November 23, 2006

The police appear to have trouble finding recruits who have interests other than beating the shit out of anything that moves.

"The most recent report involves a Michigan man with epilepsy, who, when experiencing a seizure, apparently was unjustifiably tasered, clubbed, arrested, jailed and committed to a psychiatric facility for violent offenders -- all based on non-threatening behaviors caused by a seizure."

posted by Skrik 17 years ago
  • And I bolloxed the link text. Shit.
  • *tasers Skrik*
  • *tasers Skrik*? Is it not the bloody case that these things are to be used instead of potentially lethal force? It seems straightforward; tasers/stun guns could save a lot of lives. But only if used as a 'less-lethal' alternative to a firearm. Using them as punishment, or encouragement is shamefull. The Metropolitan Police(London) carry CS spray. Each use of the spray is specifically documented, so that it never becomes casual.
  • ive been tasered in the middle of a seizure before, after an incident on the edmonton transit busses, where one of the secuirty workers thought she heard something, I was arrested, and then fell and went limp...my seizures don't result in the twitching, they are closer to a catatonic state, the cop who arrested me thought i was doing the go limp and dont move protest thing, and hit me with the stungun...unpleasent.
  • I've heard or read way too many of these stories. I'm not sure if it's that the police involved are overly keen on hurting people, or that they operate in such a constant state of anxiety and fear that their first reaction to a situation they don't understand is to hurt. But maybe it boils down to the same thing.
  • FUcking pigs.
  • I think it's something like option 2, roryk.
  • Mace is also misused, at least around here. It's scary stuff because it makes one feel as if they can't breathe. One of my nephews was maced when parked in his patents' driveway. The charge was that he hadn't made a complete stop at a boulevard stop sign. The deputies then put him in their car and left him there while they threw his aunt, who had come out to see what the ruckus was about, across the yard. In the meantime, nephew was afraid he was going to die and got no attention so he kicked at the door of the police car, hoping someone would hear. The second charge was damaging the car.
  • ... so not actively helping the police arrest one is now considered taserworthy resistance? What happened to falling limp as a form of protest that by design was no threat to anyone in the situation? I really wish we heard more about police ombudsmen (do those exist?) that would arbitrate things like PinkMoose's situation - at least then something like "he was resisting arrest"/"I was physically incapable of resisting arrest" would get resolution.
  • Just hope there's someone in the vicinity recording the event with their cameraphone of camcorder, otherwise...
  • ... so not actively helping the police arrest one is now considered taserworthy resistance? Sure. Police abuse rarely has consequences, and for the most part, people just accept it.
  • "Welly, welly, welly, welly, welly, welly, well. To what do I owe the extreme pleasure of this surprising visit?"
  • Sad. Very sad.
  • This made very little stir in the local community here. Seven guards beat him up and tasered him several times. Oh yeah,,he did'nt speak english. No one was found guilty in his death. I spent a year in this county jail for a DUI and saw at least two major fist fights when the guards herded us into a holding cell and left us unsupervised. This is a fairly new facility in an upperclass county, and I can't imagine how bad it must be in poorer counties in the US. I was in fear the minute I walked into that place
  • Thanks for fixing the links, MonkeyBashi.
  • Are those with control/power issues more often attracted to police jobs, or does the feeling of power one has from a police job just go to the head more often?
  • ?? A bit of both, Lara, from my experience, at least. My ex-wife was a cop, and I got to see a glimpse of the subculture that exists within policing. The really bad ones are a minority, but the way the rest of them sick up for (an cover up for) the asshole contingent makes them all bad, IMO.
  • I was a Military Police Officer and a cop for the Department of Defense, my father is a retired police officer and my deceased uncle was a retired police chief, and I can tell you right now, this is the fourth incident this year where I have heard of an unreasonable escalation of force. The tasering of that college student The tasering of a concert in Austin. There was a local mentally unsound person in Madison WI that was shot. This incident. This isn't a topic I have been pursuing either. I am sure there are many more incidents I could stumble across, if I researched the topic. This is why I never pursued a career in the civilian police force, most cops are assholes. A great deal of them are misogynistic, racists. Not all cops are, it really depends on the city. When I was living in Tampa, the city police were amazing, the county sheriff's were awful. I think these problems occur for several reasons, poor leadership, poor training, and poor pay. The biggest crime here is that these police officers are not prosecuted. Using tasers as a disciplinary tool or cattle prod should get any police officer fired. There is absolutely no reason for it. Mace and tasers should only be used to protect the public safety or the safety of the police officers, they are not to be used as the lazy police officer's apprehension tool.
  • but the way the rest of them sick up for (an cover up for) the asshole contingent makes them all bad, IMO. Oh yeah that was my other problem. Cops are in a position where relying on your coworkers can save your life, but this camaraderie also breeds an us against them attitude, which means some cops will look over or cover for their partners. Even if they don't agree with their behavior, the coworkers will ignore their behavior thinking they will get busted eventually, but it won't be by them. Also in regards to retank's comments. I have had to deal with prison guards, and I can tell you they are ten times worse. The hiring standards for prison guards are awful. If you have a high school degree you are in. Many places allow people with police records to work in the jails. They are also severely under paid.
  • Non lethal weapons are rubbish. Policemen should be given only lethal weapons, i.e., guns. Tasers and the like give them the power to torture without compunction. The alternative is for policemen to carry no weapons at all, but America isn't civilized enough for this to work.
  • fuyugare : Non lethal weapons are rubbish. The training may be rubbish, the procedures dealing with their recording, and actual deployment, may be rubbish. The idea is a sound one.
  • What is the solution?
  • A 70-year-old US woman has been left bruised and bloody after an unexpected clash with police who came to arrest her because her lawn was dry and brown. On top of and apart from the brutality aspect, wtf? People get in trouble with the police for not watering their lawns?
  • Stupid zoning laws.
  • Tasered after 24 seconds. Dead in a minute. (His mother) called back to immigration when she got in, which would have been around 2 a.m., and spoke to someone there and was advised that her son was somewhere in the area and was fine. And she advised, you know, 'Please take care of him because he can't speak English and I'll get there as soon as I can.' And of course he had died, been killed really, some time on or about 1 or 1:30," via
  • That's so heartbreakingly sad. And so preventable.