Government

Could Tasers Soon Be Outlawed? Supreme Court May Hear Case on Preserving This ‘Useful Pain Technique’

Seattle Officers Request Supreme Court Hear Appeal on Use of Tasers

(Photo: TASER)

A traffic violation and refusal to sign a ticket resulted in a pregnant Seattle woman getting tased in 2004. The woman sued the officers and ended up losing the case. According to the New York Times, United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit acknowledged the officers used excessive force and said should they use the device in such a manner again, it would “cross a constitutional line,” but they were within their rights according to the law at the time.

Now, the officers are hoping the Supreme Court will hear their appeal over what they fear could be the loss of their ability to use a “useful pain technique.” The Supreme Court is expected to rule on whether or not it will hear the case next week.

(Related: Diabetic college student tased by police while in a state of shock now suing) 

The New York Times reports Malaika Brooks, seven months pregnant, was pulled over for speeding when driving her son to school in 2004. At the time, she said she would accept the ticket that was being issued to her, but would not sign it as it would acknowledge guilt for a violation Brooks didn’t believe she had committed. Not signing the ticket was a crime and officers were instructed by their sergeant to arrest her, but she would not get out of the car. The New York Times has more on what transpired from there:

The situation plainly called for bold action, and Officer Juan M. Ornelas met the challenge by brandishing a Taser and asking Ms. Brooks if she knew what it was.

She did not, but she told Officer Ornelas what she did know. “I have to go to the bathroom,” she said. “I am pregnant. I’m less than 60 days from having my baby.”

The three men assessed the situation and conferred. “Well, don’t do it in her stomach,” one said. “Do it in her thigh.”

Officer Ornelas twisted Ms. Brooks’s arm behind her back. A colleague, Officer Donald M. Jones, applied the Taser to Ms. Brooks’s left thigh, causing her to cry out and honk the car’s horn. A half-minute later, Officer Jones applied the Taser again, now to Ms. Brooks’s left arm. He waited six seconds before pressing it into her neck.

Ms. Brooks fell over, and the officers dragged her into the street, laying her face down and cuffing her hands behind her back.

Brooks, whose baby girl was born perfectly healthy, was convicted of a misdemeanor but she sued the officers for brutality.

(Related: Aerial ‘Shadowhawk’ police drones can now deploy tasers and tear gas)

Chief Judge Alex Kozinski is reported as defending the officer’s actions, and Judge Barry G. Silverman also said he considered “tasing was a humane way to force Brooks out of her car.”

The Times states the officers are now bringing the case to the Supreme Court to clear their names and preserve their use of the tasers. Several other groups including the Los Angeles County Police Chiefs’ Association have also asked for the case to be heard, believing the Ninth Circuit’s ruling “damages the rule of law:”

“It won’t be long,” their brief said, “before the word spreads throughout society’s criminal underground that the Ninth Circuit hasn’t simply given them a ‘get out of jail free’ card, but a ‘never have to go to jail in the first place’ card.”

The Times reports Brooks’ lawyer maintaining that the use of a taser on the pregnant woman was inappropriate and “inexcusable conduct.”

[H/T Gizmodo]

Comments (106)

1 2
  • Smokey_Bojangles
    Posted on May 18, 2012 at 9:24pm

    So For not admitting guilt under duress a pregnant woman was tased by taser crazy cops.

    Report Post » Smokey_Bojangles  
    • black9897
      Posted on May 19, 2012 at 10:19am

      They need better training and hire better people. And they need actual punishment for when cops screw up big time.

      Report Post » black9897  
    • Mr. H.
      Posted on May 19, 2012 at 11:25am

      She committed 3 crimes within a few minuets. SOP in most places for disobeying a police officer is arrest, into the back of the squad, and and haul them in to book the charges. She brought it all onto herself. When dealing with police officers be polite, do what they say. People shoot at police officers. You are the unknown. Disobedience immediately puts them on high alert for a deadly attack.

      Report Post »  
    • Glenn in Virginia
      Posted on May 19, 2012 at 1:19pm

      It says on all warrants that signing and promising to appear in court is NOT an admission of guilt. The alternative to signing is to go to jail and have to post a bond to get out.

      The pretty obvious alternative to using a taser in many cases will, in too many cases, using Herr Glock to reel them in.

