tazer crazy .....taze 'em if you got 'em!

[lumberjim]

So today, my family and I are in the car in Exton. Stopped at the light at Main Street Shopping Center, when this dark blue sedan comes barreling around the corner, and stops in our lane up ahead. A woman in 'casual?' police attire jumps out and goes racing around this van that has stopped because of her flashing lights. After the van gets out of the way, we can see, about 100 yrds away, a young male in shorts and no shirt talking to these swarming cops. there were probably 4 or 5 cops, 1 marked, and 2 unmarked cars...

it happened so quickly, .....I don't know what led up to it, but the shirtless guy appeared to point to the East, and all of the sudden, one of the cops sticks a tazer to his ribs, and lays him out. I saw the arc of blue light leap to him from where i was. he doubled over, and then was flat on his back on the grass by the side of the road. Then they leaped on him, the light turned green, and I had to drag race the guy next to me and get into his lane so i didn't get stuck ....with this shit going down in my lane as it was.... There did not appear to be any attempt to arrest him in the classical manner.

It seems to me that these cops are all getting tasers, and just cant fucking wait to use them. I was appalled, as was jinx....my kids are like, "what did they do to him?" And we had to try not to spew cop hate talk with the kids in the back seat.

THEN! we're on the treadmill at the gym, and there's a news story about equipping PARK RANGERS with tasers. WHAT the FUCKKKK! park rangers make $23,000 per year. you dont think they're a little bitter and pent up?

"litterbug!" ZAP! "<Messy Campsite>" ZAP ZAP!

I know some cops are actually good people that want to serve the public.....but these over-tasing tase-aholics with the tasers strapped to their heads need to be stopped.

So, here's a diagram of the tasing:

[Griff]

Pointing East... toward Mecca! Keep complaining and the terrorists will win.

[DucksNuts]

I didnt know you had a green car LJ.

I WANT a tazer...really badly.

[ZenGum]

The taser abuse issue has been building for a while and the "Don't tase me, bro" incident may have brought it to the surface.

They were originally introduced as a non-lethal alternative way of dealing with someone who the police would otherwise have to shoot. Drunk/drugged/crazy guy wielding a knife scenario, and they are great for this.

They have drifted into being a handy way to inflict pain on anyone who isn't co-operating, that doesn't leave spectacular scars for the lawyer to shock the jury with. Imagine the Rodney King video with tasers instead of nightsticks. Not so shocking? (so to speak).

I'd rather the police tased someone rather than shot them, if at all possible. But I have seen quite a few web videos where tasers were used as an alternative to negotiation, and that's not good. I'd rather see all police given more negotiation training.

There have been people who have died after being tased, but it's hard to tell if it is due to the tasing. Dammit they won't let me do the experiments. And there are reports of chronic pain, headaches, stuff like that. They aren't totally safe, so they should only be used when really necessary.

I suggest this decision-making procedure:
If you didn't have a taser, would you shoot this guy right now?
If no, don't tase, keep talking, but keep reviewing this stage with your finger on the taser.
If yes, is tasing enough? If yes again ... zzzzzzzttt!
If no .... bang bang.

Any badge-wearers out there care to assess this idea? Or armchair know-it-alls?

That said, police work is a hell hard job and if you want to avoid getting tased, shot, or beaten, when the cop says "Hands up!", put your stupid hands up!

(Also, arm the rangers. Tase twice for littering, including cigarette butts. Twice per butt. Once for loud radios.)

[zippyt]

So would you prefer that they shoot folks ??
or would you prefer a Rodney King style beat down ????
Yes , he got tazed as well and kept comeing , they tazed him MULTIPUL times and he keeps on comeing , the cops should have CAPPED him !!!

Park ranger NEED tazers , Imagen a camp ground FULL of drunk folks , dude gets rowdy and the ranger has to try and get controll of the drunk , ZAP dude hits the ground and is dragged off to the local jail , problem solved , No shots fired , no colateral damage from ricoches or over penatration of ammo
or a bear is attacking a camper , ZAP said bear is down and out or runs off trying to figuer out what just happened basicaly no worse for the experence

You don't know WHY the cops tazed that dude , hell he could have been a serial killer pedophile father raper or sum such .

Mace sucks ( yes I know from FIRST hand experience, and YES the fucker that maced me and ran off laughing PAID for it !!!! )
Pepper spray is supposed to be bad as well .
Tazers will drop most folks .
And YES folks have died from all these LESS than lethal alturnitives .

But a BULLET is LETHAL ( if used properly ) .

[lumberjim]

will someone please taze zippy on his beanbag?

jinx?

I have a 900,000 v taser, send em' over, we'll party.

[ZenGum]

Originally Posted by lumberjim

will someone please taze zippy on his beanbag?

jinx?

