Kid got tasered

[QUOTE="newhenpal"][QUOTE="dnuggs40"][QUOTE="limpbizkit818"][QUOTE="dnuggs40"][QUOTE="limpbizkit818"]

Help! Help ME! :lol:

Not a smart idea to resist a bunch of cops. All he had to do was walk outside.

dnuggs40

That was the only problem I saw with what the cops did...they never actually gave him an opportunity to walk outside. As soon as the mic was cut, the female cop grabbed his arm.

She could have just asked him to leave first...I don't understand why they had to physically attempt to remove him right off the bat. Prior to that, he really did not do anything but say stupid things.

Believe me, I don't have that much sympathy for this guy, and I don't think the cops did a terrible thing either. I think it could have been handled n a much more professional manner is all. The cop should not have grabbed him like that.

Well, prior to this he had pulled other pranks and he was known to record them, would you have any patience for an attention whore with nothing better to do?

Did the police know he was a prankster? And is there anything wrong with being a prankster anyways? When she grabbed his arm, was she armed with this knowledge? Probably not...IMO she was a little too physical right off the bat. It certainly could have been handled better.

Quit resisting arrest we can walk out or we can carry you out.

DONT TAZE ME BRO I DIDNT DO ANYTHING

(tazeeeee)

[QUOTE="dnuggs40"][QUOTE="Darthmatt"][QUOTE="dnuggs40"][QUOTE="Darthmatt"][QUOTE="dnuggs40"]

"In terms of not letting other to speak because of his conduct, then yes. If he can claim the cops violated his right to speak by cutting him off from the mic, than he violated the others right to speak by not sharing it. "

Something tells me you don't understand what free speech means in America...

Darthmatt

I never said he did, just refuting your claim that this guy violated other people's free speech...

No, and thats why I said you don't seem to understand how free spreech works...

If you are going to be so condescending please elaborate on why i don't "understand" freedom of speech.

Becuase someone "hogging" a microphone is not violating someone's free speech. However...police arresting you for speaking your mind at a political event for speaking contraversly could be a violation though.

Again, I am not saying that is the case here though. I think this is just a case of overly "touchy" cops, and a kid trying to get attention by overreacting.

If you think a person being rude at an event is violating other people's free speech, then yes, you do not understand what the first amendment protects you with.

[QUOTE="dnuggs40"][QUOTE="newhenpal"][QUOTE="dnuggs40"][QUOTE="limpbizkit818"][QUOTE="dnuggs40"][QUOTE="limpbizkit818"]

Help! Help ME! :lol:

Not a smart idea to resist a bunch of cops. All he had to do was walk outside.

Darthmatt

That was the only problem I saw with what the cops did...they never actually gave him an opportunity to walk outside. As soon as the mic was cut, the female cop grabbed his arm.

She could have just asked him to leave first...I don't understand why they had to physically attempt to remove him right off the bat. Prior to that, he really did not do anything but say stupid things.

Believe me, I don't have that much sympathy for this guy, and I don't think the cops did a terrible thing either. I think it could have been handled n a much more professional manner is all. The cop should not have grabbed him like that.

Well, prior to this he had pulled other pranks and he was known to record them, would you have any patience for an attention whore with nothing better to do?

Did the police know he was a prankster? And is there anything wrong with being a prankster anyways? When she grabbed his arm, was she armed with this knowledge? Probably not...IMO she was a little too physical right off the bat. It certainly could have been handled better.

Agreed

Instead two officers grabbed him the moment the microphone was switched off. If those police are so ready to assault someone on camera I can hardly imagine what sort of brutality goes on when they think no one is looking.

The bottom line is, aren't you supposed to commit some sort of offence before the police grab you? All this kid did was ask some annoying questions.

Resisting once the police began assaulting him may not have been "smart" in terms of his own personal safety but in the context of a wrongful arrest I can totally respect his refusal to go quietly.

The police were 100% at fault here. Kerry can clearly be heard to say that he is happy to answer the kids questions, yet they still try to bundle him out of the room. They should have given him a chance to sit down and warned him that if he caused a disturbance then he could be arrested.

Instead two officers grabbed him the moment the microphone was switched off. If those police are so ready to assault someone on camera I can hardly imagine what sort of brutality goes on when they think no one is looking.

The bottom line is, aren't you supposed to commit some sort of offence before the police grab you? All this kid did was ask some annoying questions.

