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Student tasered at UCLA library for not having his ID 11-14-06 11:30pm watch!

youtube.com — Don't you hate it when you forget to bring your ID to Library... and the CSO or UCPD end up zapping you like five times with a stun gun? what is happening in todays universities now a days? UCLA library is a 24/7 library only for UCLA students...

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  • JasonDelta, on 10/27/2007, -9/+351More information on the incident at http://dailybruin.ucla.edu/news/articles.asp?id=38958
    • gamasutra, on 10/12/2007, -430/+54The lesson here is that you don't yell at cops with guns. Act submissively, and end every sentence with yes sir, right away sir.
    • gamasutra, on 11/01/2007, -27/+454It all started when he refused to show his ID. They then grabbed him as he was leaving. He said don't touch me - resulting in the first zap.

      He fell, and then they asked him to get up. He could not get up, so they tased him again. This was repeated a total of 5 times.
    • dboylon, on 11/01/2007, -45/+419When the cops abuse their powers there is only one thing to do...sue them.
    • CiXeL, on 10/12/2007, -37/+294wow thats ***** horrible
      i hope they fire their asses.
      i left california for _specifically_ this reason.
      the police situation in california is getting completely out of hand.
    • gharding, on 10/12/2007, -387/+68He was belligerent from the beginning. I don't really think it was excessive force. When you start yelling at cops, they're going to get aggressive back to you. Suck it up.
    • SLP1111, on 11/01/2007, -30/+337That was absolutely revolting. Thats all you can say about this case. When someones body recieves that large of a jolt of electricity in rapid succesion it will paralyze the muscles- even if he wanted to stand up he couldnt.
    • gharding, on 10/12/2007, -387/+34Wow. Insta-buried. Anyone have any suggestions on how that should have been handled? Should the cops have bent over and asked the guy to give it to them for his non-compliance?
    • dagonweb, on 10/12/2007, -157/+76In short, those insane rightwing idiots who get a raging hardon from men in uniforms, authority, guns, power, will believe this is completely right, the natural order, as god ordained, proper, sane and good for economy.

      ...I sure hope there are a lot of people in america who somehow experience this as unacceptable. We in Europe would consider this largely unthinkable, probably because are all gay communists. If there are more people like that in the US, i.e. people who have had enough of what's happening there (i.e. "terrist luvin traitors") then get off your lazy lard asses and do something about it.

      And get rid of that two party system. Bad idea. Become a democracy.
    • marmaduke, on 10/12/2007, -27/+245"gharding"
      Are you kidding me???
      That was the most disgusting thing I have ever seen.
      They are allowed to respond with equal force, not like this.
      I am just very glad that someone was there to see and video tape this,
      and if those cops are not immediately fired and sued, then our justice system is broken.
    • brbubba, on 10/12/2007, -21/+209Thank you for that link. That video made me shake to my core. I just wish those students had acted sooner to intervene. If I was there I would have called the cops and had them all arrested for assault with a deadly weapon. I don't even know if I could have contained myself from defending the individual by attacking the campus officers. Those bastards deserve to be in jail. At the very least I hope this student gets a nice settlement, with a video like that any jury would ream the university.
    • williamdyer, on 10/12/2007, -95/+28@dboylon

      No, you sue them, then you really jack them up: hurt one of their family members. Badly. Ruin their lives. Photoshop their faces into a foreign child prostitution brothel. Stop at nothing, because they will lie lie lie to retain their positions of power. EVERYTHING is fair game to stop that.
    • All4not, on 10/12/2007, -109/+125He deserved to get the first taser, but then should have been cuffed while on the ground with a police officer on each side taking him out of the building and into the squad car. He didn't deserve any tasers after the original one.

      Isn't it highly dangerous to be tasered multiple times?
    • ufia, on 10/12/2007, -191/+29Where else can you find semi-smart kids spouting their interpretation of the law to cops than in a library. Reading Harry Potter books does not make you a lawyer. STFU college boy or you get the taser.
    • insinuate, on 10/12/2007, -162/+22It says that video was shot on a camera phone...no camera phone can

      A) have that good of quality
      B) Take a 6 and and a half minute video
    • iceperson, on 11/01/2007, -27/+413I'm shaking right now I'm so angry. I didn't give 8 years of my life serving in the Corps so things like this could happen...
    • Jaymoon, on 10/12/2007, -100/+25The story can be summed up in two sentences from the article...

      "...As the student was screaming, UCPD officers repeatedly told him to stand up and said "stop fighting us." The student did not stand up as the officers requested and they shot him with the Taser at least once more..."

    • Frankie4Fingers, on 10/12/2007, -134/+23Almost all cases of police abuse are related to the person not being respectful. Police are people of authority. Didn't most people's parents teach to respect authority.

      I am sure this dude was probably pissed when they denied him access, maybe he needed to get a paper done or something or his ride left already... but either way I bet, under his breath or otherwise he probably said something stupid. Then when they wanted him to stop and listen, he didn't so it is kind of his fault. Kiddies try to complain about police brutality all the time, but usually people bring that kind of crap on themselves by not using a little fricken respect. You don't have to kiss the officer's ass, but at least listen to direction. They are the law and not just some random person.
    • ClassicJBC, on 10/27/2007, -16/+243"Immediately after the incident, several students began to contact local news outlets, informing them of the incident, and Remesnitsky wrote an e-mail to Interim Chancellor Norman Abrams."

      chancellor@conet.ucla.edu

      Don't let stories like this die. Let's get some answers.

    • geuisteses, on 10/27/2007, -93/+353That entire crowd is a bunch of pussies. Next time something like this happens the entire crowd needs to grab the ***** cops and beat the ***** out of them. Shove their ***** nightsticks up their asses and put their tasers on HIGH.
      • Aminmadani, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1I agree what the cops did is wrong and that the cops are complete idiots. But if the crowd had got involved then it would of just given the officers more of a reason to use excessive force and with so many people in the fray they wouldn't be able to see what happened clearly.
    • macfanboi, on 10/12/2007, -114/+18Mostafa Tabatabainejad?!?!! Obviously he is a terrorist.
    • liquidrums, on 10/12/2007, -35/+212I would loved to see the throng of students beat the living ***** out of those power-abusing, crooked officers.

      How many times do we find articles of how somebody dies from 2 tasers alone? ***** up.
    • itsthemechanic, on 11/01/2007, -23/+351@ Frankie:

      "Almost all cases of police abuse are related to the person not being respectful. Police are people of authority. Didn't most people's parents teach to respect authority."

      Respect is earned, not demanded at the barrel of a gun. This cops have proven that they don't deserve any. Period.
    • MBarnwell, on 10/12/2007, -10/+188poor bastards name was, Mostafa Tabatabainejad. i'm sure that didn't help his cause.

      source: http://www.nbc4.tv/news/10325914/detail.html
    • IbnDigg, on 10/12/2007, -14/+91I can't believe this stuff still happens in our "civilised" society.
    • Kniggit, on 10/12/2007, -10/+66I've been through something similar, though wasn't arrested. I was charged under the student code of conduct for causing a disturbance even though the other party assaulted me by grabbing my arm. Oh, and the party that grabbed my arm employed the daughter of the person who "disciplined" me by fining me and giving me conduct probation for acts of violence (even though I haven't been in a fight since I was in grade school and have a clean criminal record).

      The epilogue to this is that I now keep the canvassers for donations to my university on the phone for an hour every year they call me, and every year I tell them to overturn the judgment against me and return my fine money. Nothing ever changes, but I sure get a kick out of wasting an hour of their time.

      The lesson here is clear, folks: ALL college/university administrations impose arbitrary rules against their students, believe that normal civil and criminal rights do not exist on their campuses, and will destroy your academic career and more if given half the chance. Even if you try staying out of their way, getting in front of the wrong people involved with said administrations can damage your life.
    • iceperson, on 10/12/2007, -9/+220""...As the student was screaming, UCPD officers repeatedly told him to stand up and said "stop fighting us." The student did not stand up as the officers requested and they shot him with the Taser at least once more...""

      First, the guy told the cops he had a medical condition. Secondly, I wonder how long it would take you to get up after being cuffed and shocked. Once you have someone under your control (cuffed and subdued) you DON'T use electrical shock.
    • lasombragh, on 10/12/2007, -7/+196Again, it's kind of impossible to stand up when you're being fried. There are plenty of clips that substantiate this on the internet, of perfectly healthy individuals (some in even exceptional physical condition) unable to control their bodies.

      And no *****. I wonder why? When tens of thousands of volts are making every ***** muscle in someone's body contract, how in the hell can someone even get up?

      So unless this student had a sawed-off hanging out of his shirt, I'm failing to see any defensible position to this gross over-reaction...
    • somebitches, on 10/12/2007, -13/+105Remember, if you ever get tased, drop to the floor, shake like crazy and try to drool or foam at the mouth, make it look like your going to die give the guards the ***** shock. Whatever you do, dont struggle or act aggressively you want to make the officer look as bad as possible you want there to be absolutely no justification - get that ***** fired.
    • Dred, on 10/12/2007, -141/+11Yeah I love how the simplify the situation. He wasn't doing anything and they just tazed him for now reason. Yeah right, they asked him over and over to comply and he didn't so his stupid ass got tazed. He deserved it, I wish they would have held it a little longer and made him lose bowel control. That would have been hilarious.
      • Xondar, on 10/10/2007, -0/+0I hope the same thing happens to you when they tase you someday.
    • ClassicJBC, on 11/01/2007, -14/+339Don't be caught without your papers, or the Gestapo will take you away.
    • americamatrix, on 10/12/2007, -40/+20And people wonder why there are school shooting.

      Police officers are scum. ESPECIALLY at colleges. When these officers were kids did they ASPIRE to be officers at a COLLEGE??

      Enough said.
    • lukas88, on 10/12/2007, -27/+131For the people saying stuff like, "so this is what America has gone to..."

      Anywhere you go in this world, you are going to find corrupt people, especially cops. It is human nature. America is no different. It is impossible to avoid the occasional abuse of power. And perhaps our government is not doing enough to get rid of it.

