http://www.cnn.com/2004/US/11/12/child.tasered.ap/index.html

Police you stun gun?

Army you M16?

That should have been Police use stun gun...this keyboard of mine is horrid.

I actually posted this article on one of my blogs earlier today.

I've been covering these Taser stun guns in a series I call "from the Taser Files" on several of my sites...

Here is one excerpt from CODEWARRIORZ.BLOGSPOT.COM

"DALLAS COPS GETTING TASERS
Dallas Morning News Reports Cops Getting Tasers
The City Council supported Chief Kungle's decision to purchase around 400 Tasers.
The Tasers cost about a grand (around $1000 dollars) a piece. The initial order will be in the amount of around 54 THOUSAND dollars to get 50 of these devices, but plans are to purchase another 350 of them for an additional $380 THOUSAND dollars.
This decision came about the same time as they decided to discontinue using a choke hold ("lateral vascular neck restraint") that apparently contributed to (dare we say may have been the proximate cause of) a man's death last year.
As you can see, Taser's are big business and I think may being aggressively marketed to police and law enforcement as a "safe" restraint method. I assert that in my "From the Taser Files" series, we have seen that this assertion that Tasers are "safe" may be an unwarranted assertion.


# posted by CodeWarrior : Tuesday, August 03, 2004 "

http://www.nospank.net/n-m23r.htm
"A police officer who used a Taser on a nine-year-old girl-- that's the issue for South Tucson police tonight.
Investigators are looking into whether the officer did the right thing- and not because of the girl's age.

The electrical jolt from a Taser can drop a strong man in his tracks. Police are using the stun guns more and more as a way to defuse dangerous people without killing them.

But on May 8th, South Tucson police answered a call to Arizona's Children Association and used a Taser ...on a nine year old girl.

There's an investigation not simply because police Tasered a child but because she was already in a police car and already handcuffed at the time that they did it."

South Tucson Police have a six page policy on how police should use force. More than half of it describes how and when to use Tasers.

The policy says officers may not use a Taser when someone is cuffed unless they are still violent and uncontrollable.

South Tucson's police chief says he can't say more about how the child behaved until the investigation's complete.

Privacy law prevents the president of the Children Association from even confirming the girl was there.

Frederick Chaffee does say the home takes in children who might otherwise be in a psychiatric hospital. He says workers usually try gentle guidance, but...."There have been occasions where a youngster has gotten very very violent and very aggressive and we need to bring police in to help us with that."

Rather than investigate one of their own, South Tucson police asked Pima County Sheriff's Deputies to look into the incident. Deputies may finish their work by the end of the week."
====SNIP========
The follow up is that this case in fact DID go to trial..and the jury found that the cop did nothing wrong. I believe, he also sprayed her in the face with pepper spray as well.

"To Serve and Protect"---------LOLOLOLOLOLOL...yeah, RIGHT!

Of course, in Portland, they pepper spray blind and disabled older ladies in their 70s...
http://www.prisonplanet.tv/audio/042704warren.htm
"Alex Jones Interviews Ernest Warren Jr.

Warren is Attorney for the 71-year-old Blind Woman Pepper Sprayed and Tasered by the Portland Police Department.

Problems listening to the audio? Play the audio directly in Real Player or download the video using the following link -

http://www.prisonplanet.tv/audio/042704warren.mp3



Police settle excessive force suit with 71-year-old woman

Katu News | April 23 2004

PORTLAND, Ore. - The city of Portland has agreed to pay $145,000 to an elderly blind woman after police pepper-sprayed and shocked her with a stun gun.
The altercation began as an attempt to remove shrubs and appliances from 71-year-old Eunice Crowder's yard, and ended with police citing her for harassment and disobeying an order.

This week, the city agreed to settle her excessive force lawsuit out of federal court, a month after a Multnomah County Circuit Court judge dismissed the violations against her.

"This case goes to show that police misconduct and excessive force can happen to anybody outside the mainstream," said Ernest Warren Jr., Crowder's lawyer. "It does not have to be an African American; it can be someone who is elderly and white."

