest. His time was up, people repeatedly told him to stop, the police grabbed him and pulled him away, repeatedly warning him not to resist. Despite that he continued to act like a dumbass and he got what he had coming to him.

Are you fucking kidding me?

Are you so mentally inept that you cannot tell that the police used excessive force? Tasers are to be used on people who are violently resisting arrest. Also, why did the police want him arrested/off the stage in the first place? "Disrupting a public event?" BULLSHIT. He wasn't threatening or hurting anyone and he was asking a legitimate question. Unless he was shouting "COCKS COCKS COCKS NIGGERS SUCK. THE WHITE RACE IS THE BEST. FUCK JAPS. WHITE POWER. BURN THEM FAGS", I don't see how he was being disruptive, seeing how it was a legal open forum of discussion and questioning.

If you're going to arrest him, why not arrest all of the reporters who question public officials during their campaign?

The part the really pisses me off that Kerry answers his question after he was dragged off stage and out of the building arrested. That would be like asking someone directions to a highway and they tell you ten minutes after you left since you weren't supplying them the answer while you were there.

Your stupidity befuddles me.

Ztype · 09-18-2007, 02:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EGOISTIC LEMON TEA

Are you fucking kidding me?

Are you so mentally inept that you cannot tell that the police used excessive force? Tasers are to be used on people who are violently resisting arrest. Also, why did the police want him arrested/off the stage in the first place? "Disrupting a public event?" BULLSHIT. He wasn't threatening or hurting anyone and he was asking a legitimate question. Unless he was shouting "COCKS COCKS COCKS NIGGERS SUCK. THE WHITE RACE IS THE BEST. FUCK JAPS. WHITE POWER. BURN THEM FAGS", I don't see how he was being disruptive, seeing how it was a legal open forum of discussion and questioning.

If you're going to arrest him, why not arrest all of the reporters who question public officials during their campaign?

The part the really pisses me off that Kerry answers his question after he was dragged off stage and out of the building arrested. That would be like asking someone directions to a highway and they tell you ten minutes after you left since you weren't supplying them the answer while you were there.

Your stupidity befuddles me.

There are no different levels of resisting arrest. You are either in the arresting position or you're not complying. If it takes more then 1 cop to put cuffs on a person, then clearly he's resisting arrest. It doesn't matter if he's threatening anyone. He was being disruptive, and he was refusing to vacate the area for disobeying the rules. If he had just let them escort him out of the building he would not have been arrested in the first place, and none of this would have happened. He was breaking the rules of the event and turned it into his own private little soapbox for his retarded liberal ranting. It's his own damn fault for acting like a fool. This is just some dumb over-privileged white kid who's probably going to end up on the Larry King show and 60 minutes for this whole tirade. Excessive force is not a fucking taser when you are refusing to place yourself in the arresting position, excessive force is being beaten into unconsciousness by several officers with nightsticks. Understand the difference.

Ztype · 09-18-2007, 03:28 PM

Here's more of the video

YouTube - UF Lacks Freedom of Speech

GRAVLAX THE SHADOW FIEND · 09-19-2007, 12:51 AM

What?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ztype

It doesn't matter if he's threatening anyone. He was being disruptive, and he was refusing to vacate the area for disobeying the rules.

And handcuffing the guy, informing him that he's under arrest and taking him outside was not enough? The taser was unjustified and unnecessary.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ztype

He was breaking the rules of the event and turned it into his own private little soapbox for his retarded liberal ranting.

Political views and being inconsiderate? Insufficient.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ztype

Excessive force is not a fucking taser when you are refusing to place yourself in the arresting position, excessive force is being beaten into unconsciousness by several officers with nightsticks. Understand the difference.

Getting shocked by a really painful (but otherwise not really useful) hand taser on the charges of being loud, while being dragged away by three police officers, is still disproportionate and wrong. He was an asshole, yes, but being rude isn't a punishable offense. You are still not correct.

kanore · 09-19-2007, 05:47 AM

People seem to forget to mention that Kerry, the speaker, who was a former Vietnam activist and presidential candidate (who used the Vietnam thing as part of his campaign against Bush), did absolutely nothing to help the kid who was saying something against him.

As a person who wanted to be the one to uphold the Constitution that grants freedom of speech, hell, as a former person that 'spoke out' just like this kid, and as the speaker, he had the power to stop the police from taking the kid out.

And he didn't.

Ztype · 09-19-2007, 08:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PF the PF

What?

And handcuffing the guy, informing him that he's under arrest and taking him outside was not enough? The taser was unjustified and unnecessary.

Political views and being inconsiderate? Insufficient.

Getting shocked by a really painful (but otherwise not really useful) hand taser on the charges of being loud, while being dragged away by three police officers, is still disproportionate and wrong. He was an asshole, yes, but being rude isn't a punishable offense. You are still not correct.

