Two UF police officers put on leave after taser incident

[cali]

I just read this over at kos. I also read BriVT's account. A couple of things are clear to me: The University is handling this appropriately, and Andrew Myer was being an out of control asshole, who should have been removed, but not tasered.

From dhoenig's kos post:

Tue Sep 18, 2007 at 03:09:20 PM PDT
UF President Bernard Machen sent a letter to students, facult, alumni, and friends. Text will follow. He promised to hold a news conference. A report on that, too, will follow. There were also student protests at the school, and the tasered student was released from jail this morning. All on the flip.

dhonig's diary :: ::
First, the letter:

To students, faculty, staff, alumni and friends:

I have received a great deal of communication and input last night and this morning regarding the incident that occurred Monday at the conclusion of a town hall forum being held by Sen. John Kerry. The incident resulted in a student being tasered.
We are interested in learning what happened and are taking the following immediate steps to ensure the university utilizes best practice protocols:

• University of Florida Police Chief Linda Stump has requested the Florida Department of Law Enforcement conduct a formal investigation into the arrest of UF student Andrew Meyer. An independent review such as this will make sure the results are objective and impartial. Chief Stump’s priority is to ensure that the public remains confident in the department’s ability to keep the campus safe.

• Two officers involved in the incident have been placed on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation.

• We plan to assemble a panel of faculty and students to review our police protocols, our management practices and the FDLE report to come up with a series of recommendations for the university.

• Administrators and police officials plan to analyze the incident and conduct an internal review and will consider changing protocols in response to this incident, if necessary.

• Finally, as is standard procedure, the State Attorney’s Office will review the charges brought against Mr. Meyer. We have communicated with the State Attorney and understand he plans to expedite his review.

I will talk about the incident and answer questions at a news conference scheduled for 2 p.m. in Emerson Alumni Hall.

J. Bernard Machen

snip

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2007/9/18/172125/164

[mod mom]

1. I wrote earlier to Dr Machen at this address:

Here is the email address of the President of U of Florida:


Dr. Machen:
[e-mail]

[cboy4]

2. Yes. It is paid leave however. And we shouldn't misinterpret

this action as a sign the officers are necessarily in trouble.

Paid administrative leave is SOP anytime an officer is involved in a shooting or any other type of incident that requires an investigation.

I still argue there's no excuse for that many officers to not be able to take a single (unarmed) person into custody without having to use a taser.

What ever happened to arrest control holds?


edit..........typo

[cali]

4. I agree with you and I thought I made that clear in the OP but

making that moran the poster boy for free speech, is just, well, moronic.

[loudsue]

6. Actually....that guy is PRECISELY the "poster boy for free speech".

THIS incident is the reason this isn't supposed to be a police state. Why cannot an adult, mature society handle a person who is merely a jerk without a bizarre and violent act? It is because the children, and their fears, hates and prejudices ("poster boy for free speech") are in charge. The guy wasn't a terrorist, and did not deserve capital punishment without a trial. He was just a jerk.

[cali]

7. NO HE IS NOT

He fucking rushed the line for the mike, and grabbed it. That has NOTHING to do with free speech. That's being disruptive and potentially legally disorderly. He went on and on, in GROSS DISREGARD of the free speech rights of those he pre-empted. He resisted arrest.

He shouldn't have been tasered, but it is fucking idiotic to make him the poster boy for the first amendment.

[loudsue]

13. Ok. Then he should be the "poster boy" for the police state.

[mikelgb]

3. 5th for the facts

[angrycarpenter]

5. police use tasers too much

It is a sign of the lack of concern some officers have for anyone who may not be in the mood to calm down. Rather than use reason and understanding in dealing with an angry person they just pile on and if the perp happens to get hurt then they should have just shut-up and sat down.

People no longer have the right to fight for their rights.

[cali]

8. Yes. they cetainly do.

That's not my point.

[OzarkDem]

9. Bullshit

The cops were out of line. Blaming it on the kid is not only wrong, but counter to everything DU stands for.

[cali]

10. Bullshit is what you're spewing

He rushed the line, cutting in front of others. And who are you to dictate what DU stands for. This is a diverse community and no where in the official literature about DU is there anything defining this kind of disruptive behavior as progressive.

[OzarkDem]

17. Even the University says it was wrong

so how do you know more than they? Frankly, I've seen no proof from anyone about the supposed "horrible" behavior of this studen, just rumor and innuendo.

If campus protest and speaking out makes you uncomfortable, by all means don't watch it.

And if you think police brutality against a kid for speaking out at a public forum on a college campus is ok, well I'm sorry you have to live in the United States, where that sort of behavior is Constitutionally protected and in some circles admired. It must be incredibly unpleasant for you to see people exercising their right to free speech.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

19. When did the university say it was wrong?

:shrug:

[OzarkDem]

34. Try reading some news articles

They have suspended the cops involved.

"University President J. Bernard Machen said today he had asked the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to investigate the arrest and determine whether campus police used excessive force.

Two officers involved were placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the probe, said Machen, who called the incident "regretful."

"We're absolutely committed to having a safe environment for our faculty and our students so that a free exchange of ideas can occur," Machen said.

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/wn_report/2007/09/18/2007-09-18_student_tasered_at_john_kerry_forum.html

[Kingshakabobo]

35. Are you going to post the excerpt where they say it was "wrong" ?

Never mind. I read the article. It ain't there.

[muntrv]

11. I don't care if he spoke out of turn or rushed the microphone, that does NOT

justify tasering. Those cops deserve to get busted for excessive force.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

12. No, struggling with cops justifies tasering.

[Bluebear]

14. 6 against 1, they couldn't subdue him? Tough cuffs? Were they in danger as he lay on the ground?

Do any of those questions matter, or is this a blanket "if you struggle with cops, you deserve a shock"?

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

16. Well if they tackled him, they might have broken his leg.

Which would you rather have happen? Tackled by six guys, or get tasered?

I think I'd rather get tasered, personally.

[cboy4]

21. The problem with your argument is he didn't need to be tackled

because he was already on the ground when the taser was utilized.

Therefore, his legs were not in danger of being broken during a take down.

A half a dozen officers (even half that many) should absolutely possess enough strength to handcuff a single unarmed student already on the ground -- a student who didn't look like he was some big buffed up linebacker for the football team.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

22. Watch the video.

All the officers were doing their best to restrain him, but he was still getting away.

I wonder if he greased up before the event.

[cboy4]

29. Is it because the kid greased himself up or is it because

the cops didn't want to break their fingernails and took the easy way out?

That many officers piled on a guy who does not look like a body builder should have been able to pull his arms behind his back.

[muntrv]

20. Why did the cops have to get involved? The student was not rushing the stage

and threatening Kerry.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

23. The kid was disrupting a public event, ruining it for everybody.

So the cops asked him to leave, he refused, so they arrested him.

Try watching the video.

[muntrv]

24. I DID see it several times and yes he was disruptive. That is if you call

asking Kerry tough questions disruptive.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

25. So you saw the video and you're just being dishonest?

[muntrv]

27. The "disruptive" act was that he asked a tough question and the cops couldn't

handle it. I'm watchin' it on Countdown. Maybe next time this student should just ask softball questions.

[cali]

15. No kidding. And that's what I said in my OP and

other posts. Reading comprehension is a good thing.

[muntrv]

18. Condescending attitude aside, I think he is the poster child for free speech.

This "he rushed the microphone" is nothing more than an excuse for excessive force. Rushing the mic is not the same as rushing towards Kerry.

[cali]

26. It is disruptive. What about the rights of all those standing

in line? Or are they just "sheep" whose rights, Andrew Meyer is justified in abbrogating by cutting in line, and refusing to relinquish the mike?

Not that I expect an answer.

[muntrv]

28. "Disruptive" is what you call asking a tough question? Fine, then Andrew should ask

softball questions, like they do at bush rallies.

[cali]

30. For fuck's sakel. Try to respond to the facts.

He rushed the line.

He refused to relinquish the mike after hogging it.

It had nothing to do with his questions- which Kerry was willing to answer.

[Connie_Corleone]

31. People keep focusing on the questions instead of his actions.

His actions were the problem, not the questions. Why can't people understand that?

[muntrv]

33. If Kerry was willing to answer the questions, then why did he not say

"I'll answer your questions now?"

And also, what god awful thing would have happened if the cops just allowed the student to rant? He wasn't threatening anybody with bodily harm while he was at the mic.

[Kingshakabobo]

36. I guess you missed the part when Kerry says:

...."That's all right, let me answer his questions"......before all hell breaks loose.

[Geek_Girl]

32. He is the poster child for free speech

I wish more people today were as passionate about the decline of our political system and rushed to the mike to hear their voice heard.