Cop Tasers Fleeing Handcuffed Girl, Head injuries put her in vegetative state

[oktalist]

I did not defend the actions of the criminal. Or does pointing out that someone shouldn't have been maimed count as defending their actions?

Yes, you did. Was it the policeman's fault the criminal ran, was tased according to policies, and accidentally fell and hurt themselves? According to you, the 'criminally incompetent cop' is at fault.

You attached no responsibility to the criminal, and by definition and by your own words, placed all blame on the Cop. You. Defended. The Criminal.

If that *isn't* your intent, you need to clarify that.

Yeah, I don't agree that placing all blame on the officer and none on the injured party equates to defending her. I don't see any way to attribute any blame to her, regardless of whether or not the officer is in any way to blame. Either it was a tragic accident, or an avoidable mistake, either way I can't find any way to blame a mentally unbalanced junkie for anything that happens to her while she's in the care of the police.

"Criminally incompetent" *might* have been going too far. But yes, I am predisposed to be suspicious of the police.

 

[rapidoud]

Don't run and you don't get hurt.

America's a weird place, ever since I read that article about the Black Friday shopping (what is that anyway...?) where a woman actually tased someone over groceries.

Shit just got real over there.

 

[DeadlyYellow]

I like the no-nonsense quip of the OP.

Frankly I feel that if you're doing anything to rile a cop, you've no one to blame but yourself for what happens.

 

[Bradeck]

Why is this a tragedy? Honestly? So a druggy ***** got fucked up after 1. getting arrested and 2. fleeing from the police. It's a tragedy when a coked up retard falls down and goes boom after running from the cops, then I shudder to think what you call it when a cop dies on a drug bust.

 

[darksakul]

I feel no sympathy for the girl.
a coked up girl who did 2 hit and runs, decides to take off from the cops in handcuffs.

You are lucky the cops didn't fill her with bullets.

I also want to point out a suspect under the influence of drugs can be very dangerous, it was safer for the police and the general public to taster her right away than to run after her.

This is nothing, I seen cops taser a guy who just got hit with the patrol car and still got up and tried to run away. A car hit him, and he was able to get back up right away.
In the same incident, the guys friend attempted to take the gun away from the police in a brawl. They are both lucky not to be shot.

 

[RamirezDoEverything]

Don't run. Simple as that.

She was already busted by the cops, and she decided to resist more, the officer used the tools he's been given to subdue the suspect.

Darwinism really..

 

[Random Fella]

No sympathy, as she shouldn't have run from the Police
But seriously, he could have caught her, the use of the taser was unnecessary, I hope he gets something for this
Also you can see why she's in a vegetated state, lands pretty much straight on her head onto the pavement... Ouch.

The cop explains, in his interview, why he didn't: he outweighed her by a good 100 or so pounds. If he tackled her, she would've been in the hospital with a crushed ribcage.

I never thought of it that way, I guess I assumed he could have done something other than tackle her, but you're right, it would have been the only alternative.
Okay, he justified himself in my eyes, thank you.

 

[Bat Vader]

more proof for my theory that no police person is to be trusted.

That is a bit of a generalization isn't it? Because one cop makes a mistake that makes all cops untrustworthy? What about the cops that do great things and help people in time of need? Should they be considered untrustworthy as well because of another cop's mistake?


I agree that he should have tackled her in a safe manner instead of using a taser. I also think that the woman should have just cooperated with him instead of doing a dumb thing like trying to run away.

 

[Phisi]

more proof for my theory that no police person is to be trusted.

Given that both my parents were arrested for protesting apartheid and my brother has just finished a year long court case of the arresting officer delaying and lying to us I would say I have to agree with your theory there. There seems to be a lot of idiot cops about and you can never be sure if you are getting the ones with some cells in their cranium.

 

[I.N.producer]

Another case where nobody's right. She was foolish to run, he would have run faster and caught her if he hadn't immediately reached for his taser.

Calling it murder is a bit harsh. It's use of less than lethal force with unforeseen, yet easily preventable consequences. Sure, regulations say he shouldn't have used the taser on her anyway, but saying he got off free isn't quite right. He has to live with having inadvertently put a girl in a vegetative state, and most non-sociopaths would be deeply troubled by that.

 

[NiPah]

Why the hell is this still going on?

Poster A will post: derogatory slam against cops/they are fat/have too much power/are stupid and should have done this/something that may or may not have work/this by policy and procedure/something that I read someone else say and its a real loss of life she should have been let go/did nothing wrong/died for no reason/cops are just killers/use of weapons should only be used in a real threat.

Poster B will reply: Cops did the right thing/were defending themselves and could have been hurt/followed proper policy and procedure/had brain chemicals pumping through their body that made them act that way/were cleared/as read by other more unbiased sources actually were dealing with a drugged up coke head/had it coming/her death was just gods way of getting rid of trash/was in the wrong and to be blamed for her own death/posed a threat to the officers/killed herself/was given every chance in the world to avoid/better off dead/might have been unrelated to tazer/was taken down in the most humane way possible/is not a reflection of the entire police force.

Poster A will reply with a reiterated version of their above post.

Poster B will reply with a reiterated version of their above post.

Poster C will reply with a neutral post about how this is sad/no one is right/everyone is at fault and then leave.