      Report Post »  
    • Maji
      Posted on May 19, 2012 at 8:05pm

      If they were to do that to my wife…the cops would be very sorry!
      For a while….till they slopped into a coma!

      Report Post »  
    • Maji
      Posted on May 20, 2012 at 11:43pm

      turkey13…maybe you’re right!
      If a kid acts up they can taze him too!
      I don’t know of a clause to protect kids do you?
      Maybe they can zap a 6yr old if doesn’t come right out of the tree house!

      Of course not climbing out of tree house is the same as murder right?
      Just like a speeding ticket!

      Report Post »  
  • TomSawyer
    Posted on May 18, 2012 at 9:01pm

    If a cop knowingly tasers a pregnant women, then that cop should be fired and put in jail.

    Report Post »  
    • Mil Mom
      Posted on May 18, 2012 at 10:18pm

      Did you notice it‘s illegal because it’s cruel and inhuman to use a livestock prod on a 2 ton bull, but a taser which is multiple times more powerful than a stock prod can be used on Pregnant Women?
      Do you suppose Scotty is still flying around somewhere up there? Maybe he’ll summon a fleet to beam us all up!

      Report Post » Mil Mom  
    • Matt
      Posted on May 18, 2012 at 10:55pm

      I disgree. The officer’s primary responsibility is to enforce the law. If the woman is doing something illegal that warrants her being tazed then the officer should taze her. Its her job to take care of her kids.

      Report Post »  
    • PHB
      Posted on May 18, 2012 at 11:51pm

      The LAW applys to ALL!!! Just do what the officer says to do and it 5 or ten min later she would have been on her way, BUT OH NO had to open her BIG mouth.

      Report Post »  
    • TomSawyer
      Posted on May 19, 2012 at 2:49am

      Matt, It is ridiculous to taze anyone for not signing a traffic ticket. The child inside has not broken the law and is also be tazed also. Electrocuting a developing child does not sound healthy to me. We need to pass laws and make it someone’s job to lock up any cop that does this. If that can not be done that tasers should be illegal. These cops are misusing these things all the time. We should get rid of them.

      Report Post »  
    • TomSawyer
      Posted on May 19, 2012 at 2:50am

      PHB, The baby did not commit a crime and is being tazed; so it is different. You don’t shock a developing baby.

      Report Post »  
    • Polwatcher
      Posted on May 19, 2012 at 5:47am

      If it is OK to taser a women with a 7 month baby inside her, then it is OK to taser a women’s small child to keep the women in line. Yet, anyone doing this to an animal would be thrown in jail for animal cruelty.

      Report Post »  
    • turkey13
      Posted on May 19, 2012 at 9:48am

      I agree with the 9 Th on this. All pregnant women should be turned loose no mater what – even if they kill someone. As soon as an officers sees she is pregnant, just apoligize and let em go. Make new policys across the country on men – tell them to halt 3 times and if they don’t shoot them in the knee cap, they won’t go anywhere. Tazers should not be used!

      Report Post »  
    • Melika
      Posted on May 23, 2012 at 8:33am

      @ turkey13: Don’t be idiotic, this isn’t a dangerous murdering woman, nor was it a dangerous situation for the cops. Most police departments have protocol in place for dealing with pregnant women involving such a minor incident. You can‘t treat a pregnant woman the same way you treat a woman who isn’t pregnant or a man and you certainly don’t take the risk of instigating an early delivery or damaging the fetus. It is a medical condition that requires certain treatment. Until there is proof that tazing does not harm a fetus, it’s best to side with caution. Even after the tazing, they put her on the ground face down, on her belly. That is cruel punishment and pain for the woman, and a risk to the baby. The cops could have just left the ticket with her without the signature. This was just police brutality all around, I don’t care if she was being a jerk. She wasn’t a danger and every American should have the right to peaceful protest, which is what she was doing by not signing the ticket. The only reason why the courts were hesitant to rule in her favor is simply because it could open the door to suits from violent criminals. This is an issue that needs to be dealt with, as cops tend to think because it isn’t fatal, it can be used indiscriminately in inappropriate ways when other methods would work better.

