What is Digg?568 Comments
- cmccool, on 04/25/2008, -12/+187from article: "The officer who fired the Taser has been put on paid administrative leave."
fire taser = vacation. awesome! /sarcasm - startmenu, on 04/25/2008, -14/+163I really hope when I die it gets caught on camera so folks can either digg or bury it according to how interesting they find my demise.
- storm8956, on 04/25/2008, -12/+114I have a friend down in Oxford who told me that the officer was a former linebacker and could have subdued the guy without the use of the taser if he wanted to. You would think police departments would be questioning the use of such a device when stuff like this happens. How many more people will be needlessly killed before they figure out that use of a potentially lethal device to confront minor disturbances is just plain stupid?
Imagine if the guy in Florida had died, right in front of John Kerry and a bunch of people with cell phone cameras. Unfortunately, it may take something like that to get people nationwide to really think seriously about the issue. - RealmDown, on 04/25/2008, -19/+77Use of a taser is use of deadly force and should only be used in the type of situation that calls for deadly force.
- oderdigg, on 04/25/2008, -4/+52It sure sounded like he was tasering him for quite lengthy intervals. Isn't there a maximum amount of time someone should be tased? Like only 2-3 secs sustained max. I can imagine how hard it is on the body to go through 20-30 second tasing.
- blakeage, on 04/25/2008, -2/+37Maybe size is not relevant, but the fact that the officer is standing and in control, yet still tasering him like a dog, is just bad judgement.
- Ashany, on 04/25/2008, -17/+51Actually isn't it more like:
Get poor training = fire taser = kill someone = paid vacation!
more awesome /sarcasm - jaydoj, on 04/25/2008, -3/+34go ahead and try the video with sound....you may hear a clicking. Thats the sound of an awful lot of electricity flowing. From what heard, he tells him to stay on the ground, and continues to use the taser in 10-15 second bursts. I'd say it's a bit excessive for a couple reasons, one the guy was in the fetal position from the taser, and two, he's drunk, you hit him with enough electricity and he's just going to stay down.
- RealmDown, on 04/25/2008, -3/+31I think that all pay in situations like this should be placed in escrow. The officer receives it only when he is found to have acted correctly.
"Paid administrative leave" should be viewed as something to be avoided. - McGuinness, on 04/25/2008, -9/+33mwalker I'm sorry but you're an idiot. Tasers are all too often used for COMPLIANCE DEVICES when they're supposed to be used in place of guns. The whole point of a taser, and the original justification for officers carrying them was in essence to not have to SHOOT SOMEONE. You're only supposed to use them when your life is threatened. You can argue with me all you want, but I lived with a police officer for years and I know this for a fact.
Police Officers mostly have an authority or 'god' complex. So if you challenge them they tend to blow their temper. A sort of "HOW DARE YOU", so they get pissed and whip out these tasers to get you to do everything they say. Exactly what they SHOULDNT be used for. - ozymandias2012, on 04/25/2008, -3/+26It's a sad situation but when dealing with cops nowadays you have to realize that if you get out of line, or they THINK you're getting out of line, you could lose your life. If you think they're treating you unfairly just be polite, get a lawyer, and start up the lawsuits. No sense getting killed because you had too much to drink and got into it with a cop. It's not the way it's supposed to be but it seems like this is going to keep happening as long as they keep using these taser things.
- storm8956, on 04/25/2008, -12/+35I don't really understand your hostility toward my comment. I think that for a cop to use physical strength to over power a person in such a situation, which it sounds like he could have, makes more sense than to use a device that is potentially lethal. Let us be reminded that this would not be the first person to die from the use of a taser, if that is indeed what occurred (in reference to your other comment below).
I never said anything about the obligation of the officer. For the most part, he did what he was trained to do, from what it sounded like, yelling "Taser! Taser! Taser!" before the discharge. Police departments need to rethink their usage of the device, plain and simple. People don't need to die from confrontations in a bar. If a person is not a position to put anyone's life at risk, I would think it would be better for people to suffer some scrapes or bruises than to risk losing the life of that person in the end. - pointsguy, on 04/25/2008, -7/+29How about using the ol' billy club? Or using backup to surround the guy and throw him down and hold him down. You know, good ol' police work.
- blakeage, on 04/25/2008, -2/+23That was definitely excessive force. It should be used for nothing but getting the guy to the ground.
