Don't Tase me, Bro!

[Hobbs]

I'm surprised no one's talked about this...anywho.

A fan ran out onto the outfield at a Phillies game and the arresting officer used a taser to subdue him (article here: http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/sports/Phillies-Fan-Tased-for-Rushing-Field-92739934.html)

Now people are belly-aching whether or not it was excessive force. Here's the definition of Excessive Force from uslegal.com

Excessive force by a law enforcement officers is a violation of a person's rights. Excessive force is not subject to a precise definition, but it is generally beyond the force a reasonable and prudent law enforcement officer would use under the circumstances.

Force should be used in only the minimum amount needed to achieve a legitimate purpose. Police brutality is a direct violation of the laws within the police force. The use of excessive force is also a direct violation of the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments of the U.S Constitution regarding cruelty and protection of the laws.

Clearly, the force used by the officer was used for a legitimate purpose: to stop a trespasser.

[Greenday]

I was at the game. The kid was too fast for them to actually tackle him or something so they needed something with range.

The kid was trespassing. He got what he had coming to him. And to everyone who feels sympathy towards the kid who got hurt by the big meany cops, ask Tom Gamboa, a first base coach of the Kansas City Royals (http://content.usatoday.com/communities/dailypitch/post/2010/05/former-royals-coach-beaten-by-fans-hopes-taser-curbs-violence-on-baseball-diamond/1) what letting people running onto the field do whatever they want achieves.

[Rebel]

This reminds me of what happened a few years back in my home town.

http://www.break.com/index/perth-police-tases-guy-then-gets-flattened.html

Police were called to break up a brawl that had broken out outside at a popular pub.
At one stage, Officer Matt Butcher tased a 50 year old man that was thought to have started the whole thing and whom was acting violently towards police and other people involved.
This caused the mans son to decide to take a running start and head-butt the officer in the back of his head, causing the left side of his body to become paralyzed.
The claim was that the 50 year old had a heart attack after being tased and the son was only trying to protect him from police brutality. Which was complete BS.
This family was well known in the pub industry as being violent low class drunks.

The man and son were acquitted of all charges (which caused a major police strike).

They wanted tasers banned after that because it encourages police brutality.
I agree.
We should shoot lowlifes like them with real guns. It'd stop all the problems.

There is a major difference between acceptable police force and police brutality. Unfortunately, this is skewed by the POV of those it's directed at, who always think the police are going too far.

[muses_nightmare]

THANK YOU!

I get into arguments all the time with people about how they think tasers are excessive. Sorry no.

I have a very different view than most people of an incident that happened here awhile back. I won't mention specifically what that incident was, that might start a whole other thing, but tasers were used there.

I really don't know what people expect police to use against criminals. Here it's like they are expected to sit down and become a therapist to a violent person, rather than stopping the criminal activity going on.

[Nyoibo]

One of the problems with tasers is where do they sit in terms of force, in the vast majority of cases they cause no long term effects, hell they don't even cause medium term effects, it's the same as an electric fence, it hurts like a son of a bitch, then it's pretty much over.

[Plaidman]

They hurt, but it goes away fast.

But there have been times with excessive force. Especally in Portland.

One of the most well known is the black naked man who was on fire screaming in pain and fear. Police shot him to death. Because he might have had a weapon.

Belive me, the shit hit the fan when it was a black man, and racism was prounced. Don't get me wrong. It does seem to be like that here. I've seen full on riot gear, snipers, canine units, police upon police upon police by the dozens and dozens (I've posted two stories about them at CS), all for one black man with a gun hold up in an apartment who wanted to commit suicide.

Seriousally. They took up like twenty blocksed, filled to the brim with cops and giant police station tanks command centers.


If happened again about two months later. Again, one black male with a gun, that many cops.

If it was a white person, maybe three cops. If that.

[fireheart17]

One of the problems with tasers is where do they sit in terms of force, in the vast majority of cases they cause no long term effects, hell they don't even cause medium term effects, it's the same as an electric fence, it hurts like a son of a bitch, then it's pretty much over.

If you watch/ed Rush at all during the second season, watch the one where they taser the guy and he catches on fire...apparaently that DID happen in the Northern Territory.

[Greenday]

They hurt, but it goes away fast.

But there have been times with excessive force. Especally in Portland.

One of the most well known is the black naked man who was on fire screaming in pain and fear. Police shot him to death. Because he might have had a weapon.