      But have a little pride in the fact that this happened at around midnight and by 8:30 the next morning, THE WHOLE COUNTRY knows about it and is outraged. America is not just its cops, not just its government, it is primarily us, the people. Have no uncertainty that we will make this right. Those cops will be punished. That guy will get justice. Is there really any doubt in your mind that this is the case?

      The fact that you wouldn't doubt it for a second, shows that America is great.
    • bonemachine, on 10/12/2007, -7/+160Which one was that? Protecting or serving?
    • GliTCH82, on 10/12/2007, -55/+14The video really does make the cops look like assholes.

      It's absolutely natural for all of the students and audience of this video to feel sympathetic for this kid. No one likes to see abuse of power by authority and the fact that it was happening openly in front of all of those students really doesn't help the officers' case any.

      Having said that, however, if you were an officer and were dealing with this guy your patience would really wane down. If you were required to make him leave, and he wouldn't leave, so you grab him to force him out, and then he starts responding verbally. At this point, you really aren't sure what he's gonna do next.

      Everything after the first taser shot is kind of vague really, it's hard to tell if he's acting out in order to further resist or if he really can't get up. I've been tased before but I know these things come in all kinds of power levels so I'm not sure exactly how much pain he was going through.

      Just remember that if the taser was set on a lower level he could have just been drawing it out to fight them back, certainly it could have just been some kind of understanding that only the officers had with this guy, unknown to us, that they repeatedly tased him because it wasn't all that strong and they knew he could get up.
    • themicah, on 10/12/2007, -25/+103Even the guy with the camera phone was too frightened to get anywhere near the "action". Cops are not men, they're like fascist skinheads - no balls unless they're with two or three friends and they're armed. Watching that was disgusting, true. Now imagine what the POTUS believes to be reasonable interrogation techniques. As scary as it is to hear some American kid screaming like that from a taser, imagine what it's like to hear hundreds of unknown people screaming like that for years, without ever being charged with a crime. I hope these rent-a-cops get shot by some random crackhead over a ham sandwich. Bitches.
    • lukas88, on 10/12/2007, -39/+10themicah, if only we could all be as brave as you are.
    • vandread, on 10/12/2007, -42/+6Haha that's awesome. Props to the cops for excessive force. Obviously this is a training issue if the cops don't know that you can't stand after being tazed. I'm sure they are just campus police so not real cops and probably were given a stun gun with a "have fun I'm sure you can figure out how to use it" for training.
    • Sumyunguy, on 10/12/2007, -19/+11Here is a great podcasts done by two jailers up in Washington state, www.2guys1brain.com

      They are always discussing the use of tasers, good and bad. I am sure they would think this was unnecessary and ridiculous. It is supposed to be a last resort, unless you are not properly trained on when and how you should use it.
    • christianw, on 10/12/2007, -8/+80im emailing senator boxer about this incident as we speak. I suggest you all do the same. Barbara Boxer will not stand for something like this in her district and will not let up until those officers are in jail where they belong. All we have to do is let her know how we feel.

      http://boxer.senate.gov/
    • Erowid, on 10/12/2007, -5/+46@ GliTCH82: "...if you were required to make him leave, and he wouldn't leave..." He yelled multiple times that he was willing to leave :/
    • Suzilla, on 10/12/2007, -4/+73Cops used to be trained in simple, but highly effective jujitsu techniques for managing the unruly or the uncooperative. I saw one cop "escort" a guy who had at least 100 lbs on him, with a quick grip and twist of the wrist. No gun, no tasers (didn't have them back when this happened), just the right move. Technology makes it too damned easy to hurt, mame, and kill. Enough already.
    • lukehh, on 10/12/2007, -30/+5horirble.
      But this is a little much

      "Video shot from a student's camera phone captured the student yelling, "Here's your Patriot Act, here's your ***** abuse of power," while he struggled with the officers."
    • ClassicJBC, on 10/12/2007, -3/+62The more I think about this, the more it bothers me. I mean, what do you do in a situation like this, even when it's so drawn out? I honestly don't blame people for not intervening more, because what are you going to do, really? You can try to pull the cops off, but that would take at least five or six other people helping. And then what? You let them go and they beat and arrest you.

      And it's not like you can call the police, because... well, duh.

      Does the ACLU have some kind of video or tips for this kind of thing? Imagine if it were more severe. What if the three cops were beating him instead of tasing him? Do you risk being beaten or shot to stand up for the kid? Do you go in alone, knowing others might not follow you?
      • capshuna, on 10/10/2007, -0/+0yeah, but you can save a life,what if he died?
    • jon3k, on 10/12/2007, -40/+11@ClassicJBC

      "Don't be caught without your papers, or the Gestapo will take you away."

      You mean, don't be caught on campus, in an area that requires special privileges along with identification of those priviliges, without your "papers", right? Don't try and act like he was just standing in a public place. Maybe we should just be able to walk into Military bases without "papers" too, right?

      It's not 1984, partner. Somehow the conspiracy nuts always pop up in these threads.
    • jon3k, on 10/12/2007, -27/+18@szembek

      I take advantage of my Second Amendment right. I'm also applying for my license to carry a concealed weapon.

      How about you?

      Just remember this when the democrats pass another "assault weapon" ban. Or try and limit magazine capacity to 10 rounds, or any other ridiculious ***** that further erodes our rights granted by the Amendments.
    • PowerCow, on 10/12/2007, -7/+51@jon3k:
      he was leaving and you should be able to leave anywhere WITHOUT your papers
      no he shouldnt have been allowed to stay but he should have been allowed to leave.
      It isnt 1984 but it is abuse of power.. if anything it is reversed 1984 because wwe all have cams now
      It is pure 100% abuse of power
    • danielwsmithee, on 10/12/2007, -48/+6The guy got what he deserved he was being a pompous *****. He should have got up and left when the first guard asked him to. I've lived in countries where the police won't do anything. I'd much rather live in a America thank you. All of you teenagers on here need to grow up.
    • Genthree, on 10/12/2007, -5/+114This is the associated press report....media bias anyone?

      "LOS ANGELES, California (AP) -- A UCLA police officer shocked a student with a stun gun at a campus library after he refused repeated requests to show student identification and wouldn't leave, police said.

      The student, Mostafa Tabatabainejad, was shocked Tuesday at about 11 p.m. as police did a routine check of student IDs at the University of California, Los Angeles Powell Library computer lab.

      "This is a long-standing library policy to ensure the safety of students during the late-night hours," said UCLA Police Department spokeswoman Nancy Greenstein.

      She said police tried to escort Tabatabainejad, 23, out of the library after he refused to provide identification.

      Tabatabainejad instead encouraged others at the library to join his resistance, and when a crowd began to gather, police used the stun gun on him, Greenstein said.

      Tabatabainejad was arrested for resisting and obstructing a police officer and later released on his own recognizance.

      He declined to comment Wednesday night."
    • Nuhkka, on 10/12/2007, -42/+5haha pwned
    • r00tus3r, on 10/12/2007, -26/+16What infuriates me the most is the goddamn ***** camera work! *****, can't this guy find a decent spot to get a shot of what's going on. jeeze!
    • datastorageguy, on 10/12/2007, -49/+16People who think the police are at fault for this are juvenile morons..this "student" had multiple chances to stand up and walk out. Instead, he insists on resisting, screaming, and interrupting everyone's studying.

      I am very suspicious of his motives as well. He is clearly trying to instigate the police to make a political statement about the "patriot act"....what this has to do with the patriot act is beyond me.

      Feel free to argue intelligently rather than click the digg down button..
      • CSharpSauce, on 01/19/2008, -0/+1Looks like they opted for the digg down button :)
    • Chuck95, on 10/12/2007, -6/+44Wow... that actually physically made me sick to my stomach. I don't usually react that way to stuff like this either.
    • ajb2015, on 10/12/2007, -4/+83Give the police a call. Let them know what you think.

      http://www.ucpd.ucla.edu/ucpd/contact.html
    • ByteGuerilla, on 10/12/2007, -5/+51This makes me sick. They taser the guy, and then while he is incapacitated, tell him to stand up? That's like torturing for someone for information by removing their tongue, and then telling them if they don't tell you what you want to know, you'll start breaking bones. These cops are either criminally stupid for not knowing the effects of their own weapons, or criminally insane for wilfully torturing the guy.

      r00tus3r, you clearly haven't seen what the police do when you try to video what they're doing. If they're not too busy jacking off on their own capacity to induce pain in a human being, they're confiscating evidence of their crimes. [Clarification: not ALL police, just these types of jerkwad police in this case.]
    • DocSquidly, on 10/12/2007, -3/+30@DataStoreGuy

      How quick do you think you could get up after someone tazered you?

      The fact remain, regardless of what the study said/yelled, police officers should only use the of force necessary to detain a suspect or prevent them causing harm to other people or otherwise violate the law.

      Considering the student was laying on the ground (which means that he was incapacitated) the police could have safely waited until he recovered and then either arrest him or escort him out of the building. Waiting would have not caused any harm to any one.

      ** Note ** I am a firm believer that law enforcement should be allowed to use the appropriate amount of force (event deadly force if necessary) if someones actions could kill or seriously harm others.
      What pisses me off (and it should piss you off, as well) is when police fail to exercise proper restraint.
    • NoStoppingUs, on 10/12/2007, -27/+4well here i am thinking when a cop tells you to do something, you do it.

      now i know i have a good 20 or 30 chances before something bad happens to me.

      thank you.
    • david76, on 10/12/2007, -4/+52I'll never understand why police officers demand compliance when the individual is unable to comply. And then punish you for non-compliance.

      If you get tazed you really can't move because all of your muscles are in spasm. So, it's kind of hard to stand up.

      If you're on the ground and the officer is applying pressure and you're resisting that pressure for fear of, say, breaking your arm they yell "Stop resisting". But, if you immediately let your arm go limp, and they're applying so much pressure resisting your natural resistance, they're going to break your arm.