- therealfoz, on 04/25/2008, -5/+25if this had happened before the taser was implemented.. he'd be alive with a sore arm and perhaps face.. from being forced to the ground.
Remember when you had to subdue a person with physical contact, police? - 0011002, on 04/25/2008, -3/+22For most of the video he was being tased and they kept telling him to get on the ground. Now I agree with you that it sounds like the appropriate situation but it was used incorrectly. Once he was on the ground he should have been cuffed not continually tased. I had a job for 2 years as casino security and have worked closely with the cops of the Biloxi area so I can understand how a taser would greatly help them take deescalate a situation but the problem is so many cops are on power trips or just plan don't understand that a taser can be deadly. They respect their guns more because it's most likely lethal and they disrespect the taser in that same since because it's less likely lethal. The taser should carry the same rule as guns that if you use it on someone you will have to fill out several reports explaining why and in cases where it's lethal they should be investigated to see if it was used inappropriately or if it was misused out of bad training and then punish the appropriate person.
- an0nymous, on 04/25/2008, -0/+17We hope so too. Please make it interesting.
(Still watched the video though, didn't you?) - jeffsback2223, on 04/25/2008, -3/+19You get paid leave for killing a person. that really gives cops incentive to do their worst.
- mmalecki, on 04/25/2008, -2/+18is it just me, or does the video seem like the officer kept Tasering the victim when the latter was rolling on the ground in pain?
- qwertydvorak, on 04/25/2008, -1/+17how is the dead guy going to feed his family for years without pay.
- bond1963, on 04/25/2008, -6/+22My thoughts are that the cops are starting to get too reliant on the tasers. I've seen videos of people being tased just because they are abusive towards the cops or not following orders of the cops. It might make sense if the cop is alone but I've seen it happen with multiple cops standing around. So instead of grabbing the person they just "take the person on a taser ride". Yes, I think they should have them. Yes, they are being abused.
- grainybazzles, on 04/25/2008, -1/+14All the dude ever wanted was to get his rug back.
- inactive, on 04/25/2008, -7/+19How many times have you people been told Tazers are safe? Just listen like a good little Herd, and if you do, then the Cattle prode, I mean Tazer won't be used on you.
- 0011002, on 04/25/2008, -1/+13The situation seemed appropriate from the cops account but it seems the taser was misused from either lack of training or the cop being over zealous. I don't think a taser should be used longer than a couple of seconds not 20 to 30 seconds.
- 0011002, on 04/25/2008, -0/+12Being in Security at a casino I can say that someone who is drunk can be a big risk to himself, those around him in the area, and the officers tring to stop him. A taser would allow for two officers or even one to get the man on the ground safely and quickly. I've seen it take 5 cops to subdue a drunk man smaller than them because of how much he fought them. Also the person who is drunk is far more likely to hurt himself in the scuffle than if a taser is used right. That being said the video shows to me a taser not being used properly and I do think either the cop in question should either be punished or his trainer should be. Like my above comment many cops do not respect the taser as they would respect the gun and that should change if they are to continue being allowed to use tasers.
- 10ofDiamonds, on 04/25/2008, -3/+15 Let's not fall to post hoc logic here; But I think there have been enough cases where death has occured following the use of a Taser to warrant more investigation, and for now, a moritorium on the use of the Taser. I also think Taser use has become an 'instant conflict resolution device'.
- inactive, on 04/25/2008, -39/+50OK, so no taser then. We're back to guns then?
This guy was tased for fighting with an officer and repeatedly ignoring warnings to stop. The cops just did their job and they didn't do anything wrong.
Bury me if you want, but it would be more interesting if you tried to refute the facts first. Or you can hit-and-run like a coward. It's just a click with the mouse after all. - dmallymally, on 04/25/2008, -6/+17well they should be. I mean they did sign up to be a cop. To serve and protect the people, not themselves
- tbechtx, on 04/25/2008, -2/+12Obviously, in this taser incident, the officers clearly over used the device. Once he was on the ground why could they not overpower and cuff him? Instead they just keep shocking him. Pretty poor police work.
- meells, on 04/25/2008, -5/+15Technically, its never been established that smoking causing cancer. Cancer is something that cannot be traced in a definite line of causality...like taser deaths. Care to take up that cause as well?