No, no. (sigh). I suppose we can still try negotiation... for a while ...

Zippy, may I draw your attention to the following sentences in my original post:

Originally Posted by ZenGum

SNIP
Drunk/drugged/crazy guy wielding a knife scenario, and they are great for this.
SNIP
I'd rather the police tased someone rather than shot them, if at all possible.
SNIP
If yes, is tasing enough? If yes again ... zzzzzzzttt!
If no .... bang bang.
SNIP
That said, police work is a hell hard job and if you want to avoid getting tased, shot, or beaten, when the cop says "Hands up!", put your stupid hands up!

the "zzzzzzzttt!" line is my attempt at the sound of a taser. It's use is to signify that I do endorse tasing where necessary. And the "bang bang" is to indicate that I do endorse shooting too, if it is absolutely necessary.
If possible, shoot to wound and capture. But there are situations where the only option is to shoot to kill. So be it.

The goal should be to use the minimum amount of force necessary. Some seem to be using the maximum amount of force that they think they can get away with.

My objection is not against tasers being used instead of guns. My objection is tasers being used instead of talking and maybe a bit of judo.
Regarding Rodney King, you suggest they should have shot him. I point out that the situation was controlled without injury to the officers, using non-lethal force. There was no need to shoot.

[ZenGum]

I have some further comments, but I am posting separately because I don't want to confuse Zippy.
(OK, I am a post whore.)

Was Rodney King tased? It's been ages since I've seen the video, can anyone remember?

Do tasers work on bears? Or would their thick coats prevent the needles from entering their bodies? Is the voltage enough? Does anyone have the guts to actually test this in the wild?

Are US park rangers responsible for campground crowd control as Zippy describes? I reckon that should not be their responsibility. It is a police issue, surely. Someone dealing with groups of angry drunks needs proper training in negotiation, unarmed combat, and weapons use (both decision making and skills). And they deserve to be paid appropriately for all of these skills and for the nature of the work. They need appropriate weapons and backup. Do we have any regular US campers who can tell me if your friendly park rangers come anywhere near this?

[queequeger]

I think tasers and mace are just like any other tool, know when to use them. Don't police have to be tased in order to get a taser in most areas? I know some cops also have to get maced in order to get a badge.

Most cops get tased in training.
Many are not susceptible to tasing, I am one of those people. It does not affect me very much. (Was tased as a "joke" a few times when working security, some just handle it differently, it has nothing to do with size, sex, age, etc... some just handle electricity well)
Some are VERY affected by it and it can be letal... it should not be used lightly.

[Cicero]

lol! @ Griff!

No shirt, no shoes, get tazered. Punk.


I think it's obvious from Lj's story and his diagram that the guy was clearly jaywalking through that busy intersection. Hang 'em high.

[wolf]

RKZen, based on what you've said about your health conditions, if you were zapped, it was with the old-style, not the current TASER device being used on the streets.

Everybody drops for the taser (if both hooks are seated), where pepperspray cans carry warnings about not working on out of control psychiatric patients.

LJ, you weren't in a position to see all of what was going on at the van, and don't know what occured before the police got him stopped. If they're using the TASER, there's a reason. I deal with a lot of people who should be tased, but many of whom aren't. The picture of police as slavering anthropoids who get off on inflicting harm and playing power and control games is very, very wrong.

Stop thinking like a hippie. I know it's hard, but give it a shot every now and again.

[jinx]

Wolf, the van wasn't in the way when the guy was tazed, it moved as soon as the cop car (driven by the tazering cop) went around him. We had an unobstructed view. Do you have more information on what went down?

I've know more than a few cops in my lifetime, they come in all flavors. Here's a few real charmers...
I can't get a direct link to work - click on "In-car video footage" and scroll down to Deptford NJ.

Here's the related story.

[lumberjim]

Originally Posted by wolf

The picture of police as slavering anthropoids who get off on inflicting harm and playing power and control games is very, very wrong.

I truly believe that the type of person that wants to be a cop is more likely to be that kind of a person, though. not saying that they are ALL like that. not even saying half... But I know for damn sure that many cops are ADD types that look for confrontation, and get their rocks off by exerting power over other people.

You can stop by the Wawa in Eagle any weekday around midnight and if you're inconspicuous enough, overhear them telling their little stories while they hang around the coffee island. That said.....I'm no peacemonger here, and I'd like to drag a few people out of their cars and give them a nice beating from time to time..... I only posted this because it seemed so out of place for cops to be zapping some kid with no shirt in the middle of exton at noon on a weekday. I dont know, maybe he was an escapee from devereaux or a known assrapist..... That's why the tone of this thread was lighthearted, not outraged. although i am highly outraged. verrrry highly outraged. I know that sounds outrageous.......but...