      Report Post »  
  • christianUSA
    Posted on May 18, 2012 at 8:55pm

    Opinion: we have diseases in our country called guilty until proven innocence and the system is forced to drop charges and let them go, but often do not admit wrongful arrest or treatment; and lack of govnm officals to acknowledge constitutional limits these are turning are legal system upside down. If she did not sign admitting her guilt it’s a crime? When the wrong is done by govnm or corporation it is ruled a mistake a misjudgment but if the same thing is done by a private poor citizen it a crime or gross offense! Farther who pays for legal cost defense appeal private citizen but cop/s we paid and the poor have no real choose. So if you do not admit guilt then the cops can use physical force? Sound like police state bullying behavior. Notice law enforcement twist this to all cops loosing tasers instead of bad judgment or poor training or rules; again bullying threat to instead have to use guns only and not have less lethal weapon; did the taser all by it self go off or decide to shoot her? So the cops are taking this all way to supreme court for the right to taser people who refuse to sign tickets?! Would not a better solution to appeal court decision be that people should not be forced to sign tickets? Cops fight is to keep powers that any time some refuses to comply with cops orders no mater how trivial even if wrong they can use force; lack of fair limits and laws limits on state officers and govnm that is what defines a police state.

    Report Post »  
    • HorseCrazy
      Posted on May 18, 2012 at 10:23pm

      agree. as a seattle area gal I can say this police force has been absolutely out of control for some time now. out of control to the max they need to fire all of these tools and start from scratch.

      Report Post »  
  • LameLiberals
    Posted on May 18, 2012 at 7:57pm

    The police are no longer the kindly Deputy Barney Fife and Sheriff Griffith from the Andy Griffith days. Back then they were the FRIENDLY NEIGHBORHOOD POLICE. We were told to TRUST the police. Now police are unionized thugs who eagerly stomp on the Constitution (download cell phone information when pulling people over for traffic violations, taking their money/cars and arresting them on bogus charges to financially support their departments, arrest citizens who dare to film them on public streets, use lasers to intimidate, maim and kill citizens and dress like military members complete with automatic weapons purchased for them with money from the Homeland Defense. Police bug you cars/computers,etc without court order thanks to Patriot Act, etc. etc.

    Used to be only minorities feared the police. Now we all have reason too. Fascists – all of them – especially Wisconsin police who “selectively” kicked out Tea Party members from WI capital but allowed their union buddies to ILLEGALLY camp there for months.

    Report Post »  
    • TomSawyer
      Posted on May 18, 2012 at 8:59pm

      Why all of a sudden are many liberals incorrectly using the fascist? Calling an American conservative a fascist is an error. Conservatives believe in the US constitution, which does not allow totalitarianism. It is about limited government; therefore, you are wrong.

      Report Post »  
    • Glock31
      Posted on May 18, 2012 at 9:04pm

      watch your mouth. most police have incredible integrity. this b i t c h was being a typical ghetto black woman

      Report Post » Glock31  
    • LameLiberals
      Posted on May 18, 2012 at 10:09pm

      I am far from a liberal.

      The police in this country are militarized and slamming our Constitution. After reading all the abuses on The Blaze, etc. anyone who still believes the majority of police officers are “good and decent” have their head in the sand. They are putting drones in the air and video cameras in streetlights to “monitor” the people. The TSA shelves the 4th amendment to search without a warrant.

      Article on the Militarism of our police
      http://www.hotair.com/archives/2011/06/08/video-swat-team-raids-house-over-unpaid-student-loans/
      Police CORRUPTION updated daily
      http://stopthedrugwar.org/taxonomy/term/27?page=15

      Police Taser Abuse
      http://policetaser.net/

      .