Resisting once the police began assaulting him may not have been "smart" in terms of his own personal safety but in the context of a wrongful arrest I can totally respect his refusal to go quietly.

drbob

Good point drbob. And ya, after watching the video again, Kerry can even be heard telling them to let him go. I really think the cops were out of line grabbing him right off the bat like that.

Ya, he was resisting after they grabbed him, but thats kinda after the point huh? They deffinetly should not have grabbed him like that.

The police were 100% at fault here. Kerry can clearly be heard to say that he is happy to answer the kids questions, yet they still try to bundle him out of the room. They should have given him a chance to sit down and warned him that if he caused a disturbance then he could be arrested.

Instead two officers grabbed him the moment the microphone was switched off. If those police are so ready to assault someone on camera I can hardly imagine what sort of brutality goes on when they think no one is looking.

The bottom line is, aren't you supposed to commit some sort of offence before the police grab you? All this kid did was ask some annoying questions.

Resisting once the police began assaulting him may not have been "smart" in terms of his own personal safety but in the context of a wrongful arrest I can totally respect his refusal to go quietly.

drbob

[QUOTE="Darthmatt"][QUOTE="dnuggs40"][QUOTE="Darthmatt"][QUOTE="dnuggs40"][QUOTE="Darthmatt"][QUOTE="dnuggs40"]

"In terms of not letting other to speak because of his conduct, then yes. If he can claim the cops violated his right to speak by cutting him off from the mic, than he violated the others right to speak by not sharing it. "

Something tells me you don't understand what free speech means in America...

dnuggs40

I never said he did, just refuting your claim that this guy violated other people's free speech...

No, and thats why I said you don't seem to understand how free spreech works...

If you are going to be so condescending please elaborate on why i don't "understand" freedom of speech.

Becuase someone "hogging" a microphone is not violating someone's free speech. However...police arresting you for speaking your mind at a political event for speaking contraversly could be a violation though.

Again, I am not saying that is the case here though. I think this is just a case of overly "touchy" cops, and a kid trying to get attention by overreacting.

If you think a person being rude at an event is violating other people's free speech, then yes, you do not understand what the first amendment protects you with.

The police were 100% at fault here. Kerry can clearly be heard to say that he is happy to answer the kids questions, yet they still try to bundle him out of the room. They should have given him a chance to sit down and warned him that if he caused a disturbance then he could be arrested.

Instead two officers grabbed him the moment the microphone was switched off. If those police are so ready to assault someone on camera I can hardly imagine what sort of brutality goes on when they think no one is looking.

The bottom line is, aren't you supposed to commit some sort of offence before the police grab you? All this kid did was ask some annoying questions.

Resisting once the police began assaulting him may not have been "smart" in terms of his own personal safety but in the context of a wrongful arrest I can totally respect his refusal to go quietly.

drbob

Well put, I would probably have resisted as well, and made more of a fuss, including really trying to get the rest of the crowd to help me.

"He was asked to yield to others he did not. When police asked him to stand down he did not. Whether or not their actions were warranted he could have sat down and let someone else have a turn. But he did not. It was his own damn fault. "

Not disagreeing with you on those points. The only thing I really thought was wrong with the cops was the initial grabbing of the kid.

He was asked to yield to others he did not. When police asked him to stand down he did not. Whether or not their actions were warranted he could have sat down and let someone else have a turn. But he did not. It was his own damn fault.Darthmatt

Dude, did you watch the video. He didn't get a chance to sit down. Whoever wrote the article seemed to leave out the fact that at no point was the lad told to sit down by the cops, they just grabbed him. If the cops had warned him, or ask him to sit down, not the moderater then I would agree, but that isn't the case. The cops got involved as soon as the mic was off. No warning, no justification, not even a reading of his rights, which the cops are required to give him by the constitution by a ruling of the Supreme Court. This is completely a wrong act by the police.

"He was asked to yield to others he did not. When police asked him to stand down he did not. Whether or not their actions were warranted he could have sat down and let someone else have a turn. But he did not. It was his own damn fault. "

Not disagreeing with you on those points. The only thing I really thought was wrong with the cops was the initial grabbing of the kid.

dnuggs40

[QUOTE="Darthmatt"]He was asked to yield to others he did not. When police asked him to stand down he did not. Whether or not their actions were warranted he could have sat down and let someone else have a turn. But he did not. It was his own damn fault.Insane00

Dude, did you watch the video. He didn't get a chance to sit down. Whoever wrote the article seemed to leave out the fact that at no point was the lad told to sit down by the cops, they just grabbed him. If the cops had warned him, or ask him to sit down, not the moderater then I would agree, but that isn't the case. The cops got involved as soon as the mic was off. No warning, no justification, not even a reading of his rights, which the cops are required to give him by the constitution by a ruling of the Supreme Court. This is completely a wrong act by the police.

