Cop tases man for not signing traffic ticket, welcome to America!

[babomb]

Obey! Obey! Obey!

[rongravy]

I dunno. Looked pretty combative to me. He was also completely disregarding instructions, and had his hands down in and around his pockets. How was the cop supposed to know what this guy's plan was, or if he wasn't going to wig out? Cops have to protect themselves, too. It's called a ticket, and you sign it. When you want to refute it, you go to court. You don't start telling the cop what he's going to do. Looks like this guy wasted some people's time acting like a complete douche nozzle, but that's just my observation. The only reason the cop should've waited a bit is because the guy probably would've gotten even more resistant on camera, proving without a doubt he needed that buzz to comply.

[babomb]

Seriously? Combative? If anything he seems confused, because the cop totally overreacts. The cop could've been calm and civil, and just explained that the man can dispute the ticket in court. And if he refuses to sign it, that it's grounds for arrest. But the cop doesn't even give him a chance to think about the situation before he tases him. he also puts the mans life in danger by tasing him that close to passing traffic on a highway. I agree, he should've just signed the ticket. But it looks like he was just confused about the situation because the cop totally overreacted. In the cops defense, he never actually violated the mans rights. The guy posed no threat to the officer, and no threat to other motorists. He just didn't immediately submit to the officers authority. He didn't make any movements that would be construed as an attempt to fight, or to pull out a weapon. It starts at 2:07, the guy comes out of the vehicle pointing to the sign, and the cop immediately pulls out the taser at the same time as he's telling the guy to turn around and put his hands behind his back. The guy DOES turn around and takes a couple steps, and says "what's the matter with you", and BAM tased. The man is just trying to discuss the situation with the officer. Which is a natural reaction, and is only a problem when dealing with over-zealous cops that are high on power. Some cops are just like that. If you try to ask questions and/or explain anything they see that as you questioning their authority, and the situation gets ugly. But then other cops, allow you to ask questions and try to explain things, and usually still give you the ticket but the situation doesn't end with someone being tased and arrested. It comes down to the cops attitude. Had the cop in the video been a little more patient and not so quick to feel like his authority was being contested, none of this would've happened.

[Neil]

Have to say the officer completely over reacted IMHO... The driver clearly seemed confused about what was going on... The officer gave no warnings, didn't explain the situation or what was going to happen and TBH just seemed to use get carried away for no reason... The officer stated the reason he tasered him was because he wasn't following instructions while under arrest. He never stated the guy was under arrest? Never stated he would taser him etc. TBH, I think this officer needs addressing! You can't go tasering people with so little reason!

[rongravy]

He didn't seem confused while he was forcefully telling the cop that he was going to take him back and show him the sign at 1:50, and to repeat/explain, once again, why he was getting the ticket. The cop told him to get out of the car and to put his hands behind his back, probably just in case the idiot tried something stupid, like leaving. The guy gets out, is moving around alot, and has his hands in and around his pockets. Cops are trained to spot defiance like that, and to act on it before it gets out of hand. What if he would've pulled a gun out of his pocket? I dunno about you guys, but when a cop is around, and I'm the focus of his attention, I don't mess about in my pockets, and turn in directions he can't clearly see what I'm doing. Also, he might have been waiting to tell him why he was being arrested AFTER he'd be in cuffs? Sorry, I don't see how the guy won 40 grand out of it. That's messed up. Take your ticket, sign it, move on or fight it in court. Too many videos out there of people being shitty to cops that are just trying to do their jobs. Yeah, there's a few out there that are bad, but some far fetched conspiracy that cops are just itching to beat down the masses is preposterous. Some cop around here got blasted for being a little too nonchalant in his duties. These days, we/they have no idea what kind of nutballs are out there, ready and eager to flip out. How many times does he need to tell him why he's getting a ticket before it's overkill? I'd say that was a well deserved bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzt, myself, but that's just me. Police state, my wrinkly ballsack.

[Neil]

He didn't seem confused while he was forcefully telling the cop that he was going to take him back and show him the sign at 1:50, and to repeat/explain, once again, why he was getting the ticket. The cop told him to get out of the car and to put his hands behind his back, probably just in case the idiot tried something stupid, like leaving. At NO time did he say he was under arrest... At NO time did he say he was about to taser him... Infact he gave the guy no warnings at all. The OFFICER may know the law, or the way the system works, but Mr confused probably does not. This maybe the drivers first ever pulling over, he may be completely out of his comfort zone, and with FIFTEEN seconds of getting out of his car, he's been tasered? The officer really went out of his way before resorting to force! And let's remember a taser can be lethal! How many times does he need to tell him why he's getting a ticket before it's overkill? Don't know, but just telling him ONCE that he's under arrest? Or ONCE that he will be tasered I though may be good practice? I know if someone was telling me sign something, and I wasn't sure about the matter, I wouldn't be keen to sign?! The guy gets out, is moving around alot, and has his hands in and around his pockets. Cops are trained to spot defiance like that, and to act on it before it gets out of hand. He slips a thumb into a pocket, once? Which is more down to his nerves I suspect... You'd think a pregnant wife/parter and baby in the back of the car might also suggest this guy isn't a threat? What if he would've pulled a gun out of his pocket? Why was that any more likely to happen later on, than at the beginning? Why treat an innocent individual like this over a ticket?

