Thread: Taser Use

Taser Pain May Be Considered by Supreme Court as Excessive Force - Yahoo! News

Brooks denied that she had been speeding and said she would not sign the citation because she believed that her signature would amount to an admission of guilt. Ornelas told her that she was mistaken, but that her failure to sign would subject her to arrest under state law. She continued to refuse to sign. Eventually two other officers came to the scene, Brooks was told she was under arrest, and she was ordered out of the car. Again, she refused to get out of the car.

"I have to go to the bathroom, I am pregnant, I'm less than 60 days from having my baby," she told the officers. The officers told her if she did not obey orders, she would be subject to the taser device. They then conferred about using the taser on a pregnant woman.

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Eventually Officer Ornelas opened the driver's side door, and twisted Brooks' arm up behind her back . Officer Donald Jones applied the taser to Brooks' left thigh at which point she shouted and honked the horn, but continued to refuse to get out. Thirty-six seconds later he applied it to her left arm, and six seconds later he applied it to her neck. Finally, the officers managed to drag her out and handcuff her. She was seen by a doctor before she was taken to King County Jail. Brooks was eventually convicted for failing to sign a speeding ticket.

She sued the cops, and right now has won the suit, however the cops where granted immunity due to the law being considered too vague. Thursday SCOTUS meets to decide whether to hear the case.

So, now the question: the woman was no threat and was simply refusing to comply. In that type situation, is the inflicting of intense pain a violation of the constitution? A further question that does not translate well to a poll so just type out an answer...where does the line get drawn? When are police justified in using a taser, and when is it excessive?

Originally Posted by Redress

Taser Pain May Be Considered by Supreme Court as Excessive Force - Yahoo! News



She sued the cops, and right now has won the suit, however the cops where granted immunity due to the law being considered too vague. Thursday SCOTUS meets to decide whether to hear the case.

So, now the question: the woman was no threat and was simply refusing to comply. In that type situation, is the inflicting of intense pain a violation of the constitution? A further question that does not translate well to a poll so just type out an answer...where does the line get drawn? When are police justified in using a taser, and when is it excessive?

Every cop who ever hands out a speeding ticket tells you that signing the ticket only acknowledges your receiving the ticket, it is NOT an admission of guilt. They also say if you want to contest it, you can do it in court.

This woman refused to listen to the police officer who told her signing is not an admission of guilt. I'm guessing she thought she was gonna outsmart the cops. Wouldn't surprise me if she thought being pregnant was gonna stop her ass from getting kicked. She seemed to have been giving warnings and she REFUSED to comply.

My sympathy is lacking for her...

Originally Posted by RadicalModerate

Every cop who ever hands out a speeding ticket tells you that signing the ticket only acknowledges your receiving the ticket, it is NOT an admission of guilt. They also say if you want to contest it, you can do it in court.

This woman refused to listen to the police officer who told her signing is not an admission of guilt. I'm guessing she thought she was gonna outsmart the cops. Wouldn't surprise me if she thought being pregnant was gonna stop her ass from getting kicked.

My sympathy is lacking for her...

I am not sympathetic to her, but that is not really the question. The question is whether using a taser is excessive force to aid in arresting a nonviolent, noncooperative suspect.

If they are not being violent in ANY sort of way then it never warrants a 50,000 volt charge to your muscular system.

Originally Posted by Redress

I am not sympathetic to her, but that is not really the question. The question is whether using a taser is excessive force to aid in arresting a nonviolent, noncooperative suspect.

Which is why I answered the poll "sometimes yes, sometimes no". What do you do with someone who, for whatever dumb reason, simply refuses to cooperate just to be a pain in the ass? Sounds like what she was doing. She was told she has to sign according to law to acknowledge getting the ticket; what are the cops supposed to do? "Oh, she doesn't want to sign the ticket. Welp, just let 'er go, I guess!" They have to follow the rules, and so do driver's. This woman sounds like she just wanted to stick it to cops. She messed with the bull, she got the horns.



I take things on a case-by-case basis, Red. I don't generalize. Usually. Get it???

The tazering was overboard. Yes, she is just signing in receipt of getting a ticket NOT that she is guilty. She should have signed. She should have exited the car, too. But tazering her? HAYELL no. Grab the hand, unfold it from the steering wheel, carefully remove her from the car. Or....let her go home, then send officers to her home to arrest her where she cannot get hurt or her baby harmed if the removing her hands from the steering wheel cannot be done safely. Then slap her with another charge of resisting arrest and take it out on her wallet with fines. Using a tazer on her? Abuse of power. Bullies With Badges.

Originally Posted by Redress

[url=http://news.yahoo.com/taser-pain-may-considered-supreme-court-excessive-force-210958926.html]When are police justified in using a taser, and when is it excessive?

This is a pretty extreme example of an officer using terrible judgement, which does not have any standing on whether the taser should or should not be used.

The taser is way more preferable than using a pistol, or the old nightstick, which more than likely will causes severe damage, including death. When are police justified in using this device? It depends heavily on each individual situation, but if the person being arrested is being heavily resistant and violent, or presents themselves as an immediate physical threat to another, in conditions where use of a firearm is not justifiable, I'd say it's pretty justified.

Originally Posted by Enola

The tazering was overboard. Yes, she is just signing in receipt of getting a ticket NOT that she is guilty. She should have signed. She should have exited the car, too. But tazering her? HAYELL no. Grab the hand, unfold it from the steering wheel, carefully remove her from the car. Or....let her go home, then send officers to her home to arrest her where she cannot get hurt or her baby harmed if the removing her hands from the steering wheel cannot be done safely. Then slap her with another charge of resisting arrest and take it out on her wallet with fines. Using a tazer on her? Abuse of power. Bullies With Badges.

...and then she would sue the cops for aggressive handling. This is BS. My Asshole Meter is going crazy. This lady sounds like a troublemaker; I'd put dollars to donuts she'd sue the cops no matter WHAT they did. May 50,000 volts to her face and a few to her soon-to-be troublemaking child maybe would benefit everybody.

Yes....... tazers should only be used on violent people. Not people sitting on the ground pacifly.

Originally Posted by Redress

I am not sympathetic to her, but that is not really the question. The question is whether using a taser is excessive force to aid in arresting a nonviolent, noncooperative suspect.

When I was active, trust me...the baton hurts more and the pain can last for days....Police cannot have citizens routinely defying them...I know that sounds like we think were gods...but that has nothing to do with...we are sworn to protect and serve citizens and protect the peace...you cannot accomplish that with people routinely refusing to obey you.
The police must have a means to Non lethally force compliance when necessary...back in my day more people were hurt including and especially police officers with batons as non lethal force and your fists and knees ...I believe hands down tasers are a much better solution, I also believe there were far more serious injuries and deaths prior to taser use...but in this new world of lawyers suing for ham sandwichs and cell phone cameras....it just gets more media attention....If you take tasers, trust police will still get the job done...and you could like the means to that end alot less