Belive me, the shit hit the fan when it was a black man, and racism was prounced. Don't get me wrong. It does seem to be like that here. I've seen full on riot gear, snipers, canine units, police upon police upon police by the dozens and dozens (I've posted two stories about them at CS), all for one black man with a gun hold up in an apartment who wanted to commit suicide.

Seriousally. They took up like twenty blocksed, filled to the brim with cops and giant police station tanks command centers.


If happened again about two months later. Again, one black male with a gun, that many cops.

If it was a white person, maybe three cops. If that.

I'm sorry Plaidman but either I completely missed the point of your reply or it literally has nothing to do with the thread.

[Plaidman]

Simple point. Police brutality exists. Doesn't matter a damn about tasers. They could have used tasers to stop this man. Or god forbid help him, which would have been better.

There been a few people here who belive that /lowlifes/ should be shot. Don't get me wrong. I'm a beliver in excessive force against people that deserve it. Maybe you physically hurt someone enough, they won't rape or murder anymore.

But again, just because police have tasers, doesn't mean they just use that in a fair manner. If they hate someone for whatever reason, they will murder them and claim it was self defense.

I was tased once. Due to an attempt of suicide by cop, I was hoping to god they'd shoot me to death. If it wasn't for my mom, sister and friend screaming no, it would have worked. Instead, they tased me and took away my sword.

[Dreamstalker]

If you watch/ed Rush at all during the second season, watch the one where they taser the guy and he catches on fire...apparaently that DID happen in the Northern Territory.
That was an episode of CSI as well, but the defining factor was pepper spray with the wrong type of propellant.

[lordlundar]

One of the problems with tasers is where do they sit in terms of force, in the vast majority of cases they cause no long term effects, hell they don't even cause medium term effects, it's the same as an electric fence, it hurts like a son of a bitch, then it's pretty much over.

From what I've heard, the newer models don't even hurt much beyond the barbs going in. They're designed to have enough juice to cause involuntary muscle contraction, but not enough to cause any real pain. It's when people try to RESIST the contractions, then they hurt for an extended period of time because they're getting the equivalent of a 12 hour workout in 5 seconds.

As far as I'm concerned about people thinking TASERs are excessive force, I say give the police in there area old school stun guns and stun batons. THOSE are the ones that are designed to hurt you enough to make you stop.

[fireheart17]

That was an episode of CSI as well, but the defining factor was pepper spray with the wrong type of propellant.

The rush episode had the guy in a puddle of gasoline and when he fell over from the taser....WHOOM! Fire!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1P4MgENAl7k

This is a video clip of the story that inspired the rush episode.

[linguist]

while i don't feel that tasers are in and of themselves excessive force (and in the case of the op, i think they were used appropriately), i do feel that many police officers use their status as a "nonlethal" weapon as a crutch to draw and use them inappropriately without taking a moment to ascertain what is actually happening in a situation.

case in point, several years ago we had a mardi gras celebration here that got a bit out of hand. a friend of mine who worked in one of the bars in our entertainment district saw a woman fall in the crowd and then get knocked down several times as she tried to get up. to keep her from being trampled, he waded into the crowd and pulled her out. a police officer saw him dragging her out and tased him without bothering to find out the truth of the situation. the probe hit him right behind the ear, and to this day he still has memory and concentration problems.

[Hobbs]

Quite coincidentally, I joined this group (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Join-this-if-you-want-the-police-to-yell-PIKACHUUUUUU-before-tasing/310497411645) on FB.

[jackfaire]

because they're getting the equivalent of a 12 hour workout in 5 seconds.

Tase yourself to a slimmer fitter you?

[lordlundar]

Tase yourself to a slimmer fitter you?

I admit, I laughed.

No, but you wind up just as exhausted and suffer from lactic acid build up just as much.:D

[jackfaire]

I admit, I laughed.

No, but you wind up just as exhausted and suffer from lactic acid build up just as much.:D

Take less time dedicated to workout though. Although not sure how you would focus on those core areas.

[crazylegs]

One of the problems with tasers is where do they sit in terms of force, .

There is a 'table of force' (not it's official title, but clearer than it).

Taser is a lower level of force than incapacitant spray - why? Because as soon as you let go of the trigger the pain stops, with spray the pain can continue for anything up to 30-60 minutes in those individuals with heightened sensitivity to the chemical.