[bassman]

I dunno. Looked pretty combative to me. He was also completely disregarding instructions, and had his hands down in and around his pockets. How was the cop supposed to know what this guy's plan was, or if he wasn't going to wig out? Cops have to protect themselves, too. It's called a ticket, and you sign it. When you want to refute it, you go to court. You don't start telling the cop what he's going to do. Looks like this guy wasted some people's time acting like a complete douche nozzle, but that's just my observation. The only reason the cop should've waited a bit is because the guy probably would've gotten even more resistant on camera, proving without a doubt he needed that buzz to comply. Agreed. This is just another case of a cop protecting himself from harm and the man trying to play the innocent card because he "didn't understand". Maybe if he shut his friggin mouth and listened for a minute the cop would have had a chance to explain what was going on! Instead, he kept mouthing of, walked around behind the officer with his hands raised, and generally failed to follow every SIMPLE instruction. Of course all the bleeding hearts will claim the cop had no right, but he had every right to protect himself from what this bumbling asshat might have possibly had up his sleeves. Everything would have been fine if he just listened, waited his turn to CALMLY speak his mind, and didn't disobey the officer's orders once out of the car. He deserved to be subdued with one of the less than lethal weapons.

[Neil]

Of course all the bleeding hearts will claim the cop had no right, but he had every right to protect himself from what this bumbling asshat might have possibly had up his sleeves. Everything would have been fine if he just listened, waited his turn to CALMLY speak his mind, and didn't disobey the officer's orders once out of the car. He deserved to be subdued with one of the less than lethal weapons. Watch the video again - The man walks out of his car and BEFORE ANY instruction are given to him, the taser in being drawn. Does this seem right to you? As he is walking from his car to the police officer's - offering no threat or malice - a weapon is being drawn on him!? The man is then faced with something that probably completely throws him out of his comfort zone, a weapon being aimed at him (he probably thinks it a REAL gun). Can you imagine that? You turn to find a gun pointing at you? His thoughts are probably in complete disarray! A weapon is being pointed at me over a ticket? Do you think his throught process is 100% considered, or 50% WTF!?! Hence him "what is wrong with you?" and almost naturally backing up, most likely naturally trying to show his back rather than his front. He deserves to be subdued with one of the less than lethal weapons. He deserves to be treated like an innocent motorist. He deserves to be told he was under arrest. He deserves to be told he would be tasered. He did not deserve to find himself facing a weapon with a few second of getting out of his car. - - - Updated - - - Here you go, didn't realise he'd been compensated for this! He wasn't even aware he was being arrested (he's never told), and thought the weapon was a hand gun (not a taser) so we can only imagine his thought processes and why he almost instinctively backed up...

[rongravy]

I'm not going to bother breaking anyone's post down to refute it piece by piece over this. It is obvious that two or more people that see the same video can come out of it with totally different views on it. I was just glad I wasn't alone in mine this time, for once. I was starting to wonder if I was being a meanie today. Because whereas some might see him as some doe eyed innocent, running around dazed and confused about the do's and don'ts where authority figures and traffic laws are concerned... I saw him as a smart ass who couldn't own up to a ticket, and did wayyy more than push his luck. Bravado quickly turned to a spineless mass in a matter of minutes, all because of his own actions. By my estimates, it could've gone alot worse for him. Imagine if the cop hadn't shown enough restraint to NOT draw his gun instead? You don't get in your pockets, or put your hands even in that area. And I'm totally not buying his bogus interview. I thought I was getting out so he could show me where the sign was, or telling me I won a prize, or wanted to give me a hug.... So tired of that. I'd love to see him take a lie detector test over that malarkey. I bet he's seen a video or two on the net of people pushing their luck like this, you know... Stickin' it to DA MAN. (Gotta look good in front of your best gal.) Just made me think, though. What if a traffic ticket could be foregiven/forgotten if you agreed to a tasering on the spot? Would you agree to it? I probably would because of the fact that I'm a cheap bastard. That, and I like electricity anyway...

[Neil]

Imagine if the cop hadn't shown enough restraint to NOT draw his gun instead? You don't get in your pockets, or put your hands even in that area. And I'm totally not buying his bogus interview. Ahhh! The driver seems to have his wallet in his hand when he gets out of the car, and puts it back in his pocket when he's walking along, with his other hand pointing down the road somewhere? Do you think this is what gave the cop the heebie-jeebies?