      It was interesting that they threatened to taze the guy at the very end who was trying to speak his mind to the officer.
    • christianw, on 10/12/2007, -4/+39I've also emailed the office of the attorney general of the state of california as well as my local congressman.

      I'm sorry but as a californian in this district, it sickens me that my taxdollars were used to pay those officers to do with they did.
    • bobbknight, on 10/12/2007, -16/+4The video sucks, the witness accounts are much better.
      I wish the videographer had gotten closer, much sooner and stood on one of the desks to shoot the video.
    • omaryak, on 10/12/2007, -2/+17Wow, and I thought *my* university's library was strict for using a megaphone and threatening students with trespassing charges at closing time. I'll count my blessings – and leave early – from now on.
    • christianw, on 10/12/2007, -5/+56@ ajb2015

      thanks for the link, lets do one better though =)

      Chief of Police,
      Karl T. Ross
      825-1633 kross@
      ucpd.ucla.edu

      THATS who you email or call to let them know how you feel my friend.
    • Guye, on 10/12/2007, -6/+50I don't care if he was being disrespectful.
      I don't care if he was instigating a confrontation.
      And I don't care if he refused to leave (which he didn't, because you clearly hear him tell the cops he's leaving right before he gets tasered).

      The point is, he was CLEARLY incapacitated after he was tasered, if not the first time, then the second time (or the third, or the fourth, or the fifth...) and at that point any further use of force by the police was unnecessary. What continued to unfold from that point on amounts to torture, and abuse.
    • sjm20k, on 10/12/2007, -9/+23Cops are *****, it's hard not to get mad at them. If they were out making places safer I wouldnt argue - when they spend their time tasering people over IDs they deserve to have it snatched from them, stuck up their socially maladjusted ass, and have the trigger pulled until it goes click... or whatever sound a taser makes when its out of taser ammo.

      Pigs.
    • touch0ph, on 10/12/2007, -4/+27@geuisteses

      "That entire crowd is a bunch of pussies. Next time something like this happens the entire crowd needs to grab the ***** cops and beat the ***** out of them. ..."

      Normally I would NOT advocate violence, but I agree. The officers SIGNIFICANTLY crossed the line and something should have been done then and there. We seem to be have become so immobilized that even when brutal acts are taking place right in front of our very own eyes, we feel powerless to help.
    • Adamande, on 10/12/2007, -4/+32@ lukas88

      "Anywhere you go in this world, you are going to find corrupt people, especially cops. It is human nature. America is no different. It is impossible to avoid the occasional abuse of power. And perhaps our government is not doing enough to get rid of it."

      Not completely true. Not every other state in the world is comparable to the US on issues like this. In my country the police aren't allowed to use tasers. They are also not armed, so their opportunity to abuse power is somewhat limited. Their wish to abuse is also demure, because my country has never been at war with its own citizens (no war on drugs, no war on crime etc etc).

      OC, if you have seen movies like The Stanford Prison Experiment, you learn that authoritarian jobs like police or prison guard usually brings out the sadist in people.

      http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=2683701783583080634&q=stanford+prison

      But I don't think this is merely a case of a few bad apples within the force. I think episodes like this illustrates a larger trend that applies to most western countries as the War on Terror goes forth. Our civil servants are starting to act like our masters. We the people need to regain control of our governments and law enforcers to prevent this kind of abuse from escalating.

      Everyone should react loudly to something like this. It's an absolutely horrific video.
    • elCapitanNemo, on 10/12/2007, -39/+6What a crybaby pussy! He's crying like a little girl rofl, they should have shot him with real bullets.
    • splatnik, on 10/12/2007, -17/+4It was wrong to taser that guy at all, much less more than once but let's face the facts that he helped seal his own fate. The guy was being a douchebag. Everyone in the library had to show ID and he thought he was above the rules and refused to show one forcing the librarian to call the cops. Why did he think he was above the rules that are there to keep everyone safe? Finally when the cops showed up he began to leave but at that point they're gonna be pissed they were even called and they have the right to talk to him or even grab him. He had to be a bitch and start yelling which triggered the primates to pull out the taser and stun him. Ask your self the question though, why in the world would you start throwing a fit when you're in the wrong and you're surrounded by angry apes?

      I think the cops should have arrested him without taser unless he really started thrashing and it became apparent that they would get hurt trying to contain the guy. But the guy was a total douchebag and now people are going to make it seem like he's a saint.
    • brundlefly76, on 10/12/2007, -19/+6Is it just me, or does it seem like more drunken assholes are trying to get passively tased a way of getting out of their original offense, based on the history of 'questionable tasing videos'?

      It is an understatement to say this kid just didn't show his ID so they tased him' - they tased him because he was starting to get belligerent (which is clear in the audio!) and they felt their safety or the safety of others was in jeopardy. There is not enough footage to determine whether this was appropriate.

      What I dont understand is why they tased him when he wouldn't get up, instead of just picking him up. All I can think of is that the cops are weak or lazy pussies.
    • mylrea, on 10/12/2007, -1/+31Official police report here:

      http://www.ucpd.ucla.edu/ucpd/zippdf/2006/Taser%2011-15-06.pdf

      I go to UCLA. I think that the computers in the lab should be available to anyone regardless of a student ID. It is a PUBLIC university. And regardless the tasering was absolutely unmerited on all accounts.
    • mrbell77, on 10/12/2007, -1/+31I am an alumni and the video made me physically sick.
      Contacting the media is a good step. I suggest contacting the Chancellor.
      http://www.ucla.edu/chancellor/

      Right now he is backing the cops.
      http://newsroom.ucla.edu/page.asp?RelNum=7513
      "Compliance is critical for the safety and well-being of everyone."
      *****.
    • paladin144, on 10/12/2007, -2/+26There's a new story up on the Daily Bruin with more detailed information:

      http://dailybruin.com/news/articles.asp?id=38960

      The story makes clear that they TASERED HIM AFTER HE WAS HANDCUFFED!! This is beyond the pale. These officers should ***** hang for this. They also quote a ACLU lawyer who says that tasers have resulted in almost 150 deaths in North America in the last 7 years.

      I've also put together my response to this video/incident on my blog. Please check it out and let me know what you think:

      http://weblog.timoregan.com/2006/11/ucla-student-tasered-4-times-for-not.html
    • definiteform, on 10/12/2007, -1/+11They should have played bad cop/good cop. But I am shocked that the other students didn't try and subdue 3 police officers after the third or fourth tasing and the threatening of the cameraman.
    • vulcanius, on 10/12/2007, -2/+35From an eye witness student at UCLA...

      "When asked whether the student resisted when officer attempted to escort him from the building, the witness said, "In the beginning, no. But when they were holding onto him and they were on the ground, he was trying to just break free. He was saying, 'I'm leaving, I'm leaving.' It was so disturbing to watch that I cannot be concise on that. I can just say that he was willing to leave. He had his backpack on his shoulder and he was walking out when the cops approached him. It was unnecessary.""

      From Nancy Greenstein of the UCPD...

      ""Since, after repeated requests, he would neither leave nor show identification, the CSO notified UCPD officers, who responded and asked Tabatabainejad to leave the premises multiple times. He continued to refuse. As the officers attempted to escort him out, he went limp and continued to refuse to cooperate with officers or leave the building."

      ...can you tell which one is the professional spin-doctor?
    • ManicBliss, on 10/12/2007, -1/+18Statement from UCLA Acting Chancellor Norman Abrams About Incident at Powell Library:

      "Routinely checking student identification...is a policy posted in the library...Compliance is critical for the safety and well-being of everyone."


      That's the understatement of the year.
    • lukas88, on 10/12/2007, -1/+7@Adamande: I was just trying to say that anywhere in the world, some people will be corrupt and abuse their power. Congradulations for living in your own private reality, because there is no perfect society and no perfect people in the world that the rest of us live in. It sounds like your country, whatever that is, has better policy for their law enforcement. I don't know if you want a star sticker for that but you are missing my point anyhow.

      My point is that even though my country has problems, it makes me feel good that my people won't stand for it when something like this happens.
    • kakifry, on 10/12/2007, -17/+2Whatever... he was yelling like a maniac, he deserved to be tazed... that's why they have tazers, to deal with maniacs who refuse to act civil.
    • gadgetuk, on 10/12/2007, -1/+30Well, I've aired my opinion to chancellor@conet.ucla.edu and I urge anyone else who is as disgusted as I am to do te same.

      Dear Sir,

      I thought you'd be interested to know that the story regarding the atrocious treatment of one of your students at the hands of criminally violent "police" is receiving international condemnation. This is a major talking point in the UK and this nation stands in anticipation of the severest punishment being handed out to those who so clearly abused their authority on that very dark day for your establishment.

      Although the students behaviour was inappropriate it can be seen by any right minded person that a suitable response would be to simply escort him from the library and perhaps report him to senior academic staff. Instead, what occurred was a disgusting, sickening repeated assault on someone who was clearly incapacitated. I call on you to not only dismiss the officers involved but to show the world that you are a just and wise administration by reporting the incident as a criminal matter.

      I am conscious that you may feel that this has nothing to do with me, and you would be correct - I have no personal involvement - but I am sure that you realise that the success of your university is largely reliant on it's global reputation. I can assure you that that reputation has been markedly tainted this week and only your strong leadership and intolerance for the behaviour of those officers will serve to restore it's polish.

      Yours Sincerely,
    • Captj, on 10/12/2007, -9/+29This is a copy of the e-mail I just sent to Interim Chancellor Abrams:

      Dear Interim Chancellor Norman Abrams,

      I will keep this e-mail short as I am sure you and the other heads of your university are receiving an unmanageable number of e-mails, phone calls, etc. regarding this topic. I am writing to inform you of my EXTREME and utter disgust at the actions that have occurred on your campus. The event I am referring to is the repeated stunning of 23-year-old student Mostafa Tabatabainejad, which was COMPLETELY unnecessary.

      To quote an NBC4.tv report "As a second officer approached, he repeatedly yelled "get off of me," the newspaper reported. It was then that one of the officers shot Tabatabainejad with a stun gun, dropping him to the floor as he cried out, according to the newspaper."