[QUOTE="Insane00"]

[QUOTE="Darthmatt"]He was asked to yield to others he did not. When police asked him to stand down he did not. Whether or not their actions were warranted he could have sat down and let someone else have a turn. But he did not. It was his own damn fault.Darthmatt

Dude, did you watch the video. He didn't get a chance to sit down. Whoever wrote the article seemed to leave out the fact that at no point was the lad told to sit down by the cops, they just grabbed him. If the cops had warned him, or ask him to sit down, not the moderater then I would agree, but that isn't the case. The cops got involved as soon as the mic was off. No warning, no justification, not even a reading of his rights, which the cops are required to give him by the constitution by a ruling of the Supreme Court. This is completely a wrong act by the police.

Granted, and I would like to read whatever article you found that provides more information as to what happened cause the above link doesn't really say anything that isn't in the video, and leaves out a lot that is in it.

However, if he had been asked to stay off the mic, why is it that he was allowed back into the queue of people waiting to talk to Kerry (unless he was the only one with questions maybe). Further, the cops that are surrounding the microphone I'm sure had every opportunity to keep him from going back up to the mic, which they didn't do. iNstead, they allow the guy tho go to the mic, they provide him enough time to ask some questions and it isn't until his time is up and, I will grant that it only appears as such, but, after he goes a couple of seconds over his alotted time they grab him. There is no we warned you, no, you have to leave now, no they grab him and try to drag him out of the room. If anyone besides a cop grabbed me like that I'd break the grip and be ready to throw down right there. Certainly if I was grabbed like that by a cop I'd be demanding what charges are being brought against me and be asking for a lawyer.

But apparently it ain't like it was two hundred years ago. Today we give our own citizens our tax money so they can treat us like the British once did. Guess that means as a nation we're all grown up, we can surpress our own people and everything. Nothing like having the nations law enforcement be a strongarm force. Oh yea, and the guy keeping his arms up in a sign of willingness to discuss the situation is tazed (wonder if he pissed himself) which is a total excessive use of force. He was unarmed and being treated horribly so he was punished for it.

That video only shows him after he was already at the mic and into his tirade.

Unless there is a longer video around, we don't know what he had done prior to this moment, so we can't say if he was abused or not.

[QUOTE="Darthmatt"][QUOTE="Insane00"]

[QUOTE="Darthmatt"]He was asked to yield to others he did not. When police asked him to stand down he did not. Whether or not their actions were warranted he could have sat down and let someone else have a turn. But he did not. It was his own damn fault.Insane00

Dude, did you watch the video. He didn't get a chance to sit down. Whoever wrote the article seemed to leave out the fact that at no point was the lad told to sit down by the cops, they just grabbed him. If the cops had warned him, or ask him to sit down, not the moderater then I would agree, but that isn't the case. The cops got involved as soon as the mic was off. No warning, no justification, not even a reading of his rights, which the cops are required to give him by the constitution by a ruling of the Supreme Court. This is completely a wrong act by the police.

Granted, and I would like to read whatever article you found that provides more information as to what happened cause the above link doesn't really say anything that isn't in the video, and leaves out a lot that is in it.

However, if he had been asked to stay off the mic, why is it that he was allowed back into the queue of people waiting to talk to Kerry (unless he was the only one with questions maybe). Further, the cops that are surrounding the microphone I'm sure had every opportunity to keep him from going back up to the mic, which they didn't do. iNstead, they allow the guy tho go to the mic, they provide him enough time to ask some questions and it isn't until his time is up and, I will grant that it only appears as such, but, after he goes a couple of seconds over his alotted time they grab him. There is no we warned you, no, you have to leave now, no they grab him and try to drag him out of the room. If anyone besides a cop grabbed me like that I'd break the grip and be ready to throw down right there. Certainly if I was grabbed like that by a cop I'd be demanding what charges are being brought against me and be asking for a lawyer.

But apparently it ain't like it was two hundred years ago. Today we give our own citizens our tax money so they can treat us like the British once did. Guess that means as a nation we're all grown up, we can surpress our own people and everything. Nothing like having the nations law enforcement be a strongarm force. Oh yea, and the guy keeping his arms up in a sign of willingness to discuss the situation is tazed (wonder if he pissed himself) which is a total excessive use of force. He was unarmed and being treated horribly so he was punished for it.

