Infinite Monkeys"Jack Dunphy" (the "nom de plume" of a police officer with the Los Angeles Police Department) concludes today that the Florida cops did the right thing with Taser Boy.
And here is where Meyer gives the officers no other option. He breaks free again, shouting, “Get away from me, man!” The officers were now suddenly faced with the prospect of lunatic running loose in the theater while Senator Kerry continued to blather up on the stage. Imagine if Meyer had not been the obnoxious, self-absorbed publicity seeker we now know him to be, but rather someone bent on doing physical harm to Kerry. No police officer worthy of the title would have done anything other than what those cops did, which is put Meyer on the floor in a hurry.
Once on the floor, Meyer continued to resist the officers’ efforts to restrain him. They were able to put a handcuff on one of his wrists but not the other, creating a potentially dangerous situation. If Meyer had been able to get to his feet and flail his arms has he had earlier, the dangling handcuff could have caused serious injury to the officers or any of the spectators nearby. The officers can be heard on the tape warning Meyer that they would use the Taser on him if he continued resisting, but to no avail. Meyer heard the warnings and ignored them, inviting what happened next. They zapped him once, the 50,000-volt charge draining the vinegar right out of him. Meyer was then trundled off and booked for resisting an officer with violence, and for disrupting the function of an educational institution.
Or maybe they should'a just punched him out or Rdoney King-ed his butt?
There was an easy solution for Taser Boy here. Don't be a publicity seeking punk and when the cops tell you to stop being an a**hole, STOP BEING AN A**HOLE.
Gee, that was easy.
Posted by JamesPh. at September 20, 2007 08:15 AMI concede. Dunphy, in addition to being The Man, is da man.
Posted by: H.L. Monkey at September 20, 2007 08:39 AMIt took a while, but H.L — who I've always pegged as a "Law and Order (within the Constitution) Man — has come to his senses.
What this is really instructive of, in the macro-sense, is how easy it is for non-cops to second-guess cops — especially when the "offense" is on video. The men and women in blue have the hardest job in a civilized society — namely, preserving civilization. Everyone is so quick to evaluate, in hindsight, the decisions cops make in often chaotic and dangerous moments. And they are seldom, if ever, given the benefit of the doubt.
Well, I prefer to give the cops leeway except for egregious techniques — and only then after absorbing every nuance and piece of context. Hell, the guys on "Jackass" taser each other for kicks, and with a lot more juice than Taser Dude got.
Posted by: Dr. Zaius at September 20, 2007 09:26 PM