Are you blind? Did you not see that he was refusing to allow the police to cuff him? He was writhing around on the floor, flailing his arms around, trying to stand up, and at several points trying to run away. The police kept warning him to get on his stomach and put his arms behind his back, repeatedly telling him they were going to tase him. Yet he continued. I'm so tired of people propagating the whole fascist 1984 secret police idea. Watch an episode of Cops and you won't see anything different. I suppose it's shocking when it's some college educated white boy getting his ass zapped, and not some homeboy with his shirt off and pants down to his knees.

He was showboating the entire time. Notice the beginning where he asks Kerry whether or not he has read the book. Kerry answers yes, and as if the kid doesn't really care or isn't listening he just continues to explain to Kerry what the book is about. The event was planned as a speech and a brief forum for asking questions, not for turning it into your personal political shoutbox. Before he even got to the microphone most people who were there testify that he was being disruptive and obnoxious, and that the event planner had already asked the police to remove him from the room. The right to be an asshole was not what our founding fathers had in mind when they gave us free speech.

Sorry I'm a red blooded libertarian and I'll be the first to jump on anything that I feel the government or any authority figure crosses the line on, but this kid deserved what he got.

GRAVLAX THE SHADOW FIEND · 09-19-2007, 10:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ztype

Are you blind? Did you not see that he was refusing to allow the police to cuff him? He was writhing around on the floor, flailing his arms around, trying to stand up, and at several points trying to run away.

When there are three fit police officers doing the job, it should not be an overwhelming task to restrain and handcuff a college student. One man grabbing a hold on each arm while the third slips on the steel doesn't seem like an impossible scenario to me - even if the man would overpower them, pushing him flat on the parquet (which they did do) would simplify the task enough for any member of law enforcement to carry out.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ztype

The police kept warning him to get on his stomach and put his arms behind his back, repeatedly telling him they were going to tase him. Yet he continued.

And this makes it all the more necessary? How?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ztype

He was showboating the entire time. Notice the beginning where he asks Kerry whether or not he has read the book. Kerry answers yes, and as if the kid doesn't really care or isn't listening he just continues to explain to Kerry what the book is about. The event was planned as a speech and a brief forum for asking questions, not for turning it into your personal political shoutbox.

Yes, he was an asshat. We agreed on this already.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ztype

I'm so tired of people propagating the whole fascist 1984 secret police idea. Watch an episode of Cops and you won't see anything different. I suppose it's shocking when it's some college educated white boy getting his ass zapped, and not some homeboy with his shirt off and pants down to his knees.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ztype

Sorry I'm a red blooded libertarian and I'll be the first to jump on anything that I feel the government or any authority figure crosses the line on, but this kid deserved what he got.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ztype

The right to be an asshole was not what our founding fathers had in mind when they gave us free speech.

Excuse me? If you haven't noticed, I'm disagreeing with you because you seem to be saying that the cops did the right thing when they administered electric shocks to shut up a loud, annoying douchebag for no other reason than being loud and annoying.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ztype

Before he even got to the microphone most people who were there testify that he was being disruptive and obnoxious, and that the event planner had already asked the police to remove him from the room.

Oh, ok. I was wondering about that.

Arctures · 09-19-2007, 11:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ztype

Watch an episode of Cops and you won't see anything different. I suppose it's shocking when it's some college educated white boy getting his ass zapped, and not some homeboy with his shirt off and pants down to his knees.

The difference between this kid and an episode of Cops is that the kid used nonviolent resistance, and in no way is a proper response to this by the police supposed to be physical violence.

What I find is the most completely wrong with this story is that the entire time the kid was yelling "what did I do wrong" and not once did the police give him an answer. Granted, he was being a pompous douchebag during his questioning time, and he probably deserved to be dragged from the podium, perhaps even out of the building, and he was resisting arrest for sure, but he at least had the right to know why he was being arrested. And don't say that he knew from the start, because I'm pretty sure he didn't.

Ztype · 09-19-2007, 11:52 AM

Contrary to popular belief an officer does not need to inform you of why you're being arrested, especially while they're busy attempting to subdue you. They probably had no intention of actually arresting him until he struggled and refused to leave the premises.

They did not administer an electric shock to him because he was being an obnoxious asshole. They attempted to escort him out of the room because of that. Then he tried to run back twice (something which of course is edited out of most videos in order to curry favor for the "victim"), at which point they tackled him to the ground and attempted to cuff him, and put up a very good fight. I'm not sure why you will not admit he was resisting, and putting up a very good resistance at that. Like I said if it takes more than 1 officer to place a person under arrest then he is resisting. With 3 or more people clearly he was struggling enough to warrant getting tased.

The way most people are putting it is that he asked a question, was tased and dragged off the premises. This is just a guy who wants to be a martyr, and is probably getting laid because of it.

Tasered Student Has History Of Practical Jokes - News Story - WPLG Miami