- oldhick, on 04/25/2008, -6/+16I disagree with that 100%. We pay them to put themselves in harms way, not just to take the easy way out.
- richiee89, on 04/25/2008, -1/+11"Piskura's father, Charles, was a police officer in Bedford, Ohio, for nearly 30 years before retiring in 2000."
I wonder what his father thinks of this? - FeloniusMonkey, on 04/25/2008, -2/+12Well put. You don't even have to watch the whole video to plainly see this was an outright abuse of power.
- jaydoj, on 04/25/2008, -2/+128 year olds dude.
- oldhick, on 04/25/2008, -4/+14How is using a taser to forcibly subdue someone drinking doing your job? If they're drunk then they probably have all kinds of ***** going on with their heart rate and blood pressure. Shocking the ***** out of them might do some damage.
- wafflesomd, on 04/25/2008, -3/+13Did he really have to Tase him for 20 seconds? I'm pretty sure a couple 1 second bursts would've stopped him.
- CaptainAmerica1, on 04/25/2008, -27/+37Officers are under no obligation to intentionally put themselves into harm's way by physically confronting someone like that. Cops don't know if someone is drunk or on drugs -- both of which have the potential for making a physical confrontation dangerous for the cop -- therefore making size irrelevant. It's obvious that you have absolutely no idea what happens during a confrontation and what cops face every shift, every day.
How about this...I think you should go down to your local PD and ask to get into their ride-along program. Then you can get a better appreciation for how difficult arresting someone who is resisting can be. - thcobbs, on 04/25/2008, -5/+14Anything used to subdue another human is potentially lethal.
- jmess301, on 04/25/2008, -3/+12I work at a gas station here in Milwaukee, WI. Lot's of cops come in there to get coffee and they usually hang out and chat with me for a bit. Let me tell you, most of these cops are lazy *****. They put on a show of power and demand respect when they're out on the job. However, talking to them on a personal level has revealed to me that most of the ones I've met just seem like scum that couldn't do anything better with their lives.
Hearing news like this irritates me so much. You've got to think that the cop probably felt such a power rush at the moment that he decided to use the taser. - theNolander, on 04/25/2008, -0/+9you never had a part time job when you were a kid?
- redhotkurt, on 04/25/2008, -0/+8I know I'm going out on a limb here, but he probably thinks it sucks.
- ByteGuerilla, on 04/25/2008, -0/+8That would have been clever and/or funny were it not for you tripping over yourself to look like an idiot.
- inactive, on 04/25/2008, -2/+10Someone didn't watch the video, wesside. Or you would see that the officer did not follow procedure. Hmm, I think you prefer it that way.
- Cimlite, on 04/25/2008, -6/+13Yes... now if only someone would inform the cops of that.
- CobaltBlue, on 04/25/2008, -2/+9You are really calling someone a "stupid *****" because they want to reserve judgment?
- Jayzie716, on 04/25/2008, -0/+7I bet the majority of diggers commenting this story haven't been outside that EXACT bar. I have, numerous times. And the cops get called almost EVERY weekend night- typically because out-of-towners come in town and go crazy. Rarely it is actually a Miami student. It sucks that this was a Miami student.
It is a form of entertainment to get a slice of Bruno's or B&D and wait for the fight between guys filled with testosterone, liquor, and beer to pour out of Brick Street, wanting to take some girl home for the night. Getting all macho when the cops come.
I feel like Kevin Piskura should have known better, having gone to school here, and just let it go. No one knows the rest of the story, everyone is guessing, and everyone is jumping on a bandwagon against the police.
Here's an idea: wait, as the family of the deceased as even asked, until more facts come out. Police in Oxford can be jerks--I'm not saying they can't--but they are good people too. You don't know the facts, and don't make them up as you go. - ChocChunkOaties, on 04/25/2008, -0/+7Shut the ***** up Donnie!!
- sublimemm, on 04/25/2008, -1/+8trust me, this was literally a quarter of a block from the police station, and when the cops in oxford are called, there are at least 3 there within seconds. ive seen 5 cop cars roll up to a loud noise complaint in oxford before. while your statement maybe true in other places, it definitely wasn't the case in this one
- RustyJ, on 04/25/2008, -0/+7It really tied the place together, man.
- pointsguy, on 04/25/2008, -0/+6I'm glad someone gets it
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