The Portland City Council approved the settlement, based on a review by the city's risk management division that indicated "there is risk the City may be found liable."

The June 9, 2003, incident began when Ed Marihart, a city employee, showed up at Crowder's home. He served her with an administrative search warrant to remove an accumulation of trash and debris.

According to Crowder and her lawyer, the woman told him she was blind and hard of hearing, and asked him to read the entire warrant to her, but he refused. She said he placed it in her hands, walked outside and ordered others to start removing items from her yard.

The city denies that the woman asked Marihart to read the warrant and maintains that Marihart explained to her why he was there.

The woman followed the city employee outside. She was concerned that he and his co-workers had removed a family heirloom, a 90-year-old red toy wagon with rhododendrons in it. She asked to enter a trailer, where items from her yard were being placed, to feel around for the wagon.

Marihart told her she couldn't enter the trailer and said the wagon was not inside. He then called police.

When Portland Officers Robert Miller and Eric Zajac arrived at the house, Crowder acknowledged she had one foot on the curb and one foot on the bumper of the trailer. She felt someone step on her foot and asked, "Who are you?"

Moments later, she felt someone strike her in the head, which dislodged her prosthetic right eye from its socket, and was knocked to the ground, she claimed in her lawsuit.

Officers said Crowder ignored their commands not to climb into the trailer and tried to bite Miller's hand.

They acknowledged she was "pushed onto the dirt next to the sidewalk," according to the city's legal brief filed in court.

While on the ground, Crowder asked the officer what he thought he was doing and kicked Miller. She said the officer kicked her back, then pepper-sprayed her in her eyes.

"While she's still on the ground, on her stomach, they tased her in the back and in the breast," her lawyer said.

Police said they pepper-sprayed Crowder after she refused to stop kicking them. They admit that Crowder's prosthetic eye fell out at some point, and that Zajac stunned Crowder with a Taser, an electric stun gun, twice in the lower back and once in the upper back after ordering her to stop fighting and resisting.

Warren said the city's argument is bogus. He said, "To kick the crap out of old folks seems a little bit much to me in the name of law enforcement,"

We're a red state with an immigration problem.

We used to just line kids up and shoot them. Tasers are more, uh, compassionate.

They need to take these Tasers out of their "continuum of force protocol"...

They're generally to scared to tackle a 71 yr. old blind disabled lady with hand to hand grappling and control techniques.

Course, most of these guys are only about 6 feet, 200 plus pounds, and bulked up like gorillas on anabolic steroids...poor babies....

What would they do with handcuffed 9 year olds and blind old ladies without this "SAFE" device , to SHOOT PEOPLE WITH!

You're right George...and you don't get much redder than Texas, and they are arming their new world order thugs with these Tasers at a grand a piece like they are going out of style.

BTW..today's my birthday..so I get to pontificate based on 52 years now

happy birthday code

thanks burner !
some days, 52 feels like 100...

i know what you mean if i thought i would have lived this long i would have taken better care of myself

every year it's harder to blow out all the candles...

~Too Many Candles, and Too Little Breath

Happy birthday, Code!! So what are you doin' here on your birthday?

Btw, since this story comes from my neck of the woods, you might also be interested to know that the police down here have taken a lot of heat lately. A couple of blocks away from where I live, they shot a man in the head twice while 3 police officers were scuffling with him. He wasn't armed, had a history of mental problems, and evidently refused orders to move out of the street. The Miami Herald gave them hell for that, so they recently handed out several hundred tasers. I guess they really like their new toys. But I don't think they were ever supposed to be used this way.

Happy b-day Code We're only 4 days apart.

At least the cops used the stun gun for a good reason.

I know that's not much consolation, but .. yeah.. At least they weren't pretending to need it because he was running away from them or something.

Thanks ShadowMom...
My wife is conspiring with my in-laws to spring a surprise B-day party on me...
They have me sequestered here at the house while the preparation is in play...

Thanks for the wishes...

Sherm...didn't know you were a Nov....birthday....
in case it is four days from today and not four days past...
HAPPY BIRTHDAY SHERMINATOR in advance...and if I missed it...
Belated Birthday Wishes my friend!

Tasers huh? wish I'd one while my kids were growing up

Code, your birthday huh? this is the only thing I could come up with for such a well rounded guy...

Birthday Belief Systems

IDEALISM: Happy Birthday.

CAPITALISM: I shopped all day for your birthday.

COMMUNISM: We only celebrate Lenin's birthday.

CORPORATE AMERICA: Happy birthday. You're fired.

AGNOSTICISM: I'm not sure if it's your birthday or not.

ATHEISM: I can't believe it's your birthday.

HINDUISM: Holy Cow! Is it your birthday?

HINDUISM: Ever get that feeling you've been born before?

TAOISM: It's everybody's birthday.

BUDDHISM: If your birthday party was held in the forest and nobody came... would it make a sound?

CATHOLICISM: Sorry, we need candles for votive purposes.

EPISCOPALIANISM: Tasteful birthday to you! Care for some Dry Sack?

LUTHERANISM: I take it on faith it's your birthday. So I don't need to send cards and gifts, right?

EXISTENTIALISM: Your birthday means nothing to me.

FUNDAMENTALISM: But when is your _spiritual_ birthday?

SARCASM: You don't look half bad for someone twice your age.

QUAKERS: I am moved to wish you a peaceful birthday.

UNITARIAN-UNIVERSALISTS: Have any kind of birthday you want.

Have a great day Code!, and that is sincere....

YOU FORGOT THE MATHEMATICIAN....

MATHEMATICIAN : 12

Thanks Pepe...you're the best!

Happy boit-day, bud...here's one from George Bernard Shaw...

We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.

Keep on truckin'

Happy Birthday, Code. You know this makes you my elder by a week.

No comment on the taser article.

OFF TOPIC!

Thanks pinemikey!!!!!!!!!!


Hey wet1...didn't know you were a Scorpio....
There is life past the 52nd B-Day...I think
Scorps ROCK
~CW

"Moments later, she felt someone strike her in the head, which dislodged her prosthetic right eye from its socket, and was knocked to the ground, she claimed in her lawsuit.

Officers said Crowder ignored their commands not to climb into the trailer and tried to bite Miller's hand.

They acknowledged she was "pushed onto the dirt next to the sidewalk," according to the city's legal brief filed in court.

While on the ground, Crowder asked the officer what he thought he was doing and kicked Miller. She said the officer kicked her back, then pepper-sprayed her in her eyes."

- This wouldn't have happened if they had all been at someone's birthday party
Back on Topic!

It was justified. these kids now days are just way too out of control. I'll bet the little bastard was downloading music too. (sarcasm)

It could be worse, in Denver they just empty a few clips in your ass.

and people ask me why I left police work.

happy birthday code. 52 eh? damn I feel young now. (40)

I'm going back to bed

One guy told me Denver cops tased him right in his junk!!!

I supposed they could've waited for the kid to jab his eye out. Or rushed him and provoked him to stab himself in the neck.

I'd hate to be a cop put in that position, no matter what you do, you risk hurting the kid and if you do nothing he'll hurt himself.

Either way, no matter what the cop did or didn't do, he'll still get sued by the parents, who are probably responsible for him being a sociopath in the first place, I'm sure they'll sue the school too, even theough the result of the cop's actions were positive.

Sure makes a good headline though,"Cop tasers 6 year old", very nice bit of "police brutality" paranoic propaganda.

I'm sure the cop's pretty proud of himself too. He probably got a good pat on the back from the other fellas back at the station,"Way to go Jim! Sure taught that brat a lesson! Heck I taser my kids all the time!, SIx years old it a new record! Gonna have trouble beating that one! Hyulk Hyulk!".

This cop is going to have a hard time reconciling himself to the fact that he encountered a kid so messed up he had to be tasered to keep from slashing himself, and that's before the lawyers get involved.

I saw the report on TV. I find it unsuprising that it is white administrators tasering black kids.
They even spoke to the administrator who authorized this. The old bag looked like she need retirement or something else.

I wonder if they taser kids in the schools where our representatives send their kids? Or maybe its "just some boys blowing off some steam" and a quick phone call to their nanny.

I saw the report on TV. I find it unsuprising that it is white administrators tasering black kids.
They even spoke to the administrator who authorized this. The old bag looked like she need retirement or something else.

I wonder if they taser kids in the schools where our representatives send their kids? Or maybe its "just some boys blowing off some steam" and a quick phone call to their nanny.

Yeah it's rotten a kid got zapped. Back to the old argument of what does this have to do with the RIAA or music?

Wow, way to go ahead and scream "POLICE BRUTALITY" on this one.

I actually applaud the officer. The kid had already cut himself apparently in the arm and in the face. Depending on what he's learned from his neglecting parents or from his actual parents, tv, he might know what the right SPOTS are to really slice. Maybe he didn't. In that position, would YOU have taken the chance to wait and see if he hit that nice spot on the wrist? How frantic do you think it was in that room?

I'm sorry, but I would rather have that kid tasered and stopped cold on his tracks than to take any further chances to see where the situation was going to go.

Yeah, on second thought, you're right...blind disabled 71 year old ladies should have their prosthetic eyes knocked out of their heads into the dirt, and should be tasered and pepper sprayed by the cops, and 9 year old girls, handcuffed in the back of police cars SHOULD be tasered and peppersprayed while they are in cuffs, and six year olds SHOULD be tasered....

What the hell was wrong with me earlier....maybe I temporarily showed a conscience or sense of decency...how crazy of me...

Carry on with the scheduled program....

http://www.kesq.com/Global/story.asp?S=2561777
Stun guns kill two on medication, renew safety concerns

http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/local/states/california/northern_california/10170044.htm
"FREMONT, Calif. (AP) - Twin brothers have requested an internal investigation to determine whether Fremont police used excessive force during a melee at a community park.

One of them was shot in the back by police with a Taser gun.

The 17-year-old twins, both seniors at Mission San Jose High School, are asking for an apology. They said police used the Tasers for fun.

"Police, not all of them, but some of them, are getting out of hand in this country," said their mother, Ateefa Sharifzada. "They are using the Tasers, not as a tool, but as a toy."

Several deaths around the nation have been linked to the use of Tasers. The stun guns send 50,000 volts of electricity under the skin.

At issue in Fremont is whether the twins were complying with an officer's request a week ago to leave the scene of a large fight at Old Mission Park. The twins say they were not part of the melee. Fremont police contend that one of the teens grabbed an officer's hand and resisted being handcuffed."

http://www.fremontneb.com/articles/2004/10/25/news/news2.txt
Dodge County deputies feel the effects of a taser's shock
Fremont Tribune, NE - Oct 25, 2004
... "The longer it was in, the effect got worse — my whole body was in convulsions and I couldn't talk or tell them to stop," Weitzel said. ... "

http://web.amnesty.org/web/web.nsf/pages/ttt3_electroshock
'All states have an obligation to avoid the arbitrary and excessive use of force by law enforcement officials, including force that tends to inflict unwarranted injury or pain. The fact that the effects of tasers can vary according to a number of factors, raises serious concerns about the safety of these devices and about the ability of the user to ensure that they apply only the minimum amount of force necessary. For example, tests on the new taser show that the darts often missed their target and hit more vulnerable parts of the body; the electrical output varies according to whether the battery is fully charged or depleted; the effects may vary according to what kind of clothing the victim is wearing; and there is some evidence that climatic conditions can also have an effect."

and, from the Operational Guide for Use of Tasers
http://64.233.167.104/search?q=cache:fqKI8VFBhKoJ:www.westmercia.police.uk/1024/mogpuf/Taser%2520Guidance.pdf+physiological+effects+of+tasers,danger&hl=en
(Taser Operational Guide)..there are a range of precautions listed,
which advise the user of the taser that it may be very dangerous to
the one being "tasered".

"In that position, would YOU have taken the chance to wait and see if he hit that nice spot on the wrist? How frantic do you think it was in that room"

can't count the number of times I've been in that position. I'm a grown man. When I was a cop I was 6-1, 210 lbs and could bench press 350. (I put on a few pounds since then but...) I never saw the day I was so intimidated by a 6 six year old child that I had to draw a weapon of any kind on them. I would have taken the glass or knife or nuclear warhead away from the kid. he couldn't have stopped me. if I got a little cut or hangnail or worse I'd have taken a day off and bragged about my injuries in the line of duty to the girls at a bar. If he had been my kid you can bet he wouldn't have been that stupid a second time. anything above and beyond that is brutality in my opinion. maybe that's why I didn't make a good cop huh?

"the electrical output varies according to whether the battery is fully charged or depleted"
Other than depending on the battery strength, is there any regulation on a taser? Does a 300 lb. man receive the same "stun" as a 30 lb. child?

let me clarify this, I'm all for the taser. it beats the hell out of just killing someone outright. but I know too many men (and a lot of women) who just don't have the temperment or the courage to be doing the job. the one thing that pissed me off worse than anything else was getting some idiot on the scene who was too anxious to beat the shit out of somebody or just shoot them.

this is the problem with law enforcement in this country. they are taught "escalation of force" in a bad situation. in other words they go to a disturbance or crime scene looking for ways to justify using force. if they don't find that reason they use some remarkably effective ways to provoke someone enough to justify using force on them. There's a whole debate here but the point is since they are determined to use force it's better that they use a taser or a stun gun. these might kill you but a .45 or a .357 definately will.

no Lachatte, the stun is the same on every person. (although if they really need it, you can hit them a few extra times with a night stick once their down)

and speaking of being tasered, these folks have earned a spot on the waiting list.


http://www.cnn.com/2004/US/11/13/children.sacrifice.ap/index.html


maybe this is why kids do stupid things in the first place.

I have a friend who is a cop, capt. He's changed a lot over the last 20 years. He's colder, rather bitter about people in general. He sees people do a lot a crazy things (like the two in the story that you posted above) and worse.

I can empathize with your friend and I only stuck around for about half as long as he did. it's not a good job.

Here's another one, Code, from the Miami Herald's front page today. Been busy or I would have posted it earlier. You have to remember, these are the same police who were specially trained for the FTAA conference here last year. Evidently they learned their lessons a little too well.
http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/10170605.htm


Police Tasered truant girl, 12

Miami-Dade police said an officer should not have used a stun gun to stop a 12-year-old girl who was skipping school.


A Miami-Dade police officer used a Taser to stop an unarmed, 12-year-old girl who was running away from him after she was caught skipping school, police acknowledged Friday night.

But Parker said Friday that he could not defend the decision to shock the fleeing 12-year-old, who was apparently drunk.

''Under the circumstances, we thought that he should not have used the Taser,'' Parker said.

There's a little more to the story, but one thing seems to be undisputed. The girl was running away and he shot her in the back with that thing.

I think that this police department HAS to reassess their policy on using this weapon.

On some police cars the words "Respect, Honesty and Integrety" are stenciled on. Looks like none of these would apply to this police department.

Happy Birthday Codewarrior and TheSherminator.

MSNBC is now covering both incidents: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6468373/?GT1=5809

Thanks Max!!!!!!

Lets also not make the mistake of lumping together all of the unjustifiable tasering incidents with this one, which to me sounds like a reasonable decision on the part of the cop.

Maybe you think differently? Well, that's with the benefit of hindsight, you weren't there.

If there are cops out there tasering defenceless old ladies or 12 year old truant girls with no apparent justification other than there own sadistic pleasure, then of course those guys should be fired, incarcerated and given psychological help.

In Canada, we've had our own taser controversies. For the most part, they involve unintended deaths. People have died from pepper spray too. I'm sure that if you could show the police a way of incapacitating a suspect in a totally painless way, with no risk to the suspect or the officer, they would gladly use it.

What about anasthetic shock? Which kills hundreds of people a year on the operating table. Do we stop using it?

Policemen have a thankless job and the bad apples spoil the good ones !!!10/4 flbgbt

ONE PROBLEM!!!

IT WAS A SHE, NOT A HE, THAT USED THE STUN GUN. TWO FEMALE OFFICERS WERE DISPATCHED TO THE SCENE, FOR THOSE WHO KEEP USING THE WORD 'HE'

OKAY!!!

what does this have to do with boycotting the RIAA / music?

wait... if he/she was going to hurt themselves... wasnt that more of, y'know... life saving? is that just me or does anyone else see that? and yeah what does this have to do about music or RIAA?

You are welcome Codewarrior.

we should have two new requirements for being on the police: INTELLIGENCE and DECENCY.©George Carlin


and doesnt electric current that powerful run the risk of seriously injuring, or killing the child?

"I supposed they could've waited for the kid to jab his eye out. Or rushed him and provoked him to stab himself in the neck."


rushed him, you make it sound like they were 6 feet apart. if the fucking pig was close enough to taser the kid, s/he was close enough to say, grab the kid's wrist, apply pressure enough to encourage him to let go, etc. serve and protect remember? so any comments about the cop's safety do not apply. if a police officer is in mortal danger from a 6 year old kid armed with a piece of glass, get him off the force.

WHY IS THIS EVEN HERE THIS HAS ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TO DO WITH MUSIC OR THE RIAA OR THE ORIGINAL CAUSE OF THIS SITE!!!!

Happy birthday Code!

You never know what the real deal is unless you were there. Me, I'd taser the little bastard so he didn't hurt himself or more importantly, me. But then again, I'm a pussy.

"Yeah, on second thought, you're right...blind disabled 71 year old ladies should have their prosthetic eyes knocked out of their heads into the dirt, and should be tasered and pepper sprayed by the cops, and 9 year old girls, handcuffed in the back of police cars SHOULD be tasered and peppersprayed while they are in cuffs, and six year olds SHOULD be tasered...."

You know what's funny? Is that those are totally different scenarios. I totally think it's fucked up for what happened to the 71 year old lady, and the girl that was handcuffed in the car.

This, I do believe, was different. It was life at risk. A boy's life at risk. Besides, I'm noticing that when you're an officer, it seems anything you try to do to help, weapons or without, a little kid... if it ends up hurting the kid a little bit, "oh no, cop did bad. boo cop. bad cop".

I'm all for thinking to do the right thing, in any which way, than to have done nothing at all in that situation. We're all only human, and I'm damn sure this department isn't using tasers because "OH IT'S FUN AND FLASHY".

With the event of the 12 year old girl. She got tasered before she hit traffic. She was also drunk? Hmm, stop her in her tracks, or have an accident pile up and take her life and maybe some others?

Don't get me wrong though, I'm all for getting corrupted people out of office, out of duty, you name it. But I think people have to seriously stop thinking "evil intentions" for everything.

"With the event of the 12 year old girl. She got tasered before she hit traffic. She was also drunk? Hmm, stop her in her tracks, or have an accident pile up and take her life and maybe some others?"

Exactly, dude. I'd taser the little slut in the uterus before she gets pregnant and goes on welfare.

"have an accident pile up and take her life and maybe some others?"

"I'd taser the little slut in the uterus before she gets pregnant and goes on welfare."

You know, that really made me laugh. Because it still makes sense out of context.

That was really bad, mroop. Really, really bad. Those are my cops, this is my neighborhood, and yes, there are some very very bad people on the force here. At best, they do some pretty stupid things, at worst...well, a lot of our ex-cops are, shall we say, paying their debts to society. And PLEASE don't give them any more ideas!