UF student gets tasered...

[skadistic]

Whoever was giving the orders, those were University of Florida police officers. They are required to enforce the laws of Gainesville, Florida, and the United States, and they should be taking their orders from their superiors. The kid had finished asking his questions, his mic was turned off, and Kerry was about to answer. Then the kid gets grabbed by two officers and they start dragging him away, for what? Because Kerry's handlers had had enough? Kerry seemed content to answer. (Mad props to you John Kerry for droning on and making bad jokes while police were Tasering an unarmed student.)

Police can arrest you if they suspect you of having committed a crime. Since when is asking impolite questions a crime?

Dragging him away because he didn't leave like a polite civilized person. Those officers were there to secure peace in the hall. This guy was disturbing the peace. They tried to escort him out and he threw a tantrum like a toddler. All he had to do was leave like an adult. Instead he acted out and broke laws. The students were there at the leisure of the Kerry campaign. At any point the campaign can instruct the officers to remove people causing a disturbance. They did. And asking impolite questions isn't a crime. He wasn't arrested for asking questions. He was arrested for disturbing the peace by acting out against the cops who were legally escorting him out. After disturbing the peace he was placed under arrest which he then proceeded to resist.

 

[JollyRoger]

My main hope in hearing this is that they will start using tasers on Cindy Sheehan and her code pink criminals.

Not gonna happen in the case of Cindy Sheehan. Our Commander-in-Chief would never authorize such action on Mother's Day:

Gold Star Mothers, got you, okay, thank you -- Blue Star Mothers, Gold Star Mothers, all the mothers, yes. (Applause.) Every day is Mother's Day as far as your concerned, isn't it? (Laughter.)

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2007/09/20070918.html

Code Pink's tactics are counter-productive, but generally not taser-worthy.

 

[ShannonCT]

Dragging him away because he didn't leave like a polite civilized person. Those officers were there to secure peace in the hall. This guy was disturbing the peace. They tried to escort him out and he threw a tantrum like a toddler. All he had to do was leave like an adult. Instead he acted out and broke laws. The students were there at the leisure of the Kerry campaign. At any point the campaign can instruct the officers to remove people causing a disturbance. They did. And asking impolite questions isn't a crime. He wasn't arrested for asking questions. He was arrested for disturbing the peace by acting out against the cops who were legally escorting him out. After disturbing the peace he was placed under arrest which he then proceeded to resist.

Why did he need to be escorted out in the first place? Kerry was about to answer his questions. Kerry is a big, swift-boat-driving, space-suit-wearing man. He doesn't need police to drag away people for asking impolite questions in an elevated tone of voice. This kid wasn't threatening to hurt anyone. He only started "disturbing the peace" (a great catch-all term for supressing any protest) AFTER police started using physical force on him.

And again, police do not act at the command of private individuals. That's what private security guards are for. If the University or Kerry people wanted to hire private security guards to drag out anyone who didn't toe the Democrat party line, fine. This kid was physically detained by licensed police officers before he committed any crime. Who wouldn't cry out against such a violation of basic rights.

 

[Amin001]

I am more sadden by the comments on this rather than the incident itself.

Besides that I am at a loss for words.

 

[skadistic]

Why did he need to be escorted out in the first place? Kerry was about to answer his questions. Kerry is a big, swift-boat-driving, space-suit-wearing man. He doesn't need police to drag away people for asking impolite questions in an elevated tone of voice. This kid wasn't threatening to hurt anyone. He only started "disturbing the peace" (a great catch-all term for supressing any protest) AFTER police started using physical force on him.

And again, police do not act at the command of private individuals. That's what private security guards are for. If the University or Kerry people wanted to hire private security guards to drag out anyone who didn't toe the Democrat party line, fine. This kid was physically detained by licensed police officers before he committed any crime. Who wouldn't cry out against such a violation of basic rights.

Disturbing the peace. Disturbing the peace. Do I need to type it again? The police where there to ensure the peace this kid was asked to leave and resisted he then resisted arrest for disturbing the peace. Not suppressing protest. What would he have been protesting anyway? Would it have been that his mic time was up and in accordance with the rules set up he wasn't allowed to ramble on. I like your private security guard fluff. If your acting this bent out of shape when its police doing it I can only imagine how uptight you would be if it was private security.


Again he wasn't asked to leave for asking impolite questions. He was asked to leave because his actions were a disruption. But its all the cops fault isn't it. I mean this kid was just being rude and its ok to be rude. We should let all people do what ever they want and then when they start breaking laws we blame the cops.

 

[ShannonCT]

Disturbing the peace. Disturbing the peace. Do I need to type it again?

Sure. Type it all you want. Maybe you can go work for a Presidential candidate and hold up a "disturbing the peace" cue card to warn speech attendees when their questions are getting too dicey.

The police where there to ensure the peace this kid was asked to leave and resisted he then resisted arrest for disturbing the peace.

You watched both videos right? He wasn't asked to leave. We was just grabbed by two officers after asking the Skull and Bones question. No officer stepping in front of him and saying "please leave sir." Just police escalation of a non-violent situation. Police know better. Police exist to prevent crimes, but in this instance they enticed someone to commit one.

Again he wasn't asked to leave for asking impolite questions. He was asked to leave because his actions were a disruption. But its all the cops fault isn't it. I mean this kid was just being rude and its ok to be rude. We should let all people do what ever they want and then when they start breaking laws we blame the cops.

John Kerry didn't seem to think he was a disruption, or that he was being threatening or insulting. He was ready to answer the question. It's the handlers and the aggressive cops that turned less-then-polite questioning into something worthy of arrest. Disturbing the peace? BS.

 

[Kool Keith]

I think we should taser anybody that is rude.

 

[Kool Keith]

Seriously though, the kid was a total douchebag, but the cops completely mishandled the situation.

Four cops can't escort him out of the building. How sad.

 

[Heretic_Cata]

I feel an urge to taser myself ...

 

[Elrohir]

That kid is a moron. That said, tasering him was probably unnecessary, but I wouldn't make a big deal out of it. Their lieutenant should make some public speech about proportionality and fairness for everyone, and then quietly bring them off of paid vacation tomorrow.

Honestly, all the kid had to do was walk out and shut up. He should consider himself lucky cops don't carry billy clubs anymore.

 

[skadistic]

Sure. Type it all you want. Maybe you can go work for a Presidential candidate and hold up a "disturbing the peace" cue card to warn speech attendees when their questions are getting too dicey.It wasn't his questions. It was when he cut in line went on rambling and then after his time was up didn't yield the floor. I know facts like that get in the way of your' its the gestapo cops fault and this guy did no wrong' mindset.



You watched both videos right? I sure did. They have more then what you see on the you tube clips.He wasn't asked to leave. Yes because cutting his mic after his rambling in the allotted time was over in accordance with the pre-mentioned forum rules was just him being ignorent I guess. We was just grabbed by two officers after asking the Skull and Bones question. Grabbed and gently escorted out at the behest of the people in charge. But I know it wasn't this guys fault he went ballistic and caused a scene it was those damn thug cops.No officer stepping in front of him and saying "please leave sir." Except when they started escorting him out. Had he just left at that point instead of acting like a spoiled brat there wouldn't be a problem.Just police escalation of a non-violent situation.See when people start acting like that around presidential candidates there is no room for error. When he ran toward Kerry he could have been going after him. Or would you rather the cops just let nuts run at people and wait to see if they try and assassinate? Its not like at that point he was disturbing the peace. Police know better. Yes they do thats why they acted with in their power.Police exist to prevent crimes, but in this instance they enticed someone to commit one. Yeah its all the cops fault. They made him do it.



John Kerry didn't seem to think he was a disruption, or that he was being threatening or insulting. He was ready to answer the question. It's the handlers and the aggressive cops that turned less-then-polite questioning into something worthy of arrest. Disturbing the peace? BS.

You keep saying all he did was ask questions but thats not true. God forbid you let all the facts in. How could you blame the cops if you did that. But since you think this guy did no wrong by disregarding the rules of decorum does that mean that any one should be able to lash out any where at any time? By you logic every time a heckler at a speech gets removed for causing a scene its not thier fault its the fault of the jack boots and the handlers.


But hey its not their fault they are being a problem its the cops fault.

 

[QuoVadisNation]

The kid should have just stopped with his first question. Everything after that just dug him further.

Also; I was kinda hoping he would have shouted, "help, help, I'm being repressed!"

edit: This could have been a good opportunity for Kerry had he actually taken the incentive to stop it. Instead, Kerry just muffled "oh my dear lord jesus christ" in a somewhat annoyed pique under his breath. Way to fight for the little guy, Kerry!

 

[Narz]

He was an idiot to start screaming like a little biatch when they tassered him. Kerry was speaking and he had a unique opportunity to engage him one on one with millions of people watching but instead was crying "Waaaah, don't hurt me", "Stop!". If that was me I would use that time to continue asking questions. Obviously this young man has never been restrained before and couldn't maintain his composuer. I've never been tassered before but I have been restrained and it's easy to remain lucid during it if you make it a point to. Then again, this fellow wasn't particularly lucid to begin with. Oh well, most college kids are soft as hell (even more than most Americans, who are a super soft people in general).

 

[Tank_Guy#3]

This kid is an idiot. He resisted arrest and failed to comply. He has a case against the cops.

I think it's the other way around, the cops have a case against him. For the reasons you just stated.

 

[Tank_Guy#3]

I feel an urge to taser myself ...

From what I've heard, that is a very very, bad idea. Let somebody else do it to you, cause once you hit that trigger, you won't be able to release it. Unless of course in your flailing you drop the taser.

 

[skadistic]

I think it's the other way around, the cops have a case against him. For the reasons you just stated.

That was a mistake. I meant to say 'doesn't have a case'.

 

[Atlas14]

Outlaw tasers.

 

[Elrohir]

If you watch the extended video, you can hear this moron yelling about how "they're going to give me to the government!" and how people need to ask about him, because they're going to try to kill him. You can look at his website, which is of course THEAndrewMeyer.com. (He even uses the article when signing his columns) The more I find out about this case, the less sympathy I have for him and the lower my opinion of his actions. (Which were hardly high to begin with)

But seriously - "they're going to give me to THE GOVERNMENT?"? Oh noes! Teh goverments going to kill me!! What a loon.

 

[warpus]

Yeah, he is kinda crazy, but did they have to taser him?

 

[Elrohir]

Yeah, he is kinda crazy, but did they have to taser him?

He was physically resisting arrest. Short of beating the crap out of him, what else do you propose they do? They asked him to leave, they physically pulled him away, and they didn't tase him until he literally pulled a couple of the cops to the ground when he tried to run back towards the stage, and then wouldn't stop physically resisting and screaming and everything.

The blame for this one, I think, rests solely on the shoulders of this idiot who started it all, and kept it going by physically resisting arrest.

And considering that he's bragging about how he made the front page of FoxNews.com, it doesn't appear that he was seriously traumatized by the event. He seems like a blowhard who gets his rocks off causing trouble, to me.