[QUOTE="Insane00"][QUOTE="Darthmatt"][QUOTE="Insane00"]

[QUOTE="Darthmatt"]He was asked to yield to others he did not. When police asked him to stand down he did not. Whether or not their actions were warranted he could have sat down and let someone else have a turn. But he did not. It was his own damn fault.Darthmatt

Dude, did you watch the video. He didn't get a chance to sit down. Whoever wrote the article seemed to leave out the fact that at no point was the lad told to sit down by the cops, they just grabbed him. If the cops had warned him, or ask him to sit down, not the moderater then I would agree, but that isn't the case. The cops got involved as soon as the mic was off. No warning, no justification, not even a reading of his rights, which the cops are required to give him by the constitution by a ruling of the Supreme Court. This is completely a wrong act by the police.

Granted, and I would like to read whatever article you found that provides more information as to what happened cause the above link doesn't really say anything that isn't in the video, and leaves out a lot that is in it.

However, if he had been asked to stay off the mic, why is it that he was allowed back into the queue of people waiting to talk to Kerry (unless he was the only one with questions maybe). Further, the cops that are surrounding the microphone I'm sure had every opportunity to keep him from going back up to the mic, which they didn't do. iNstead, they allow the guy tho go to the mic, they provide him enough time to ask some questions and it isn't until his time is up and, I will grant that it only appears as such, but, after he goes a couple of seconds over his alotted time they grab him. There is no we warned you, no, you have to leave now, no they grab him and try to drag him out of the room. If anyone besides a cop grabbed me like that I'd break the grip and be ready to throw down right there. Certainly if I was grabbed like that by a cop I'd be demanding what charges are being brought against me and be asking for a lawyer.

But apparently it ain't like it was two hundred years ago. Today we give our own citizens our tax money so they can treat us like the British once did. Guess that means as a nation we're all grown up, we can surpress our own people and everything. Nothing like having the nations law enforcement be a strongarm force. Oh yea, and the guy keeping his arms up in a sign of willingness to discuss the situation is tazed (wonder if he pissed himself) which is a total excessive use of force. He was unarmed and being treated horribly so he was punished for it.

State university police are still payed for by our tax dollars. Further, scholl plice are recruited from the actual local law enforcement, they aren't just rent-a-cops. I agree, I'd like to see some more info or more footage. If the guy actually showed up with the cops it seems it's a joke, except they would not have actually had charges ready to press him with unless the cops were legit. I too would like to see what occured prior to the video footage, or at least be able to read a decent news report about it in order to get a fuller perspective about what occured.

It looks to me like they were following orders, if you look at the vid early on you'll see that when the cops are trying to escort him a guy in a suit comes and takes the mic immediatly with no hesitation.newhenpal

"Kerry was speaking at the University of Florida, when Andrew Meyer, a student, burst into the room and ran towards a microphone, attempting to ask Kerry a question. According to university officials, Meyer was allowed to ask several questions before his microphone was cut off and university police stepped in." link

The cops used too much force, but they let him get away with his rude conduct long enough to ask a question when he turned it into a diatribe.

Meh, the policemen just seemed excited to taze someone. X-\

Here's what I saw.

The student asked a question.

The police then grabbed him

He asked "what am I being arrested for?"

He continues to ask why he's being arrested.

He gets away for a bit, though not a physical threat or escape risk.

The police wrestle him to the ground.

The police then taser him.

He cries (actually if you watch the close up CNN footage he get's a pretty bad taser, it's towards the end).

we will have to wait and see. On one camera phone video of the event, the poster claimed the guy showed up with the cops following him. If you notice, the cops are already flanking him when he takes the mic. Cops got out of hand in this one, but I think this guy was trying to provoke and incident or at least get a reaction. The videos we have seen make it look like he was totally innocent, but it may also be cut out of context of the full situation that led up to him getting arrested. Also, this was Campus police not state or national police.Darthmatt

if he was disruptive, they obviously had a right to remove him, and if he resisted . . . well, it's not like a taser is lethal . . . usually. Elraptor

Exactly the position I would excpect an authority figure on gamespot to take. :|

The tasering incident was asinine and unjust. He was at a Q & A. He was asking questions, doing what he was supposed to. He did not break the law in any way, and shouldn't have been apprehended in the first place...which is what led to the tasering. I expect (and hope) he files a lawsuit against the university.

