Taser Use - Warranted or Misuse?

So, Justin, you feel there was no need for the use of a taser here?

When a law enforcement officer pulls you over, it is your duty to comply with his requests. When he asks for license and registration, give it to him. This motorist was arguing with the officer from the moment he was pulled over. Also, he refused to sign his ticket. Citizens cannot refuse to sign a ticket without being subject to arrest. IF YOU DON’T AGREE WITH THE TICKET, GO TO COURT. We have a judicial system that guarantees citizens due process. If this motorist or any other citizen decides that they are going to resist officers doing their jobs, then those officers have to take the necessary steps to control the situation. When this motorist decided that he was going to walk away from the officer, what do you propose the officer do to “handle” the situation? Should he follow him and try and reason with him? No, that person has, at that moment, resisted arrest and has broken the law. If people were ACCOUNTABLE and respected law and authority, then this wouldn’t happen. Walk away from a police officer that has asked you to put your hands behind your back? He’s lucky he was only shot by a taser.

It’s just a shame how they look the other way ,when their is a problem with tazer’s killing people.
Diden’t they use the electric chair for the same thing.

I enjoyed your article. You have taken a very well-reasoned, logical and rational approach to the subject at hand. I agree, the cop used excessive force in this case, that much, is quite clear.

Confronting, arguing, or getting into some kind of “verbal showdown” with a cop is always a bad idea. Better to sign the ticket and later fight it in court. These cops are walking, stressed out, powderkegs, waiting to violently explode, at the slightest provocation. Some of the reasons for this are understandable, the constant stress of their jobs, the danger everyday, etc…

A taser is a weapon of torture and possible death. As a citizen, you ought not to be subject to it unless you have either been tried and convicted of a crime that calls for torture as a penalty, or be caught in the act of attacking or fleeing from an officer of the law. And so far, United States law does not recognize any crimes whatsoever as calling for a penalty of torture.

Being emotional in public is not intrinsically a crime, nor is criticizing an official for doing a poor job. If someone is worked up - even if they’re too worked up to immediately obey an officer’s orders - it is, in general, the officer’s job to calm them down, not to dominate them.

Obviously, in an emergency the police have to do what they have to do to keep things moving, but a traffic stop isn’t an emergency, and airport security isn’t an emergency, and in general, it isn’t an emergency unless people are dying or buildings are on fire.

Although I agree that the officer may have used excessive force, you have to consider that the driver did not remove his hand from his pocket, where there was a possible threat.

The officer was in his right to use the taser but he failed to follow taser procedures in my opinion. First of all, he didn’t tell the driver he was under arrest until after the taser shot. Also, he left the driver on the ground to go speak with the passenger, without telling the driver to remain on the ground. So in essence, he allowed the driver to get up and approach. He let the situation get worse.

[...] night, I posted an article regarding a man in Utah, who was tasered for refusing to sign a traffic ticket. Today, while [...]

[...] little less than a week ago, I posted an article about a motorist who was pulled over by a police officer. The motorist was later tasered by the [...]