[babomb]

He didn't seem confused while he was forcefully telling the cop that he was going to take him back and show him the sign at 1:50, and to repeat/explain, once again, why he was getting the ticket. The cop told him to get out of the car and to put his hands behind his back, probably just in case the idiot tried something stupid, like leaving. What he was trying to say was that he started slowing down before the 40mph sign. He didn't forcefully say he was gonna take the cop back to show him the sign, he said he was gonna go back and look for it. And the cop says, "well, you'll find it". The cop doesn't even take issue with that. The cop gets pissed when the guy says he's not signing anything. The guy is just a common dude, traveling with his family. The guy gets out, is moving around alot, and has his hands in and around his pockets. Cops are trained to spot defiance like that, and to act on it before it gets out of hand. What if he would've pulled a gun out of his pocket? Defiance, meaning acting naturally, with your hands on the side of your body, in the position they're always in? So then cops are trained to see defiance where there is none? That does make sense in the context of cops that behave this way. They see defiance even when there is none, and grab their taser, seemingly because it just makes them feel powerful. I dunno about you guys, but when a cop is around, and I'm the focus of his attention, I don't mess about in my pockets, and turn in directions he can't clearly see what I'm doing. I act like I'm dealing with another human being. I surely don't cower in submission in order to satisfy the officers inflated ego and delusions of superiority. Cops are public servants, they're there to protect and serve ME, the common citizen. It's my tax dollars that pay their salary. I don't act like I'm a measely peasant, dealing with an agent of royalty that's superior to me. I only had 1 bad encounter with police. I was at a party when I was 23-24, there were some douchebags there looking for a fight. They found their fight, and me and a few others were trying to break it up. We all moved outside. There was yelling and scuffling, before the idiots took off 1 of them threw an unopened beer can at me and hit me in the ear. Neighbors called cops, the cop that showed up had an attitude from the start. I wasn't drunk yet, I didn't have an attitude, the guys who caused the problem were gone and technically I was one of the victims. There was an ambulance there because someone got knocked out. The cop said i had to get in the ambulance and go to the ER. I refused medical attention because I didn't need it. He said that I couldn't refuse, that I had to go and have my ear taken care of. I said that I didn't need medical assistance and that I couldn't afford it. He said that they'd work with me and I could make payments. I said I didn't need it, and wasn't gonna pay for it. He said it wasn't optional, and I could either get in the ambulance or be arrested for disorderly conduct. I couldn't believe that, and i argued it. He got fed up and arrested me for disorderly conduct. He brought me to the ER himself, brought me in where I was examined and given Motrin and an ice pack and released. Then I was booked for disorderly conduct. I couldn't believe that I was being arrested for refusing medical attention. I had to take a day off work to show up for court. I just plead guilty and payed $150 so that I didn't have to show up in court again. In addition to that, I had to pay over $200 for the ER visit. Yeah, I could've avoided the $150 fine by just "following orders". But I didn't feel that was legal, if a person refuses medical treatment that should be their choice to make when they're adults. I would've had to pay the $200+ regardless. Which IMO, is complete bullshit!!! .......but some far fetched conspiracy that cops are just itching to beat down the masses is preposterous. .......Police state, my wrinkly ballsack. So then, what, all these police beatdowns, police killings, are all justified? And if you don't believe in a police state, what do you make of cops wearing military uniforms, driving armored personnel carriers? What about the TSA being used at sporting events and public gatherings, and as highway security? You aren't concerned about any of that? Or what about military drones being used to police the skies over America? You just think that's all fine and dandy? How about Americans every move being recorded by CCTV? Warrantless searches, warrantless wiretaps? People being arrested for feeding the homeless, passing out bottled water to people, running lemonade stands without a permit? The NDAA that allows Americans to be detained indefinitely without charge for suspicion of terrorism? What about the Patriot Act? What about DHS buying millions of rounds of hollow points? They're banned under the geneva convention, so they're obviously for domestic use. Do you know about all this? If so, do you think it's all lies or something? I can post proof if you'd like!? If all this doesn't amount to a police state, then what constitutes a police state? - - - Updated - - - And I'm sure this one is completely justified too? A 14 year old girl that weighs all of 90lbs soaking wet. I'm sure she was combative and needed to be tased IN THE HEAD. One of the taser prongs penetrated her skull, and now she has balance problems and can't go up stairs well. She was already epileptic. Her crime? She ran away when the cop pulled his taser on her. Tasing people sure is easier than chasing them, or reasoning with them, or tolerating them. Which is why we see so much of it these days.

[shootemindehead]

Utah's Judge Dredd needs some more training it seems. He's clearly loving the power trip. Shouldn't be allowed to carry a badge, never mind a gun. What I am surprised by is the lack of articulation by the police officer. To me, it looks like someone who doesn't really know what he's doing. He just looks like he's way out of his depth and his actions are escalating a mickey mouse situation into something of real embarrassment to his force. I can understand that he may be afraid, but he hits all the wrong notes here. This video should be used in police training as a guide on what not to do in a similar situation.

[babomb]

Utah's Judge Dredd needs some more training it seems. He's clearly loving the power trip. Shouldn't be allowed to carry a badge, never mind a gun. What I am surprised by is the lack of articulation by the police officer. To me, it looks like someone who doesn't really know what he's doing. He just looks like he's way out of his depth and his actions are escalating a mickey mouse situation into something of real embarrassment to his force. I can understand that he may be afraid, but he hits all the wrong notes here. This video should be used in police training as a guide on what not to do in a similar situation. That's what I thought too. That he's either completely inept, or scared as hell. And if he's THAT scared in a routine traffic stop then maybe he doesn't have the right temperament for the job. - - - Updated - - -