      Report Post »  
    • Mil Mom
      Posted on May 18, 2012 at 10:15pm

      @Glock31
      Posted on May 18, 2012 at 9:04pm

      watch your mouth. most police have incredible integrity. this b i t c h was being a typical ghetto black woman
      ****
      The fact that baby was born perfectly healthy is a miracle, talk to any OBGYN, tasing a pregnant woman can cause any number if physical problems for herself and/or the baby. The days of the friendly cop delivering a baby have given way to the arrogant cop tasing the pregnant woman because she won’t sign the ticket. Ask any woman in the last months of pregnancy, there‘s seldom a time she doesn’t have to use the bathroom. If she’d wet herself the added electrical shock could well have killed herself and her baby.
      A taser should be used only when a police officer needs extreme force to subdue an extremely violent criminal. Never because someone was speeding and refuses to sign the ticket or step out of their vehicle.
      But there once was a free country we lived in, with a wonderful Constitution and Bill of Rights. PEOPLE THERE ACTUALLY WERE PRESUMED INNOCENT UNTIL PROVEN GUILTY! It was called the United States of America. Maybe someone can be found who is old enough to tell us some stories about it before obamacare gives them enough pain pills to stop their vital organs.
      Hopefully Glenn will get someone like this for his kids programs, we’d all benefit!

      Report Post » Mil Mom  
    • Lord_Frostwind
      Posted on May 18, 2012 at 10:15pm

      Police had no choice but to militarize after the gangs rose in power. The more violent the gangs became, the more aggressive the police had to be to survive. Granted, the officers in this case were fools, but don’t make blanket statements about how the police have become the “instrument of oppression” they’re just doing what they have to do in an increasingly hostile nation. You have a problem, blame the legislators, and bureaucrats, they’re the ones giving the orders.

      Report Post » Lord_Frostwind  
  • Caniac Steve
    Posted on May 18, 2012 at 7:45pm

    whle we may not agree with anyone getting tazed..but the woman messed up 2 ways.first…she called attenton to herslf enough to get stopped n the first place..2ndly..she faieled to comply with a reasonable and lawful order…which is why she probably lost her original suit..or didn’t anyone think/consider that ??

    Report Post » Caniac Steve  
    • LameLiberals
      Posted on May 18, 2012 at 7:59pm

      And the big strong policeman could not pull a pregnant woman out of the car?

      Give me a break. That policeman was a LAZY as the policeman who was too fat to grab a handcuffed woman running away from him who was a few feet away but instead tasered and killed her when because her hands were handcuffed could not prevent her head from slamming on the cement when the taser downed her.

      Report Post »  
    • sfrich
      Posted on May 18, 2012 at 8:01pm

      She lost the lawsuit because of “qualified immunity.” In a federal civil rights lawsuit, a court may determine that although the act committed by the government is unconstitutional (a civil rights violation), the constitutional violation was not “clearly established law” at the time of the violation in the case, and the officials will be found to be not liable. In other words, if the government officials had no reason to believe that their acts were unconstitutional at the time they committed them (because no court had yet found such an act to be a violation), the person suing will lose the case; but going forward such an act by the government will result in liability in the future.

      Report Post »  
    • JediKnight
      Posted on May 18, 2012 at 8:09pm

      If it were any other situation, I’d probably agree. However, 1) she was pregnant and 2) she said “I have to pee”. If you’ve ever known a pregnant woman, when they need to pee, THEY NEED TO PEE. The officer could’ve escorted her to the bathroom and then informed her that signing the ticket does NOT constitute an admission of guilt. Signing the ticket means you’ve been arrested and released on your own recognizance. A lot of people incorrectly think that by signing the ticket, they’ve admitted guilt. That is completely false.

      Tasing people is dangerous enough, but tasing a pregnant woman is probably even more dangerous than usual and I bet they knew it. Why else would they be told to make sure and do it in her thigh? Do they really think the voltage doesn’t travel through your body? Plus, she was 7 months pregnant, so they could obviously see she was pregnant and didn’t need to be told.

      Report Post »  
  • affinity
    Posted on May 18, 2012 at 7:17pm

    I thought cops were supposed to protect and serve. These cops are jerks and should be fired. I don‘t think it’s safe to let traffic cops be armed. I had a cop pull me over and arrest the guy next to for a bench warrant. The cop slipped a traffic ticket under the passenger seat so I know you don’t have to sign crap to be ticketed. My guess is they had a new torture toy and wanted to use test it on a real life person. Most murderers start by torturing animals and work their way up to killing humans.

    Report Post »  
    • chips1
      Posted on May 18, 2012 at 8:54pm

      When you need help, don’t lose the phone number of the New Black Panthers.