Here's what I saw.

The student asked a question.

The police then grabbed him

He asked "what am I being arrested for?"

He continues to ask why he's being arrested.

He gets away for a bit, though not a physical threat or escape risk.

The police wrestle him to the ground.

The police then taser him.

He cries (actually if you watch the close up CNN footage he get's a pretty bad taser, it's towards the end).

jrhawk42

They continually warned him that if he continued to resist he would be tasered. If I were him I would have allowed them to escort me out of the building rather than run around screaming help me help me!

He forced his way to the front of the line to ask a stupid question just so he could get on the news and refused to be escorted out of the building and continued to resist arrest and overdramatize the situation while doing so.

I think it would be sad if one of those officers got in trouble for simply following orders and doing their job because some jerk wanted to make the news.

just fyi, he was not invited to the event and he used force (jumped queue) to get in, thats why you see cops behind him from the beginning, and none of those videos on the web has showed the complete scene. another thing is there is a loophole in freedom of speech, one debate is, like some of you have said here, what if A has to violate the FoS of B to stop B from violating the FoS of C? like some insightful discussion on this.Nerfit

[QUOTE="Nerfit"]just fyi, he was not invited to the event and he used force (jumped queue) to get in, thats why you see cops behind him from the beginning, and none of those videos on the web has showed the complete scene. another thing is there is a loophole in freedom of speech, one debate is, like some of you have said here, what if A has to violate the FoS of B to stop B from violating the FoS of C? like some insightful discussion on this.Orlando_Magic

I believe his time with the mic had ran out, and he kept asking his question. The cops began tosurround him and I think they should've just left him alone when Kerry said "....let him finish asking his very important question so I answer him"

After that was when it got ugly. Since this is on tape, and that dialogue I heard is on it as well, this young man has a good fight if he were to bring it to court fora number of reasons, withthe one mainly sticking in my head being "defamation of character"

Firstly, the video begins right before they attempt to take him into custody. Who knows what he was spouting, and who knows if and how many times the officers politely asked him to stop? It starts right when they grab him, but what happened before that? They very well could have asked him five times, given him ten warnings and then finally grabbed him. Who is anyone to say?

Secondly, the crowd clapping for him only fed into his self-righteous behavior. Nobody should act like a child no matter the injustice imposed upon them. Have some damn dignity. There are other avenues (the courts, civil rights groups) to combat injustice instead of throwing a tantrum. Would Martin Luther King Jr. have been so successful if he acted like a child everytime they took him away?

Personally I'm glad he got tasered as even after he made his point he continued to act like an @ss just for the sake of it and resisted. He probably would've gotten a lot more support if he hadn't acted like a child when he didn't get his way. If he had calmly responded to the officers peacefully and with an element of maturityit might have turned out differently.

If 5 police can't verbally control or subdue someone who was unarmed without using a taser they should be ashamed of themselves. Big thumbs down for the cops on this one.

Personally I'm glad he got tasered as even after he made his point he continued to act like an @ss just for the sake of it and resisted.Rekunta

What right did the police have to grab him in the first place? He shouted and resisted because the police were assulting him. If someone grabbed you in the street are you saying that it would be childish to call for help? If a member of the public so much as taps an officer on the shoulder they can be charged with assault. The same standard should apply to police officers where no offence has been comitted.

Going on for too long and spouting outlandish theories at a question and answer session may be annoying but it doesn't consitiute a breach of the peace. The police grossly overreacted. You may not like that the police have been portrayed in a bad light by this incident, I'm glad those police have been exposed as trigger happy goons.

This cnn video shows more of what happened before and after the police grabbed him, including one officer grinning as the taser is applied:

[QUOTE="Rekunta"]Personally I'm glad he got tasered as even after he made his point he continued to act like an @ss just for the sake of it and resisted.drbob

What right did the police have to grab him in the first place? He shouted and resisted because the police were assulting him. If someone grabbed you in the street are you saying that it would be childish to call for help? If a member of the public so much as taps an officer on the shoulder they can be charged with assault. The same standard should apply to police officers where no offence has been comitted.

Going on for too long and spouting outlandish theories at a question and answer session may be annoying but it doesn't consitiute a breach of the peace. The police grossly overreacted. You may not like that the police have been portrayed in a bad light by this incident, I'm glad those police have been exposed as trigger happy goons.

This cnn video shows more of what happened before and after the police grabbed him, including one officer grinning as the taser is applied: