Comment Re:Good job UCPD (Score 1) 1583
Reading these replies I have noticed a trend of assuming the best of this individual and the worst of the officers and campus police involved. Let us, however, look at this from another, different, perspective.
First off, we do not know what led up to this gentleman being asked to leave. Another poster mentioned that the school was enforcing ID checks because sexual assaults had occurred on the premises. Also, for the sake of argument, let us assume that he was acting suspiciously which led to his ID check and the consequent request to leave.
The campus police for whatever reason were unable to get this gentleman to leave, further evidence that he was acting irrationally and suspiciously, and they were forced to call the UCPD. Let us also assume that, had he wanted to leave, he could have left any time before the police arrived.
When the UCPD arrived to assist the campus police they arrived to a situation where there was an irrationally acting individual under very suspicious circumstances. I don't know police protocol, but I imagine if they are called out, they have to file a report, get a name, see ID, whatnot. You can imagine that if he is in a hurry to leave once the police do arrive would only heighten their suspicions. It isn't hard to see that how they may think that he is the sexual predator who had been stalking the area, especially if he wants to leave without showing ID or identifying himself.
We don't know why the first tasing occurred, but again for the sake of argument, let us assume that this suspicious irrationally acting individual did something else stupid, like tried to push past one of the police officers to leave or possibly it looked like he was going to assault one of the officers or something else that warranted the use of the taser. Incidentally I have been hit with a taser before, it was brief and hurt like hell, but I was able to function immediately afterwards. I will note that I have never been hit multiple times or by a long extended shock.
Now let us assume that the people using the tasers have been trained in their use and how long of a shock to give someone without immobilizing them beyond the length of the shock.
We can't exactly see what is happening from the video, but we can hear him shouting about the patriot act and we can hear the officers telling him to get up. Now let us assume that he struggling against the police, not a difficult assumption to make, if you see the other irrational decisions he made and continued to make. He obviously was not subdued by the police and wanted to act in a manner to intensify the situation. He could very easily have kicked/kicked at one of the officers which resulted in the extra tasings. We just don't know.
We know he went limp so the police would have to carry him out. You would have to assume that the officers could be highly suspicious of this possible ploy to get them in close so he could bite them since they knew he was perfectly capable of walking.
Obviously a lot of this is conjecture, much like the arguments against the police officers who are apparently guilty until proven innocent. The truth in the matter is that none of us were there. As horrific as it appears, and as everyone here is apparently an expert on tasers and there usages, it still is unfair to judge so harshly until all the facts come to light. To do otherwise would be irresponsible.
Finally, perhaps everything that happened was the result of a culture difference. I have read that he was Iranian. Perhaps in Iran people are encouraged to stand up to authority and speak your mind regardless of the consequences and he just didn't realize that when you do that to the police in America they can take it badly.
First off, we do not know what led up to this gentleman being asked to leave. Another poster mentioned that the school was enforcing ID checks because sexual assaults had occurred on the premises. Also, for the sake of argument, let us assume that he was acting suspiciously which led to his ID check and the consequent request to leave.
The campus police for whatever reason were unable to get this gentleman to leave, further evidence that he was acting irrationally and suspiciously, and they were forced to call the UCPD. Let us also assume that, had he wanted to leave, he could have left any time before the police arrived.
When the UCPD arrived to assist the campus police they arrived to a situation where there was an irrationally acting individual under very suspicious circumstances. I don't know police protocol, but I imagine if they are called out, they have to file a report, get a name, see ID, whatnot. You can imagine that if he is in a hurry to leave once the police do arrive would only heighten their suspicions. It isn't hard to see that how they may think that he is the sexual predator who had been stalking the area, especially if he wants to leave without showing ID or identifying himself.
We don't know why the first tasing occurred, but again for the sake of argument, let us assume that this suspicious irrationally acting individual did something else stupid, like tried to push past one of the police officers to leave or possibly it looked like he was going to assault one of the officers or something else that warranted the use of the taser. Incidentally I have been hit with a taser before, it was brief and hurt like hell, but I was able to function immediately afterwards. I will note that I have never been hit multiple times or by a long extended shock.
Now let us assume that the people using the tasers have been trained in their use and how long of a shock to give someone without immobilizing them beyond the length of the shock.
We can't exactly see what is happening from the video, but we can hear him shouting about the patriot act and we can hear the officers telling him to get up. Now let us assume that he struggling against the police, not a difficult assumption to make, if you see the other irrational decisions he made and continued to make. He obviously was not subdued by the police and wanted to act in a manner to intensify the situation. He could very easily have kicked/kicked at one of the officers which resulted in the extra tasings. We just don't know.
We know he went limp so the police would have to carry him out. You would have to assume that the officers could be highly suspicious of this possible ploy to get them in close so he could bite them since they knew he was perfectly capable of walking.
Obviously a lot of this is conjecture, much like the arguments against the police officers who are apparently guilty until proven innocent. The truth in the matter is that none of us were there. As horrific as it appears, and as everyone here is apparently an expert on tasers and there usages, it still is unfair to judge so harshly until all the facts come to light. To do otherwise would be irresponsible.
Finally, perhaps everything that happened was the result of a culture difference. I have read that he was Iranian. Perhaps in Iran people are encouraged to stand up to authority and speak your mind regardless of the consequences and he just didn't realize that when you do that to the police in America they can take it badly.