      The officers did NOT need to use a stun gun to subdue Mr. Tabatabainejad, let alone another FOUR more or so shocks. Their repeated demands of Mr. Tabatabainejad standing up were unbelievably unreasonable immediately after receiving a full shock (at what? 110,000 volts), and it is nearly impossible for anyone of excellent health, and even extremely great health, to comply with such demands after an event like that. If you don't believe that, take a rough look at video-sharing sites such as YouTube.com, Google Video or the like and a quick search of "Taser" will result in hundreds or thousands of videos as examples. Maybe you'll find these videos funny and an example of the stupidity of the American teen, and young adult demographics, but I assure you, you will not find the results of the incident on your campus funny.

      "But according to a study published in the Lancet Medical Journal in 2001, a charge of three to five seconds can result in immobilization for five to 15 minutes, which would mean that Tabatabainejad could have been physically unable to stand when the officers demanded that he do so." -DailyBruin.com article

      Need I even mention that Mr. Tabatabainejad was already handcuffed before the majority of the shocks took place. Or how about that I am sure the only reason HE was checked instead of some other student was due to his appearance or name, as I am sure your disgusting police officers did on purpose.

      Here is another quote, this one from a DailyBruin.com article
      "...Young said at the time the police likely had no way of knowing whether the individual was armed or that he was a student." Now, I know I am no police officer, nor am I very familiar with the law but here is one thought that I have heard of officers doing, though, to me, it's just absurd...how about...searching him and patting hi down? When arrested, they can search the wrong-doer, so are they saying this wasn't done and thus poor police procedure, or are they just making up excuses now?


      As for the threats by the police officers to the other students around, this quote sums it up pretty clearly "...bystanders can be heard in the video repeatedly asking the officers to stop and requesting their names and identification numbers. The video showed one officer responding to a student by threatening that the student would "get Tased too." At this point, the officer was still holding a Taser. Such a threat of the use of force by a law enforcement officer in response to a request for a badge number is an "illegal assault," Eliasberg said." -DailyBruin.com article

      Your university and its police officers highly disgust me, and I guarantee you will see a sharp decline of enrollments at your school because of this event. Any thought I ever had of attending UCLA or allowing anyone related to me to even apply has been extinguished and let's say you effectively lost no less than $100,000.

      I DEMAND the involved officers are reprimanded heavily, even to the extreme of the loss of their jobs. The abuse of power that occurred in this situation is terrible and eye-opening. I personally demand you make sure these officers are punished or I promise you I will be at UCLA by the middle of the week next week leading large crowds of demonstrators, picketers, and other disgusted people and students. I promise you, sir, you will want to investigate this matter fully and fairly to Mr. Tabatabainejad.

      Ryan -------
      --- S---- Drive
      C-----------, PA -----

      [Phone Number]
      [E-mail Address]
    • shredswithpiks, on 10/12/2007, -1/+16From the followup article (http://dailybruin.com/news/articles.asp?id=38960)...

      "But Young said at the time the police likely had no way of knowing whether the individual was armed or that he was a student. "

      So then, if a cop sees somebody and can't tell if they are armed or not, the proper thing to do is taser them to the ground? Holy crap, they must taser hundreds of pedestrians a day at that college!

      What a load of nonsense. The student let the officers know he was leaving after the first taser shock, let them know he was still planning on going, and continually told them he was trying to comply.

      I emailed the chief... I encourage other people to as well. Don't let this become a precedent for other officers to act insanely.
    • Adamande, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3@lukas88

      True, and I gave you a + because I thought it was a very good comment. I just wanted to add that one shouldn't belittle the problem by saying it's just like everywhere else, because it isn't. The corruption might be there, but there's a difference in how much power you give it.

    • nazuraki, on 10/12/2007, -6/+13The most disturbing part about this is that none of the students watching physically intervened when it became clear that the officers were complete pricks.
    • jpwhitmore, on 10/12/2007, -17/+1He wasn't just some innocent. He didn't leave so they got the cops. The cop tried to escort him out and he resisted. Afterwards he DOES resist.
    • fatboy71, on 10/12/2007, -2/+7Wow, I was in there that day, just a few hours before this. This takes place in the CLICC lab in the east wing of Powell.

      I leave my laptop and backpack in there for almost an hour while I go out to eat, because there is never a crime there!! .........Till Now!



    • anagoge, on 10/12/2007, -0/+9This is the 87th reply to the first comment thread. That has to be a record. I think it just goes to show how strongly people feel about this.
    • punkrockscks, on 10/12/2007, -1/+8unless he was going to physically harm someone there, that guy should not have been tasered, and the fact it was multiple times just makes me sick. I'd be screaming like crazy too if I got shocked with 10,000 volts!
    • Highborn, on 10/12/2007, -3/+11those cops should be hung
    • spankaccount, on 10/12/2007, -16/+6I was there and have just provided my account what happened to an intermediary group of some sort at UCLA.

      He wasn't simply tasered for not having his ID. He was actually quite belligerent and abusive to the staff when he was asked to leave. Things went up ten fold when campus security arrived. Most of us standing around watching this whole thing unfold thought the guy was either psychotic or under the influence. It was really quite a site, and based on how he was acting I'm surprised the security had as much restraint as they did. The guy had so much rage, and flailing around like a mad person... I thought someone was really going to get hurt. It was quite scary.
    • carve, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4I don't think most of us are judging whether the guy should've been arrested or not (by your account, he should've). However, what is plainly clear is it is never justifiable to tase someone who is on the ground in handcuffs, or who is merely being beligerant without being violent for that matter. These guys didn't merely cross the line- they pole-vaulted over it.

      I emailed the chief, but I also emailed the Chancelor for defending them. What a pathetic attempt to save face.
    • MixMastaKooz, on 10/12/2007, -2/+4@spankaccount

      I don't believe you, I looked at your other posts, and sorry...I don't believe you.
    • flashboy131, on 10/12/2007, -1/+6yeah the cops are scary, but that's nothing new. if you are suprised... well here's your wake up call.

      Whats more scary is this student screaming in pain was witnessed by dozens of people and there wasn't much protest by his fellow students.
    • thirdrock, on 10/12/2007, -1/+6Misuse of power .... exemplified !
    • Livert, on 10/12/2007, -2/+11Every one of those cops should be tasered for 15 minutes. I wanna see them reduced to crying girls.
    • dare2begreat, on 10/12/2007, -4/+0Cops have way too much power and it takes true professionals not to abuse them. The video is more of sound evidence then visual. The officers ask him to stand up, he doesn't that to me sounds like resisting. At this point the student should have done what the officers asked him to do, and then file a complaint. But understand one thing, this got out of control very fast, I am sure the officers didn't want this to escalate at the point it did. But the reality is different and I am sure there are plenty legal venues that the student can go about this.
    • mvanhorn, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3Mostafa Tabatabainejad is on facebook, send him your support!
    • PolishLogic, on 10/12/2007, -10/+2That may be one of the funniest things I've seen in a while. Too bad the cops didn't shoot that guy for being an idiot. It's kind of common knowledge that if you don't follow orders from law enforcement, you're going to face the consequences. Whining little entitlement brat.
    • FelixdaaHack, on 10/12/2007, -8/+2They should have beat him unconscious, what a whiney bitch HaHahaha!
    • curtissthompson, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4For those who don't understand why so many students stood back and didn't take immediate action, or full action (thankfully students did take action appropriately and responsibly) to prevent further abuse of this victim, then read up on the Bystander Effect:

      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bystander_effect

      "The bystander effect (also known as bystander apathy) is a psychological phenomenon in which someone is less likely to intervene in an emergency situation when others are present than when he is alone."
      --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      If it were me in this situation I wouldn't have hesitated to physically involve myself and prevent these officers from further abuse of the victim, regardless of what charges the could/would file on me.

      • rednorth, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1this is a really excellent observation. i've done psychology and i'm so glad you mentioned it! this should be shown in psychology classes!
    • Noods, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1Power corrupts. Using power in moderation is not within human nature. This is disgusting.
  • dead2sin, on 10/12/2007, -18/+146Yes, the police officers were totally out of line. In fact, I would hope they got fired for how they handled the situation. It is also true that the student reacted in a way that didn't exactly prompt the best response either.

    Also....police brutality existed long before the patriot act =)~
    • mstar, on 10/12/2007, -17/+66If they're in a union they won't be fired. Nothing meaningful will happen to them...
    • gjd131, on 10/12/2007, -14/+106The worst part is, cops like this are really hurting other cops who are in real danger, because after enought police departments get sued for incidents like this, they will no long allow cops to carry tasers, and then when another cop actually needs one for an actual dangerous situation, they won't have it.
    • drapelyk, on 10/12/2007, -54/+12in dangerous situations they shoot their guns...it's in these non-lethal, non-compliant situations that they use tazers
    • wstrucke, on 10/12/2007, -11/+170Fired?!? THEY should be arrested.
    • falstaff, on 10/12/2007, -5/+47You can always trust a Los Angeleno to have a video camera around when the cops gets rowdy.
    • dvddesign, on 10/12/2007, -8/+61Wrong, you use tasers to disarm those who COULD potentially be a threat.

      Tell me how someone who's complying, however beligerently you percieve it, is a threat to anyone? If he says "DON'T TOUCH ME!" you arrest his ass. You don't taze him. Tazers have become the new pepper spray. It's being overused to avoid any potential injury on the officer's part, which could be understandable, but there's no rationale given in this case for why he's enough of a threat to be tased. Follow the jerk out of the library. Keep 10 feet, if he doesn't comply, arrest his ass. Campus cops don't have to act like hired goons.

      If a cop asks you to get on your knees in public and you protest your arrest in person, they could tase you on the same grounds they did this guy. At no point did this guy seem enough of a threat or a problem to consider tasering a useful end to this. I'd hate to have to be the University dealing with this. Heads will roll.
    • sonicdevo, on 10/12/2007, -4/+49The thing is, tazing someone isn't completely harmless... they should only taze someone who is an actual threat to them, not to punish for lack of cooperation. (I mean, the kid was laying on the floor for pete's sake).

      If this kid had happened to have a heart condition, he might've died there on the library floor... all because (presumably) he's a smartass and the cops were pissed that he wouldn't ID himself or come with them.
    • sonicdevo, on 10/12/2007, -28/+9Ok, after reading the article here (http://www.nbc4.tv/news/10325914/detail.html) I have a little more sympathy for the cops, but the repeated tasering was still unnecessary.

      Apparently, they asked the guy for ID, he couldn't produce any. They told him that he'd have to show ID or leave, and he repeatedly refused to do either. So, he was being a stubborn jackass, but it doesn't justify the cops being abusive jackasses either.
    • HumbleDialog, on 10/12/2007, -3/+35What happened to "You're under arrest" ?? Fine, arrest the kid, but don't make the snot shoot out of his nose first. There were at least two beefy-looking cops there. They couldn't restrain him without the use of a taser?! C'mon...
    • TyRaNNOus, on 10/12/2007, -1/+15Ya most people don't realize that a cop is a civil servant they work for YOU not anyone else. But nowadays they go through cop school which teaches them to power trip and feel as if they are above the law because they are within the system. This needs to stop, not producing an ID is no reason to taser I don't care if you called them dirty ***** assholes, at that point you use your martial arts training and subdue the suspect. At that point if he starts getting violent and really resisting arrest by all means taze his ass and teach him a lesson, but it's not the cops job to get violent first. Tazers are quickly becoming the new handcuffs and that scares the ***** out of me cause up here in Canada cops are just beginning to get tazers.
    • richiejp, on 10/12/2007, -12/+2Campus Cop? Are they real police officers or what? If there real cops that have to deal with abuse from real criminals day in day out and their time was being wasted by this guy then it's bad conduct, but forgiveable. If their job is just to patrol a University then they can get *****. If I was there, I would have probably tried to ignore it and finish my work for the deadline in a few hours time (why else would i be in a library at that time of night). But if I wasn't doing that, I'd be all like "You sir!, Unhand that ethnically challenged man, you hired goon!". Then I'd have defecated in some paper and thrown it at them before making a dash for the closest fire exit and then to beer.
    • Amnesia10, on 10/12/2007, -1/+23It looks like he was tazed at least four times. After the first one he appeared to be in handcuffs. It takes several minutes for someone to be able to stand up after being tazed one, and they insisted that he stand up or we taze you again literally seconds after they tazed him. That was an admission that they had already administered enough force to subdue him.

      Firstly he would be unable to do so and so their request could be deemed to be unreasonable. Under such circumstances they should have just carried him out. No they were lazy and wanted him to do it himself even if he were incapable.

      At that point the second and subsequent tazers could be deemed to be assault. The police officers should be charged with assault or maybe the State fear another riot after the Rodney King case.

      The worst thing of all was the threat to taze a woman who asked for their badge number. It was almost like an admission that the cops knew that they had stepped well over the line and were trying to cover their backs. Threatening a potential witness is a crime in itself.

      ""Any student who witnessed it was left with an image you don't want to remember," said a witness who asked not to be identified." - I can see a massive class action suit against the university for the trauma received by all students present. That looks like a 100+ students at a $1 million a piece.

      ""The officers deemed it necessary to use the Taser in a 'drive stun' capacity," she said in the statement. "A Taser is used to incapacitate subjects who are resistant by discharging an electronic current into the subject in one of two methods: via two wired probes that are deployed from the Taser, or in a 'drive stun' capacity by touching the subject with the Taser. In this incident the student was not shot with a Taser; rather, officers used the 'drive stun' capability." In which case the victim will have serious burns on him, and possible long term problems.

      "The sergeant said he saw Tabatabainejad after it happened and that he did not appear to have suffered serious injury.
      "If he was able to walk out of here, I think he was OK," the sergeant said."
      Well maybe he was worried about his treatment being carried on in the cells. Also you only have to watch a couple of episodes of CSI to know that some injuries can result in death later whilst the victim appears okay.

      If the student had died afterward the first taser could be deemed reasonable though each one after could be deemed to be an attempted murder as it was premeditated.

      Heads should roll.
    • BobsYourUncle, on 10/12/2007, -1/+6I used to work private security (in Canada) and as part of the training we had to be exposed to numerous submission techniques. We aren't (or at least weren't) allowed to carry tasers, but we did have handcuffs.

      I have no insight on the tasering of the individual and I can't watch the video, but I will assume based on the comments of others. Having _been_ handcuffed, I can say trying to standup wearing them isn't exactly easy. I'd assume that would be doubly true if you've just been tasered. It's hard to get the leverage you need to stand up with your arms behind your back. We were always trained to help the person up. The cuffs are to prevent injury, and as long as you avoid the mouth (some people like to bite/spit), you've managed to avoid any personal injury. I was trained on safe ways to get someone standing and ordering them to 'do it themselves' is both unsafe and a liability.
    • shredswithpiks, on 10/12/2007, -0/+6"Campus Cop? Are they real police officers or what?"

      I don't know how it is at UCLA, but at my university our campus officers are real cops, but their jurisdiction is only for on campus. So, while you're on campus they can arrest you for normal crimes (they aren't like rent-a-cop security guards) and "bring you in" or whatever... but they can't run off campus to start writing traffic tickets or anything like that. (They can follow you off campus for infractions...)
    • richiejp, on 10/12/2007, -1/+7I know British police officers that have to deal with much worse people and treat them with more respect than they are worth. The cops in the video can't keep in touch with reality if they think that was necessary force to use on some pompous university(college) student. I'm worse than that guy when I'm drunk and I'v never had any trouble from the police, not real police anyway. Maybe rent'o cops at a festival.

      It's nice to know they weren't just security guards though, it would completely suck if mere security guards could do that.
    • nogami, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5Two beefy cops couldn't handle one scrawny little handcuffed student without tasing him multiple times? Pretty pathetic. If that's the case, all conduct aside, their asses should be fired for being too weak to do their job...

      Crap, up here, they'd just pick him up by the ankles and arms and throw him in the back of a squad car... Not exactly a big problem.
    • rednorth, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1"It is also true that the student reacted in a way that didn't exactly prompt the best response either."

      this does not give them the right to behave unlawfully (or even disrespectfully) in return however. that it appeared here just means that this police officer was not worthy of his badge.
  • robertDouglass, on 11/10/2007, -18/+132Where are the riots?
    • dagonweb, on 10/12/2007, -37/+7Riots in Murrca? Don't make me laugh, you are all dangling from your overlords dicks in total slavish veneration.
    • phool, on 10/12/2007, -32/+7Yeah that's the answer, more violence, that would sure show them huh!!

      **Sarcastic**
    • huphtur, on 10/12/2007, -11/+39Penn and Teller were right, College is *****!
      http://www.sho.com/site/ptbs/prevepisodes.do?episodeid=s3/college
    • cin669, on 10/12/2007, -1/+9maybe not a riot.. but an organized protest displayed out in the open public.

      sarcasm.. That way when a cop, or student, decides to power trip it can incite a riot and we can have Kent State all over again.

      College students = America's worst enemy...... /sarcasm
    • mcnasby, on 10/12/2007, -2/+13People have gotten lazy.
    • VeganG, on 10/12/2007, -3/+3They're saving the riots for tomorrow, when there aren't enough PS3s to go around. You know, more important things than police brutality!
    • bigturns, on 10/12/2007, -1/+10No *****! Where are the riots? At the end of the video some ***** white, crew cut, cop is standing there telling a student to move to another area. That is 'his' ***** area dick! Forget about the right to assemble. Who the ***** are these armed meat heads? And why the ***** are they assaulted students?

    • mylrea, on 10/12/2007, -1/+20There is a student protest on the steps of Kerckhoff Hall this Friday at 12PM.
  • robertDouglass, on 11/10/2007, -10/+152This reaffirms my belief that every person should be armed with some sort of video/audio recording device. It is just too important that the world sees how incidents unfold.
    • sakuraz, on 10/12/2007, -30/+4...and ZAP, there goes my hundred bucks:'(
    • miketrin, on 11/10/2007, -17/+32Everyone needs to be armed with a taser gun, i would have shocked the ***** out of that security guard in self-defense.
    • drapelyk, on 10/12/2007, -16/+26@miketrin
      and you my friend would go to jail...that would be a funny video though
    • farglebargle, on 11/10/2007, -26/+59Actually, everyone needs to be armed with a .357 Magnum revolver. Bet the cops would have been RESPECTFUL of The People then...

      You know, we have a 2nd Amendment for more than fighting off the invaders as they try to establish a beachhead on the Jersey shore...



    • luservegas, on 11/10/2007, -12/+53I think we should all be armed with guns. It is, after all, a Constitutional right. He would have at least taken down one of these ***** before they took care of him. Maybe 2 if he was fast enough.

      Watching this video made me ill. I'm surprised that they didn't have a riot on their hands. Listening to a human being crying out in pain is a very disturbing thing which tends to agitate others.

      Just because most are cops are good does not make this type of behavior excusable - after all, most people are good, but there are a few that murder/rape/assualt - we throw them in jail instead of just letting it slide because "most" people do not do these things.

      This is very scary. Not in and of itself, but because it is a step in the widespread abuse of power. If this is not handled swiftly and sternly, the police will realize that they can get away with this sort of thing & it is a slippery road downhill from there. Tasering today, beatings tomorrow, torturing people next month, killing people outright next year.

      I didn't know that being a pain in the ass entitled the police to deliver 50,000 volts to your body repeatedly. This is not something to be taken lightly. A person was killed here in Nashville earlier this year after police repeatedly tasered him. I think they did it close to 20 times, but he is dead.
    • geuisteses, on 10/12/2007, -7/+30@farglebargle
      "Actually, everyone needs to be armed with a .357 Magnum revolver. Bet the cops would have been RESPECTFUL of The People then..."