      Report Post »  
    • HorseCrazy
      Posted on May 18, 2012 at 10:22pm

      I agree. Maybe if the cops spent more time solving crime instead of writing tickets for driving infractions or jay walking or my absolute favorite, not scooping up dog poop, they wouldnt always have their hands out asking for more money each election.

      Report Post »  
  • The-Monk
    Posted on May 18, 2012 at 7:10pm

    Little known computer fact;

    Tasers are partly responsible for the demise of Gateway Computers Inc. : (

    Report Post » The-Monk  
  • let us prey
    Posted on May 18, 2012 at 6:58pm

    Maybe they will be using the heat cannon on us next. Oohhhhgghhhh.

    Report Post » let us prey  
  • hi
    Posted on May 18, 2012 at 6:46pm

    I feel for the woman. I know how it is trying to get our sons to school on time. Moms should have the right to sirens and police lights on our mini-vans.

    Report Post » hi  
  • RougeFastFingers
    Posted on May 18, 2012 at 6:42pm

    Tazers should be outlawed, how on earth did we ever allow law enforcement the tools to TORTURE suspects?

    Police use these FAR to quickly and with little consequence to their actions, the use of a torture device should be outlawed immediately.

    Report Post » RougeFastFingers  
    • The-Monk
      Posted on May 18, 2012 at 6:57pm

      @RougeFastFingers
      “Tazers should be outlawed, how on earth did we ever allow law enforcement the tools to TORTURE suspects?”

      OK, how about a choice? When (if) you are pulled over and defying an Officer’s orders; the Officer asked you, “You have 2 choices, my Taser or my .40 cal”.

      Make my day! Oh yea, did you steal someone else’s “Dirty Harry” avatar?

      I gots to know….

      Report Post » The-Monk  
    • Bluedog78
      Posted on May 19, 2012 at 2:09am

      I’ve been a cop for 6 year and used my taser a whopping 4 times. But you’re right, I do look forward to using it because its fun to watch them drop, just not pregnant women who don’t sign stupid tickets! Every person I’ve used it on has been drunk, high, or both and if I hadn‘t used it I would’ve had to beat them bloody to get them handcuffed. As for tickets, I write very few and luckily where I work if somebody doesn’t want to sign we can just write “served” on it and hand it to them.

      As for torture, I‘d take 10 cycles with the taser before I took a face full of pepper spray but I don’t hear a chorus of voices calling for a pepper spray ban.

      Report Post » Bluedog78  
  • deerfawn
    Posted on May 18, 2012 at 6:24pm

    I guess my question would be was she asked in between each taz to get out of her car?

    Report Post »  
    • railroader
      Posted on May 18, 2012 at 6:47pm

      Hell no

      Report Post » railroader  
    • PALEHORSE
      Posted on May 18, 2012 at 7:50pm

      Why would they need to keep asking? You are asked once and that is all it should take. She isn’t a child and after the first time she knew what the consequence would be.

      Report Post »  
  • KidCharlemagne
    Posted on May 18, 2012 at 6:20pm

    This is really just a small part of a much larger (and quite disturbing) trend….

    The federal government is giving away so much unused battlefield equipment to local police departments (courtesy of the Pentagon’s 1033 program), that domestic law enforcement is now practically as well armed as the U.S. Military:

    ————————————————————
    “The Pentagon Is Offering Free Military Hardware To Every Police Department In The US
    Dec. 5, 2011, 11:09 AM

    We produce so much military equipment that inventories of military robots, M-16 assault rifles, helicopters, armored vehicles, and grenade launchers eventually start to pile up and it turns out a lot of these weapons are going straight to American police forces to be used against US citizens.

    Benjamin Carlson at The Daily reports on a little known endeavor called the “1033 Program” that gave more than $500 million of military gear to U.S. police forces in 2011 alone.”
    http://www.businessinsider.com/program-1033-military-equipment-police-2011-12

    President Eisenhower issued a warning about the Military-Industrial complex before leaving office 50 years ago………it turns out that he was absolutely right….

    America has started becoming more Soviet now than the Soviet Union itself ever thought about being.

    Report Post »  
  • Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
    Posted on May 18, 2012 at 6:15pm

    9th Circut of Appeals? Is this not the circut court that almost consistently overturns everything and in turn is overturned by the SCOTUS?

    Report Post » Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}  
    • The-Monk
      Posted on May 18, 2012 at 6:29pm

      Yea Snow; you got that right.

      Report Post » The-Monk  
    • JediKnight
      Posted on May 18, 2012 at 8:11pm

      While that makes for a good sound bite and I don’t particularly like the 9th circuit, as a percentage they handle more cases than the others, hence why more cases get overturned.

      Report Post »  
    • The-Monk
      Posted on May 18, 2012 at 9:56pm

      @JediKnight
      “… as a percentage they handle more cases than the others, hence why more cases get overturned.”

      So… the more cases that are handled in a court room, the more the overturned cases?
      Why is that, exactly? I’d like to know. I have my own opinions but, I’d like to hear your theory on this.

      Report Post » The-Monk  
  • Bryan B
    Posted on May 18, 2012 at 6:13pm

    The Taser where suppose to be best tool to come to law enforcement since Pepper Spray. It was hope it would put LEO’s in a better position to use Non-Lethal Force.

    But since it’s deployment to the streets about 20 years ago, it been a complete disater….

    The Taser has been misused and abused by officers, it now has the same reputation as the Sap.

    Report Post » Bryan B  
    • The-Monk
      Posted on May 18, 2012 at 6:27pm

      @Bryan B

      What is a Sap? TIA

      Report Post » The-Monk  
    • Bryan B
      Posted on May 18, 2012 at 6:47pm

      @The-Monk

      Sap, also known as a Black-Jack, long piece leather with a lead sewn into the top….

      Report Post » Bryan B  
    • The-Monk
      Posted on May 18, 2012 at 7:04pm

      @Bryan B

      Thanks, I know what that is…. from the movies, not personally. : )

      Report Post » The-Monk  
    • The-Monk
      Posted on May 18, 2012 at 7:28pm

      @Bryan B

      One more question;

      Does SAP stand for something? Like, Smak a perp or something else? Where did Sap get its name? Just curious, not meaning to be silly or disrespectful. : )

      Report Post » The-Monk  
    • Bryan B
      Posted on May 18, 2012 at 9:43pm

      @The-Monk

      The word Sap, I have no idea where it came from. I know they used the word Sap, over Black-Jack out of PC. Black-Jack has kind of a racial connotation to it. Like Police Baton is used instead of Night-Stick or Billy Club….

      Report Post » Bryan B  
    • The-Monk
      Posted on May 18, 2012 at 10:08pm

      @Bryan B

      Thanks. Your posts are always non-judgmental, concise and leaning towards unity rather than separation. I look forward to reading more from you. : )

      Report Post » The-Monk  
    • Bryan B
      Posted on May 19, 2012 at 12:28am

      @The-Monk

      Well God Bless you….

      A lot of people write on these Blogs like the Blaze, they don’t really look at the people their responding too as real people, it’s kinda like Road Rage. People with Road Rage don’t really see the person their angry with just a car, in the case here it’s a Fake or User Name, their angry with an object.

      99.9% of the people that respond to the storys and others on the Blaze, would never speak to another face to face, like they write on here, even if they came face to face with President Obama or Mitt Romney. And that doesn’t make them cowards…. It’s just different talking with someone in person.

      I talk or write on here like you are standing in front of me….

      Report Post » Bryan B  
  • concealled9mms
    Posted on May 18, 2012 at 6:00pm

    i sure would like to tazz a few cops before there gone, most cops it seems are real quick with wanting to use on people. yea i would like to tazz a cop

    Report Post »  
    • PALEHORSE
      Posted on May 18, 2012 at 7:53pm

      They have already been tazed. You can’t carry one in law enforcement unless it has been use on you.

      Report Post »  
  • gawjr
    Posted on May 18, 2012 at 5:58pm

    The reason she was tased was because she committed the crime of not signing a traffic ticket not because she was speeding. I am sure she was advised signing was not stating her guilt. She knew she was pregnant. Maybe she should use better judgement and sing the ticket and not resist arrest next time. Lets not take a useful tool away from Officers because one pregnant lady makes poor choices.

    Report Post »  
    • chips1
      Posted on May 18, 2012 at 9:06pm

      It is NOT a crime if you refuse to sign a ticket. The ticket is just a promise to appear in court at a easier time to plead guilty or not guilty. If you refuse to promise to contact the court, the officer must take you before a judge immediately. Tickets were then issued to make it easier on the violators. If you don’t sign, then the officer has the responsibility to protect your vehicle and that means he will have it towed to an impound yard. You made the decision so you pay the tow and storage fees. Just sign the ticket and go home.

      Report Post »  
  • V-Forge
    Posted on May 18, 2012 at 5:56pm

    Not tazed for speeding but for breaking the law and not signing the paperwork. Excessive.. Darned Straight. She should have never gone to the extreme of thinking she had the right to her own interpretation of the law. She could easily have denied guilt in the courtroom if she thought she was not guilty. That is the time and place not in your car. She is mostly being guilty of being a real idiot who really did deserve to have her attitude adjusted. The woman endangered not only her future but the health of the unborn baby. With stupidity like that to raise the child i’d suggest a better solution for the kid might be state care. I have no compassion for the militantly stupid. Next time she thinks she knows better than the law it might be over that merchandise she thinks she isn’t stealing cause we owe it to her. Don’t defend trash especially at the cost of a cop that followed his orders and reacted within the law. Just because you find it harsh don‘t mean it isn’t the law. Abide by it or change it. You do have that power if you get off your butts and stop complaining and actually look at the people you vote for in stead of the team logo. Your high school basketball teams never lost a game, they were always cheated by the refs i bet. Know the laws and participate in the system and it will work.

    Report Post » V-Forge  
  • Individualism
    Posted on May 18, 2012 at 5:53pm

    if people have died from them than yes get rid of them, because they have their guns to kill people or stop them depending where they shoot.

    Report Post » Individualism  
    • The-Monk
      Posted on May 18, 2012 at 6:40pm

      @notdividualism
      “…because they have their guns to kill people or stop them depending where they shoot.”

      If you would put down your college bong for a moment you might do some research and discover that it is illegal for a Police Officer to “shoot to wound”. When a Police Officer fires his/hers weapon it must be to kill. This is the reason Tasers were put into their arsenal.

      Are you going to answer my past two questions? No?

      OK, pick up your bong and go back to frying your brain. Coming to Tampa for the RNC? I thought not.

      Report Post » The-Monk  
    • Bluedog78
      Posted on May 19, 2012 at 2:17am

      “must be to kill”………..that’s a good one!

      We train to shoot center mass/head until the threat is stopped.

      Who’s holding a bong now? lol!!

      Report Post » Bluedog78  
    • The-Monk
      Posted on May 19, 2012 at 1:23pm

      @Bluedog78
      “must be to kill”………..that’s a good one!
      “We train to shoot center mass/head until the threat is stopped.
      Who’s holding a bong now? lol!!”

      Gee, Bluedog, I thought shooting someone “center mass/head” was a kill shot?

      “…shoot center mass/head until the threat is stopped” sure sounds like death to me. I’ll take a Taser first, thank you very much.

      Report Post » The-Monk  
  • Ironmaan
    Posted on May 18, 2012 at 5:47pm

    If you think this is bad, check out the codified abuse by the state of Tennesee. http://guerillatics.com/?p=39727

    Report Post »  
  • Popp40
    Posted on May 18, 2012 at 5:46pm

    Really….keep giving criminals more reason to continue their ways…..when criminals have nothing to fear….watch out. The cops have a hard enough time maintaining order, now they are taking another tool away from them. Don’t you just love liberals and their agenda to give criminals the ability to be better criminals with nothing to fear…..

    Report Post »  
  • dianeehs
    Posted on May 18, 2012 at 5:46pm

    I think tasing is useful for law enforcement. But for a pregnant woman it is excessive. They are fortunate the baby was born healthy. Otherwise they would be guilty of murder. better guidelines on health issues and tasers need to be established.

    Report Post » dianeehs  
    • PALEHORSE
      Posted on May 18, 2012 at 7:58pm

      Or the mother could be charged with negligence for refusing to follow the lawful order of the officer. She knew she was pregnant and should have know the police were not just going to go away. If the would have forcefully pulled her from the vehicle and injured the unborn child whose fault would that be, the police or her? Just because she was pregnant does not mean she is exempt from the law.

      Report Post »  
    • JediKnight
      Posted on May 18, 2012 at 8:19pm

      I think everybody is missing something here. Everyone keeps saying “she was resisting arrest” and whatever else. What you all seem to be missing is that she would’ve gotten out of the car herself. She said “I have to pee.” right after she dropped her kid off. Do you think she was going to go home? Hell no. All the officer had to do was take a step back, let her out of the car, escort her to the bathroom. When she’s done, don’t let her back into the car until the ticket is signed. If she still refuses, then you can pull her hands behind her back and cuff her. No tasing necessary.

      They KNEW tasing was a bad idea. “Do it on her thigh”. They KNEW IT and they did it anyway. Next time, use some critical thinking. Take a step back (make sure you’re clear from the vehicle) and let her out. If she takes off, chase her down, but she’s probably not going to do that (you did tell her to shut the car off before writing the ticket, right?).

      I‘m betting they simply didn’t want to let her go to the bathroom and thought it would be too much of a hassle over a speeding ticket. Just tase her instead, right? That’ll make it a lot easier.

      Report Post »  
  • sizzler2220
    Posted on May 18, 2012 at 5:44pm

    Well, then, use guns instead.

    Report Post »  
    • wakeus_com
      Posted on May 18, 2012 at 7:23pm

      Save taxpayer money that would be spent keeping thugs alive.

      Report Post » wakeus_com  
  • godhatesacoward
    Posted on May 18, 2012 at 5:44pm

    Give all the cops a steaksaw!

    Report Post » godhatesacoward  
  • CapitalistUno
    Posted on May 18, 2012 at 5:40pm

    What she didn‘t understand is that signing her name doesn’t acknowledge guilt right there. It acknowledges receipt of the citation, much like signing your name to a credit card receipt at a restaurant.

    However, she really had to be tased 3 times for a speeding violation? Come on officers, really?

    Report Post »  
  • team1blazer
    Posted on May 18, 2012 at 5:39pm

    Seems to me that the cops in this case went a little overboard….tazed for speeding? If she had lost her child, the officers would be paying for the rest of their lives.

    Report Post » team1blazer  
    • Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
      Posted on May 18, 2012 at 6:16pm

      I understand there is a line that cannot be crossed; yet how can the line be better established, and thus make it clear that ‘beyond here you do not go.” How?

      Report Post » Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}  
    • Mil Mom
      Posted on May 18, 2012 at 10:39pm

      @Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
      Posted on May 18, 2012 at 6:16pm

      I understand there is a line that cannot be crossed; yet how can the line be better established, and thus make it clear that ‘beyond here you do not go.” How?
      *****
      A pretty good line would be to make a value judgement: “Is this person threatening the officer? Does he or she present a clear and obvious danger to society that makes seeking other legal means to presenting the ticket totally unacceptable? (Remember in many communities cameras take pictures and you get the ticket in the mail some time later!) If I do not use this taser, is someone in danger of being harmed by the unruly behavior of this person? (other than the obvious speeding problem which she hasn’t been proven in a court of law to have done.)
      I’ll always repeat that tasers should only be used on extremely violent people who cannot be otherwise subdued and are a clear danger to those around them. NEVER ON AN OBVIOUSLY PREGNANT WOMAN. IF SHE HAD BEEN CAUSED TO WET HERSELF THE EXTRA ADDED SHOCK COULD HAVE ELECTROCUTED HER AND THE UNBORN CHILD!

      Report Post » Mil Mom  
    • supermansdad
      Posted on May 23, 2012 at 12:42pm

      You do not get tazed for speeding, you get tazed because it causes less trauma than using an ASP to effect the arrest.

      Its really quite simple: if you dont want to go to jail until the court date for the ticket then sign it. By signing you are promising to appear in court to fight the citation or pay it before the day. If you become beligerant or resist arrest force is authorized to effect the apprehension.

      Another aspect are current use of force regulations. Many agencies now have Tazers before the baton because batons have a higher chance of creating serious bodily harm such as broken bones. If you taze somebody that then urinates on themself it will not “boost” the charge given.

      Do we know she wasnt being “extremely violent” in her resisting? I have seen tiny women severly beat male officers or their husband, usually because the man holds back in his defense.

      Not condoning what was done just giving food for thought.

      Report Post »  
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