This entire post and for that matter any post that has to do with police action has the same IQ level as their Youtube variant, everyone is already set in their ways to debating is pointless.

 

[TWRule]

Why the hell is this still going on?

Poster A will post: derogatory slam against cops/they are fat/have too much power/are stupid and should have done this/something that may or may not have work/this by policy and procedure/something that I read someone else say and its a real loss of life she should have been let go/did nothing wrong/died for no reason/cops are just killers/use of weapons should only be used in a real threat.

Poster B will reply: Cops did the right thing/were defending themselves and could have been hurt/followed proper policy and procedure/had brain chemicals pumping through their body that made them act that way/were cleared/as read by other more unbiased sources actually were dealing with a drugged up coke head/had it coming/her death was just gods way of getting rid of trash/was in the wrong and to be blamed for her own death/posed a threat to the officers/killed herself/was given every chance in the world to avoid/better off dead/might have been unrelated to tazer/was taken down in the most humane way possible/is not a reflection of the entire police force.

Poster A will reply with a reiterated version of their above post.

Poster B will reply with a reiterated version of their above post.

Poster C will reply with a neutral post about how this is sad/no one is right/everyone is at fault and then leave.

This entire post and for that matter any post that has to do with police action has the same IQ level as their Youtube variant, everyone is already set in their ways to debating is pointless.

You're not the first person to bring up this point, but I felt the need to respond. You may be right that insofar as people in this sort of thread are blind ideologues (pretty common, esp. on internet forums), yes it's pointless to have the debate. In this thread especially, hardly anyone is listening to anyone else, and most people are just making sweeping dismissive claims. I certainly agree at how immaturely and irresponsibly the vast majority of posters in this thread have chosen to handle the issue...

Still, it's important that we don't just resign ourselves to dropping such concerns and discussion; letting these sorts of things go on without anything ever changing. Of course, this forum should not be the only arena for such discussions, but it's a discussion that needs to happen...even if only one person that posts in and/or reads this thread decides to take proper action regarding such issues in the future.

 

[NiPah]

You're of course right, but a few nuggets of wisdom and proper discourse are floating in a sea of shit that is this thread. I'm honestly sickened and revolted by the very posters in this thread, something I've never seen in any other post type on the Escapist.

This thread does not make me want to change laws and policies governing police forces and the use of weapons on civilians, to be perfectly frank it makes me care less about the issue and causes me to ignore future posts of this sort.

 

[Rooster Cogburn]

He was so close to the woman he had to stop himself from crashing into her.

All the questionable taser videos out there should not come as a surprise to anyone who has spent some time around cops. I've known some and frequented shooting ranges with them. They treat their firearms like toys. In my experience at local ranges open to the public, shooting accidents are rare or even nonexistent. When accidents do occur, they are caused by off duty policeman or sheriff's deputies, almost as a rule. The range I used to shoot at suffered only one accident in it's twenty year history, which involved an off duty cop. The Sheriff's Department range down the road experienced at least four injuries in just ten years. At the range my brother wants to join, a cop accidentally shot himself not two weeks ago. Insofar as you can avoid it, you just do not stand next to a cop at a shooting range.

Like their firearms, cops treat their tasers like toys. Based on this video, it's at least superficially obvious the officer chose the taser over safer, more obvious, even easier means. He could have grabbed her arms or clothing- she was easily within reach, so much so that he had to stop himself from crashing into her. Instead, he chose to play with his toy. Videos like this one and others which are more unambiguously abusive make sense when you view them in this light.

Regarding the woman having drugs in her system and the rest, it would be relevant if it had some bearing on his decision to use the taser on her, and I can't imagine what that would be. To me it sounds punitive- she stepped out of line, so she deserves what she gets. Surely we can do better than that.

Disclaimer: In my assessment of law enforcement, I am obviously generalizing. I've met cops I thought were nice and responsible. You may think my generalization is faulty, I think it is apt.

 

[Vuljatar]

I'm always willing to jump all over some power-tripping fascist cop with an itchy trigger/taser finger... but not in this case.

The taser wasn't the appropriate choice in this situation. However, I don't think it was a completely unreasonable choice--and if he'd tackled her, the result may have been the same regardless. Ultimately, she brought this on herself.

 

[Bat Vader]

more proof for my theory that no police person is to be trusted.

That is a bit of a generalization isn't it? Because one cop makes a mistake that makes all cops untrustworthy? What about the cops that do great things and help people in time of need? Should they be considered untrustworthy as well because of another cop's mistake?

yes, because one who willingly becomes a blind pawn of the state is one of sound mind. yes, that makes complete sense. also, the second you give a person power their first instinct is to abuse it, so now you have legions of those who are insane enough to become pawns of a corrupt system with power and license to murder as well as carry a tool used only for murder.

no, you're right, there is nothing to be afraid of.

I never said there was nothing to be afraid of. I just don't agree that all cops are corrupt. I agree there are some corrupt cops but not all of them are corrupt.

I have a question for you. If you were in need of help and a cop offered to help you would you turn away his/her help?

 

[Zeraki]

Both parties are at fault here. The girl is an idiot for running(and doing something stupid to get arrested in the first place), the cop is an asshole for using the taser when she was in arms reach. The cop should be punished harshly and fired for what he did, but he won't be.

World keeps spinning.