      I normally don't like guns, but I agree with you. We've done a little bit of political organizing(we were at the Miami FTAA a few years ago) and saw some ***** up *****. I've thought about the need for a peaceful group of protestors (for whatever cause) who shows up armed to the teeth. Lets see assholes in riot gear trying to suppress a legal, fair rally when the crowd can fight back.
    • VTmruhlin, on 11/10/2007, -19/+8I'd be fine if we were armed with video recording devices that magically traveled back in time and showed the whole story. Not saying the cops were right, because I don't have enough information to support that claim. But I'm also not saying the cops were wrong, for the same reason.

      If the guy had spontaneously reached in a backpack or coat pocket, as if grabbing for a gun, a taser would have been acceptable. Since this video only shows the aftermath, we don't know if the cops had a good reason or not.

      We've got this thing here in America called presumption of innocence. And contrary to prior belief, that applies in allegations of police brutality as well. Let the courts decide if this really was brutality, then feel free to complain. Until then though, you've got to respect their rights or you're no better than what you accuse them of.
    • szembek, on 11/10/2007, -11/+16This reaffirms my believe that every person should be armed with a handgun.
    • Gemini25RB, on 10/12/2007, -0/+6@VTmruhlin

      I sort of agree with you. I couldn't understand what led up to the first tasing (sp?), so I'm not one to judge the cops based on that. (If I were a cop and he quickly reached into his backpack, I'd get scared.) That being said, you are forgetting all of the subsequent tasings, mostly for not standing up. Many other people have posted that it is difficult to stand after being tased, and it seems likely, so in that aspect, the cops were way out of line. (I don't know how hard it is to stand, but it may be like kicking a paraplegic because he won't stand up. How would that look toward the cops?)
    • anothertechdude, on 11/10/2007, -6/+13This is the WORST kind of situation in which to have guns. People's emotions are high, it's hard to see exactly what's going on, things are happening fast...if everyone's armed then someone's going to start shooting and people are going to die, innocent as well as guilty.

      I'm a strong supporter of the 2nd amendment, and a gun owner. Mouthing off about how everyone should have guns to confront the cops just shows your unfamiliarity with the responsibilities of gun ownership and use. Deadly force is the absolute last resort, not something to be treated lightly.

    • VTmruhlin, on 10/12/2007, -1/+7@Gemini25RB

      Yeah, tasing him for not getting up seems kind of pointless, given that the whole point of the taser is to immobilize the guy.

      All the times I've seen tasers used on TV shows like "Cops" though, the guy's too out of it to keep screaming like this dude did. So it seems like maybe they had it on a lower setting or something.

      But yeah, they would have been better off picking the guy up and carrying him away.
  • lickmygiggle, on 10/12/2007, -8/+161There's no reason to tase someone if they are being nonviolent, and not a threat to you. Something tells me these people would have tased Ghandi if they had the chance.
    Also, as it is my understanding, being tased is quite painful. Now if I'm laying on the ground, being tased...I think I'm not going to want to do anything but lay on the ground some more, and maybe writhe in pain. It wouldn't matter if someone was yelling "stand up" at me.
    If these officers were acting solely on their training, then their training was wrong.

    It really is nothing but an abuse of power.
    • r81984, on 10/12/2007, -107/+12Ghandi was a racist bastard. He was very anti black. I think he would have deserved a good tasing.
    • CrankyPants, on 10/12/2007, -15/+10In Gandhi's day they used clubs and guns.

      @r81984 -- you're so cute with your lies and trolling. Go on with your bad self!
    • actorboy, on 10/12/2007, -0/+13Agreed. Since I could only hear and not see how the student acted at first, I don't know if the intitial tase was justified. If it was, then once he's and the gorund and incapacitated, you cuff him, escort him from the building and see that he has medical atttention while waiting to be charged. If there are no charges, then there is no reason to use force at all. As for repeated tasings to someone who is no longer a threat, that is clearly and unquestionably abuse.

      On the plus side, if there is one, I'm proud of and moved by the students who took a stand against the police. I wish more people had that much courage.
    • directedition, on 10/12/2007, -7/+14@crankypants

      To be fair, Ghandi actually was very racist. He even published a newsletter dedicated to pontificating his racist views. Then again, it was the style of the time in India to hate black people.
    • ohearn, on 10/12/2007, -4/+11From someone who has worked around, and been zapped by, high voltage before (not specifically tazers but similar and higher voltages, yes it hurts like hell.

      I have no problem with police carrying tazers, but as part of the training on how to properly use them, the police should be zapped one good time. This will make sure they know exactly what they are doing to someone they use it on in the future. It will also avoid a cop ever being able to walk into court over an issue like this and say they didn't know what a tazer was capable of.

      Most police are pretty decent, it's just a shame a few slime balls like this give the rest a bad name with so many people.
    • WinterSolstice, on 10/12/2007, -7/+9@ohearn

      They do get tazed - just check YouTube. In fact, there is a really funny video where a cop got tazed in the nuts :)
      http://rescuehumor.com/video/TASER_to_Balls.htm


      -WS
    • garg, on 10/12/2007, -9/+2directedition > That's why he spent years in South Africa fighting the racist injustices going on there?
    • lickmygiggle, on 10/12/2007, -2/+22You know what, I'm sorry I used Ghandi as a reference. I meant simply to imply that these douchebags would have tortured a man that practiced non-violent resistance.

      Thanks everyone, for missing the point (those of you who did)....and then pissing all over it.
  • darkened, on 10/12/2007, -37/+21I personally think we should exercise our state rights to carry weapons. I highly doubt police would be so open to treating us like this if every single one of us carried a publicly holstered fire arm as it is legal to do so (atleast in my state, no license of any type required to do so, only a license to carry a concealed weapon).
    • wormhole, on 10/12/2007, -6/+42I don't know about your state, but in mine its illegal to carry a weapon anywhere near a place of education.
    • DMCau, on 10/12/2007, -19/+10Agreed darkened, I can't see the downside...


      ...
    • killinger777, on 10/12/2007, -6/+46I am all for weapons, but do you think threatening the cops with a gun or actually shooting them would make his situation turn out better?
    • Nogger, on 10/12/2007, -6/+19You wish. They would threaten you at gun point, and I would not blame them. Suspect has a fire arm = draw your weapon. And as we know that undesired discharge never happens... But well, once you are dead, you can sue him.
    • dagonweb, on 10/12/2007, -26/+6"I personally think we should exercise our state rights to carry weapons."

      What is happening in the US ? COM PLET ELY insane. A cancer on the face of the world.
    • OMGWTFROFLMAO, on 10/12/2007, -11/+24"I highly doubt police would be so open to treating us like this if every single one of us carried a publicly holstered fire arm as it is legal to do so"

      No, instead they will just shoot you 15-20 times and state on the report that you looked like you were reaching for your weapon.

      /sarcasm

      After all, it's your word against theirs and in a court of law, both are weighed equally...

      /sarcasm
    • CiXeL, on 10/12/2007, -3/+38california is a police state
      its been that way for some time
      thats why i got the hell out.

      as i kid i remember playing around in front of a gelson's grocery store in newport beach tripping off the camera that would scan the area and zoom in on any movement.

      we moved out of the state when they started mounting large white cameras at our onramp to the 405 freeway (rosecrans ave) recording traffic going six directions for automated tickets.

      talking about guns there will make people want to call the cops on you because they think youre a nut.
      my father is an NRA member who unfortunately lives in CA. you have to talk with hushed whispers in a gun store like its a porn store. here in florida you can talk about guns for home protection in the supermarket checkout line and noone cares.
    • williamdyer, on 10/12/2007, -19/+17@killinger

      Because nothing will change until brutal cops are sent home in bags
    • ClassicJBC, on 10/12/2007, -7/+11Okay, imagine some already edgy cops who have an itchy taser trigger finger. What do you think would happen when these same edgy cops know they're dealing with a room full of armed citizens? They'll either a) be too afraid to do their jobs when they actually should or more likely b) be even more brutal and cavalier in their attitude.

      I have a feeling that in this case, instead of a student in pain from being tased, you'd have a few students shot dead.
    • LQBMaV, on 10/12/2007, -3/+19while we have the right to bear arms (i don't know if tasers are included,) i think we should be more selective when giving this ***** out to the 'proper authorities.' did anyone see at the end of that video the kid in the white undershirt talking with the cop and the cop replying, 'if you don't get back YOU'RE going to get tasered.'

      absolutely out of line folks.
    • Otto, on 10/12/2007, -4/+10>>>"What do you think would happen when these same edgy cops know they're dealing with a room full of armed citizens?"

      Perhaps they might have a little bit more respect because being assholes just might get them killed.
    • marvy, on 10/12/2007, -2/+7I think I speak for a lot of non-US residents when I point out how disturbing all this "we need gun"-talk seems. Maybe I really am missing the point or don't understand that so-called American way of life, but it seems to me that the violence situation is spinning out of control in the States. Bringing in more guns hardly seems like a good solution. Being able to openly talk about guns in a supermarket without getting strange looks, does not seem like a place I would want to grow up in.
      I have to agree with one of the other posters here, who said his country didn't have these problems. It seems that here in Europe things are just taken in a much more cool and relaxed manner. People don't carry guns because people don't need them (and are not allowed to do so anyway). If a guy doesn't have his ID and acts like an idiot, ignore him or throw him out. It's not a big thing. He's young and maybe a bit of a rebel. So what?
      I stayed at an American University last summer and was shocked to see how strict they were. It seemed they had no trust in the students. Going to a campus party was like doing something forbidden. God, what has happened? This makes me so sad.
  • ahhell, on 11/10/2007, -27/+95The US sounds like such a fantastic place to live.

    /scared
    • countersoldat, on 10/12/2007, -15/+31Oh come off your high horse. The fact that this is so newsworthy gives you an idea about how often it happens (hint, not very).

      That is like me saying France is a piece of crap cause they have riots weekly in the ghettos and burn cars all the time, yet that goes unreported.
    • h00paj00, on 10/12/2007, -15/+5Please stay out then. Thanks. Oh, and take the "Scared-Of-Guns" folk with you.
    • freff, on 10/12/2007, -9/+11Actually, the US IS a fantastic place. And I truly mean that. There are great things to do and see, great people to get to know, and outstanding places to visit. And there are fantastic opportunities here for anyone who is willing to look and work for them.

      But like they say, everything is bigger in America sometimes. And you will meet some outstanding assholes here too. Not everywhere, but you'll run into them if you stay awhile. Strangely, that's both a strength and a tremendous weakness of ours, if you can comprehend that. We're a diverse group of people, and as a whole we're much better off for that diversity (to include even the assholes). All I'm saying is, don't take all these internet video's as a representation of the US as a whole. Transparency in our society is important, but just remember, from outside you're not getting a complete picture of Americans off youtube. Some of us are pretty cool too.
    • marvy, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2@freff: Just read your comment after I submitted my post above. Thanks for the insight, and reminding me about the great sides of America. Sometimes from overseas it really does feel like we only get the bad news. That is a shame, as almost all of my memories of the States have been great.
  • Lumiras, on 11/10/2007, -6/+55I hope every one of those ***** cops gets fired from the force.

    They should not have tasered the guy that many times. It is true that he did not have his ID in the library, which is required, but tasering him went too far. If anything, they should have just arrested him for trespassing instead of abusing him like they did.
    • StarManta, on 10/12/2007, -3/+17I don't think it's so much the "being tased" in the first place that's getting people riled up, wrong or right as it might have been (we didn't see the beginning of it, so he may well have deserved the first one). It's the fact that the cops CONTINUED to tase him REPEATEDLY.
      • bono4u, on 11/16/2007, -0/+1i am against tasing at all. For now i don't know any case where someones death is caused by handcufs, but by taser, and it will increase as the selling of this nice tool will increase.
    • rstarr, on 11/10/2007, -22/+17
      ***** tha police
      Comin straight from the underground
      Young ***** got it bad cuz I'm brown
      And not the other color so police think
      They have the authority to kill a minority

      ***** that *****, cuz I ain't tha one
      For a punk ***** with a badge and a gun
      To be beatin on, and throwin in jail
      We could go toe to toe in the middle of a cell

      ***** with me cuz I'm a teenager
      With a little bit of gold and a pager
      Searchin my car, lookin for the product
      Thinkin every ***** is sellin narcotics

      You'd rather see me in the pen
      Then me and Lorenzo rollin in the Benzo
      Beat tha police outta shape
      And when I'm finished, bring the yellow tape
      To tape off the scene of the slaughter
      Still can't swallow bread and water

      I don't know if they fags or what
      Search a ***** down and grabbin his nuts
      And on the other hand, without a gun they can't get none
      But don't let it be a black and a white one
      Cuz they slam ya down to the street top
      Black police showin out for the white cop

      Ice Cube will swarm
      On any ***** in a blue uniform
      Just cuz I'm from the CPT, punk police are afraid of me
      A young ***** on a warpath
      And when I'm finished, it's gonna be a bloodbath
      Of cops, dyin in LA
      Yo Dre, I got somethin to say

      /revolution
      • ubergeek09, on 11/10/2007, -0/+1Don't be such a ignorant tool, not all police are like this.
    • dreamstorm, on 11/10/2007, -0/+5I'm not from the U.S., but being required to carry ID at all times seems excessively strict to me. I don't carry my student ID around campus most of the time, and the police certainly don't go around doing mandatory identity checks. With a climate of fear like that, no wonder all those students were afraid to speak up against such brutality. (This is wrong in so many ways...)
    • mercurysquad, on 11/10/2007, -1/+2how dare you guys digg down Rage Against The Machine lyrics???
      WE GOTTA TAKE THA POWER BACK!!
      • rednorth, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1***** i didn't realise, DUGG!

        man, man oh man. omg
        omg omg

        i wish i had been there, i would have had fun doing my own little real life enactment of 300...
  • AZTriGuy, on 11/10/2007, -25/+76I'll bet he'll return those library books on time now...
    • CiXeL, on 10/12/2007, -19/+8thanks for being the comic relief
    • Infinitas, on 10/12/2007, -5/+19Ha.
      Seems to be unnecessary force. Here in DC, I wouldn't get tasered for not presenting ID, I'd just be told that I need to leave the premises. If I do not comply, they'd just call the cops, who would probably just arrest me for trespassing. I'm only getting tasered for committing some serious offense, like try to take a swing at the cop.
    • AZTriGuy, on 10/12/2007, -24/+10Well, I tried for the comic relief at least, gettin' dugg down. Let me try again...

      Not taking away from the fact that is was not handled well by the cops (or student for that matter) and was inexcusable, how great would it have been if the cop with the tazer yelled out, "You will respect my authorit-eye!!"
    • STKD, on 10/12/2007, -14/+5On occasions as fairly horrific as that, perhaps comedic relief is best left out.
    • AZTriGuy, on 10/12/2007, -4/+6I'm gathering that much after being dugg down so quickly...
  • WackyT, on 10/12/2007, -46/+7LOL! Gotta love nonlethal weaponry, especially when used on assholes who are just pleading to be tased.
    • etymxris, on 10/12/2007, -6/+42"The Taser can be incredibly violent and result in death," Eliasberg said.

      According to an ACLU report, 148 people in the United States and Canada have died as a result of the use of Tasers since 1999.

      http://dailybruin.com/news/articles.asp?id=38960
    • Jaymoon, on 10/12/2007, -14/+4Oh no, that's like what... half of 1% of all the people that have been tasered died? Better start running around in mass panic now!
    • WackyT, on 10/12/2007, -17/+4"According to an ACLU report, 148 people in the United States and Canada have died as a result of the use of Tasers since 1999."

      "Oh no, that's like what... half of 1% of all the people that have been tasered died? Better start running around in mass panic now!"

      That's even better. Sort of like playing the lottery with these assholes' lives. Too bad tasers don't have different settings, like Star Trek phasers.
    • BionicBeefpile, on 10/12/2007, -2/+22This situation illustrates my problem with tasers. Because they are "nonlethal", police will use them at the slightest provocation, even when they aren't even close to necessary. When they were introduced, I recall the intended use being to bring down a person who was threatening an officer physically (read running at them with business in their eyes) but unarmed. Too often you see them used just when someone doesn't agree with the police officer immediately.
  • Zantozz, on 11/10/2007, -5/+75Ok, yeah, he was being a dick. But damn, you could hear the *agony* in that kids screams. I would want to lie on the ground and collect myself as well before getting up.

    But in that, I would probably be one of the first people in that group to start getting some badge numbers, names, etc. The UCLA police are lucky that they didn't have a mob or a riot on their hands after that incident.

    Bravo for whoever recorded this.
    • CiXeL, on 11/10/2007, -4/+56yeah think about the oxymoron here. theyre tazing the ***** out of him and telling him to get up despite the fact the shocks are paralyzing him.
    • itsthemechanic, on 10/12/2007, -11/+51I think these college kids are ***** cowards. There were like 20 of them standing around not doing a thing while they tortured this guy for like 5 minutes?

      If they had ANY balls they would pull these cops of that kid lying on the ground. 20 against 2 is a no brainer, taser or not. Instead they just stand around filming. Sheeple!
      • bono4u, on 11/16/2007, -0/+1so there was no college personal which could handle a situation with a lost, stolen or forgeten id? where were the teachers? i would say they were the real cowards. The kids were mmm ... well educated ... stay out of trouble, don't mess up with the police don't be exspelle.

        What would be if this kid have had any health problems ... weak heart, epileptic, ... could have come worse and i think it is only a matter of time then it will come worse.
    • CiXeL, on 10/12/2007, -3/+14as much as i hate to say it. looking back on california alot of us were sheeple. it comes from repeated confrontations with police. living in florida now its funny how im one of the few here who FEAR the police. not as much as i used to, but the residual fear remains. after being followed by cops so many times watching your every move hoping theres some mild traffic violation they can pull you over for, it gets to you. if youre hit by a stick everytime you dont follow every rule you start to fear that and it turns you into a pussy.
      californians roll over because they're so beaten into submission
      but the only way to recognize that is to live somewhere else.
    • sleze, on 11/10/2007, -6/+13If they had ANY balls, they would have ended up in jail, charged with a worse crime than the kid who was getting tazed.

      Besides...college kids today are pussies compared to the college kids of the 60's
    • billlyboobs34, on 11/10/2007, -2/+11I'm originally from California I too fear cops, but my fear has long since turned to hatred and anger. I couldn't have just stood there like those students, I would have done something. I probably would have landed in jail, but doing something would have been the right thing to do.
    • h00paj00, on 11/10/2007, -3/+13@Cixel: yet they couldn't convict OJ.

      Looking at California from the east coast we see:

      Corrupt Cops and the Courts that convict the innocent and let go the guilty. That's just soooo progressive!
    • DaveV, on 11/10/2007, -5/+8@itsthemechanic:

      What's the view like from the cheap seats? When was the last time you attacked police officers?

      By the way, in a situation of 10 to 1, officers can reasonably be in fear of for their lives and use deadly force. Remember, they do carry guns.
      • bono4u, on 11/16/2007, -0/+1good to remember me, so kids shouldn't crowed around police men, any suggestions for ages? I mean How old may they be to crowed around or not? 24, 22, 20, 28, 16, 14, 12, 10, 8, 6 ?

        He did not attack, he only refused to follow their commands. That is a bit of a difference.
    • rincebrain, on 11/10/2007, -1/+10There's a quote somewhere in one of the two stories linked from the video about a student being threatened with tazing when they asked for a badge number.
  • twalker294, on 10/12/2007, -69/+13He wasn't tazed for not having his ID. He was tazed for refusing to comply with the orders of the officers then acting like an ass and yelling like a lunatic. This is exactly how this kind of thing gets turned around to make the cops look like a bunch of power happy jerks. The fact is they have a ***** job where they have to deal with the lowest forms of society every single day, risk their lives every time they go to work, and do it all for pay that most of us would laugh at for doing OUR jobs which don't involve any of that. Give them a little respect.
    • CiXeL, on 10/12/2007, -8/+48yes thats right, rationalize it all away
      obviously he was a bad man because mr police man said so
    • Ghstfce, on 10/12/2007, -5/+55Deal with low lives everyday? They're CAMPUS cops, not LAPD. The closest thing to a lowlife they've had to deal with is a wasted fratboy dressed as a hooker during rush week. Please. Your trying to mesh a glorified security guard with and actual police officer.
    • illynova, on 10/12/2007, -2/+33I'm sorry, but how is being tazed acceptable? You act like its nothing.. there were over five cops there. How hard would have been for them to physically hand-cuff him and haul him out of there without having to taz him?

      Its like having somebody demand your money, and you whip out your gun and shoot him. Excessive force, anybody?
    • jawdog, on 10/12/2007, -4/+14In one way you are right for saying that his non-compliance resulted in the officers using force against him. But the most disturbing thing about watching this video was when i just imagined that the officers were wearing normal civilian clothes and not uniforms. What kind of society do we live in where the students just stand and watch as humans armed with tasers torture someone with jolts of electricity in public for not having a piece of plastic with their picture on it?
    • dagonweb, on 10/12/2007, -15/+44"Give them a little respect. "

      No. These things are unheard off in Europe. This simply doesn't happen with anywhere the same frequency, casualness or severity in my country. It isn't necessary. You americans have let your country come apart at the seams. It is a complete nationwide mess.
    • beejay54, on 10/12/2007, -6/+10You talk like they have no choice. These guys chose to be cops at one point in their lives, they went to school for it, and they were obviously attracted to the profession for some reason. If it's not the money or glory as you claim then what is it? The power, the respect? Maybe you should get off your computer and read a book instead of preaching grade 2 life lessons like a dumbass.

      That was the beginning and the end of my trolling career right there. :-)
    • itsthemechanic, on 10/12/2007, -3/+22Unless he was attacking the police, I don't see how the use of the tazer was justified.

      It's a self-defence weapon. This kid posed no threat to two grown men. They should have just carried him out, one on each side.

      But I guess they wanted to try out their new toys on someone and swing their dicks around.

      I don't know what's scarier -- that this happened or that there seems to be no shortage of people trying to justify it. Makes me glad I left America. Here in Norway that'd never happen.
    • Novagenesis, on 10/12/2007, -1/+10Seems to me he wasn't tazed for noncompliance toward police officers.

      He refused to comply with College Security.

      He was then GRABBED without word by a police officer. No order was given, force was used without a word. He was already leaving when the police were present. He did not show noncompliance to any order. He was tazed for pulling away, by instinct or choice, when he was grabbed.

      That's what the stories say, and what I get out of watching the video.
      After tazering once, they refused to give badge numbers, threatening the person who demanded it..that's proof that they knew they were doing something wrong, and also a threat against a person who showed no sign of violent intent.

      Then they tazered multiple times for noncompliance caused by paralysis. That, if nothing else, is excess use of force and should be summary removal.

      Had they tazed the bystander, I'd add criminal assault.
  • mickisdaddy, on 10/12/2007, -11/+39Both the police and the student were at fault to a certain degree in this incident.

    While the student was walking out the police asked him to stop. He should have stopped answered the officers questions politely. It would not have gone as far as it did had he done so.

    The officers had not right to use their taser. The student was non-violent and showed not aggression toward the officers.

    This could have been handled better on both sides.
    • Nogger, on 10/12/2007, -5/+21If you give them tasers and say "it is safe to use them", some people will just linger at a chance to try them out and will use them on every possible occasion, because it makes it "so easy" for them.

    • smedrick, on 10/12/2007, -14/+3This is the first rational commment I've seen in this thread so far.
    • farglebargle, on 10/12/2007, -3/+32FREE MEN don't obey orders unless they make sense to them.

      Unless you're under arrest, SAY NOTHING except, "May I have a business card to pass onto Counsel, if needed, they'll contact you". And that's IT.

      REMEMBER MARTHA STEWART!

      SAY NOTHING!

    • DaveV, on 10/12/2007, -18/+4@farglebargle:

      He was told to leave because he didn't have his ID card. How hard is that to understand? Once he refused, they came to arrest him, then he said he would leave. But, then it was too late. Then, he resisted arrest.

      If he had followed the rules and then not been a self-righteous prick, none of this would have happened.
    • sleze, on 10/12/2007, -17/+4@mickisdaddy

      You've hit the nail right on the head. They were both wrong. He should have left when he was told to leave originally. I think the first tase was WAY out of line. The ones that followed it up were his fault. How many times did the cops say, "stand up or we will tase you"?

      We're not talking about a protester or someone protecting his child or something. We're talking about someone being arrested.
    • caketank, on 10/12/2007, -3/+22Yes, this could have been handled better on both sides. You know what? I don't care.

      I don't care that some random student was an *****. What I care about is that police officers-- *campus* police officers, no less-- reacted to some guy acting like kind of a dick by basically torturing him with a potentially deadly weapon.

      That's dangerous, it's a betrayal, and it cannot be tolerated. That the student "could have handled it better" is completely irrelevant.
    • STKD, on 10/12/2007, -1/+18Can I taser you then see how long it takes you to be able to stand afterwards while I stand over you shouting at you? Think about it. Taser. Designed to incapacitate. So while you're incapacitated... Think about it.
    • Dylan16807, on 10/12/2007, -2/+10What is wrong with you, sleze? You can't just stand up if you've been tazed.
    • kooft, on 10/12/2007, -4/+19@DaveV
      "He was told to leave because he didn't have his ID card. How hard is that to understand? Once he refused, they came to arrest him, then he said he would leave. But, then it was too late. Then, he resisted arrest."

      Wrong, you're full of crap. He didn't leave when the CSO's asked him to, so the CSO's responded by getting the campus police involved. The campus police where there to escort him off the premises, not to arrest him, and he complied. The incident began when, as he was walking towards the exit with his backpack slung over his shoulder, a cop grabbed him and another approached.

      His response was to pull away and yell "get off me" a couple of times. At which point the officers tased him.


      "If he had followed the rules and then not been a self-righteous prick, none of this would have happened."

      Interesting logic you have here. So, not having your library card when in the library gets you tased 5 times. I suppose you would have no complaints if a cop shot a tear gas canister into your vehicle for doing 36mph in a 35mph zone? What about jaywalkers? Can a cop driving by just launch a salvo of taser darts at a jaywalker? Serves them right for being self-righteous.

      I guaran-damn-tee you that you've broken some law, no matter how minor. Ergo, you're a self-righteous prick that deserves to be tased. I can only hope that the video hits digg so we can all comment on what an idiot you are.
    • DaveV, on 10/12/2007, -14/+3@kooft:

      "Interesting logic you have here. So, not having your library card when in the library gets you tased 5 times."

      No, but resisting arrest does.

      "I suppose you would have no complaints if a cop shot a tear gas canister into your vehicle for doing 36mph in a 35mph zone?"

      Did I refuse to stop or did I run? Did I resist arrest? Or did I stop and accept my ticket?

      "What about jaywalkers? Can a cop driving by just launch a salvo of taser darts at a jaywalker?"

      Is the jaywalker refusing to be detained to be given a ticket? Is he running from the police? Is he resisting?

      "I guaran-damn-tee you that you've broken some law, no matter how minor. Ergo, you're a self-righteous prick that deserves to be tased. I can only hope that the video hits digg so we can all comment on what an idiot you are."

      See, that is where you are a dumbass. I have had several run-ins with the law. I was even held at gunpoint and handcuffed after being pulled over for speeding. Guess what, I have never been tased, nor have I ever been arrested. I have never been abused. You know why? Because I wasn't a dumbass, I answered the questions I was asked, I did what I was told. And guess what, the cop that pulled his gun on me and handcuffed me, he apologized.

      If this guy had not been a dumbass and had complied with the POSTED library rule that requires campus ID by leaving when asked, getting his ID, and then coming back, NONE of this would have happened.
    • sleze, on 10/12/2007, -8/+1I've never been tased and I bet you've never been tased either. I am not talking about zap, get back up. I am talking about the minute of time it takes for him to recover. Haven't you watched COPS? Or any of the other videos on Youtube that show cops getting tased(so they can be qualified to use a taser)?People get tased...they are disoriented...they recover and get up.

      You can also hear him talking about getting tased quite coherently between the first and second tase. Maybe I am wrong and it makes you ***** your pants. I am just commenting based on what I have observed from people who were tased on video.
    • sleze, on 10/12/2007, -3/+2Also here is a video of someone getting tased with commentary

      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tg66d7ff2ME
    • kooft, on 10/12/2007, -0/+11@DaveV

      "No, but resisting arrest does."

      When he refused to leave the library, he was doing so to the CSO's. CSO's don't have the authority to make an arrest. So, all he had done at this point was commit a civil infraction. Once the Police arrived and asked him to leave, according to an eyewitness, he slung his backpack on his shoulder and began walking towards the door (this is called compliance).

      The incident arose when the Police officer grabbed the guys arm and another office began approaching. The student merely yelled, a couple of times, "get off me" and pulled his arm away. At this point he wasn't under arrest, he was being escorted from the library and it was at this point that he was tased. The remaining 4 uses of the Taser were due to his passive resistance (not getting up).

      Keep in mind that this guy didn't try to hit the cops or run away, he just didn't want to be manhandled. Some people have genuine psychological fear of being touched (admittedly these people probably wouldn't be in the library). My point is that nothing he did (according to eyewitnesses) was threatening or way out of line.

      Again, by your logic, anyone that commits a civil/criminal/etc infraction and expresses any unhappiness about it, is subject to tasing.

      Officer, I wasn't speeding... BZZZZT!!!
      I didn't see that stop sign... BZZZZT!!!
      I didn't mean to file my taxes late... BZZZT!!!

      American's aren't cows that need to be fenced in with electricity, that's antithetical to freedom and the very notion that America was founded upon. At the risk of sounding cliche