Tasers and bleeding hearts

So, a couple weeks ago a just-landed, unarmed Polish immigrant went crazy at the Vancouver Airport, was tasered, and died. The media had a field day. It was the main story for over a week. Seven different investigations into the use of tasers were launched. The taser issue is so open and shut it's not worth my time, but where are those bleeding heart, taser-banning, media-loving, do-gooders when something like this happens?

And why is it in the back pages?



By The Canadian Press


WINNIPEG - A man who was shot and killed by Winnipeg police was a former soldier with the Canadian Forces.

A source has confirmed to The Canadian Press that Roy Thomas Bell, 42, was the man who confronted police officers as they responded to a 911 call at a Winnipeg apartment building Monday night.

The source also says Bell was a one-time military member.

Police have said they were threatened by a man armed with a bat and a gun.

They say officers shot the suspect with a Taser to try to subdue him, but it didn't work, so they were forced to shoot him.

The officers involved were not injured and have been placed on administrative leave.

 

uh.... yep.

What more can you say than what you said. But have to always bear in mind the old adage:
"Suicide by Cop"

 

Andyns I'm missing your point a bit, but nevertheless let me add this. The LAPD police officers who beat Rodney King had shot him twice with 50,000 volts from a taser. He rose on both occasions and police officers are taught that such a response (or lack thereof) is indicative of a suspect on PCP (i.e. senseless to pain). He then was combative with the police officers and it all ended in the infamous minutes caught on tape where they appeared to beat an unarmed man senseless. However, they didnt shoot and kill him like in the Winnepeg case. Rodney King did recover and was awarded nearly 4 million dollars in a civil case. This enabled him to start his own hip hop label and get back to his normal life of drunk driving, evading the police, and spousal abuse convictions.

Just be thankful that the Winnepeg issue didnt end in days of riots, 53 deaths, thousand of injuries, thousands of fires, and thousands of damaged businesses like it did in LA.

 

I echo Don's thoughts. He DIED for god sake. Um it really doesn't get much worse than that. Investigations are in order.

Its incredible how quick some of these security guards and cops are to go for the taser or mace. Of course its warranted in many situations but often its not. Security guys should be able to break up a fist fight without hitting everyone in a three mile radius with mace!

 

clevelandmo, I forgot to mention, and the article does a poor job at it, the taser actually failed to work, it failed to deploy.

And you're probably right, it is a good thing the guy wasn't black or native, that always makes things much worse.

Spencer you want an investigation into this death? Here we go: man approaches police with a gun, man shot, man dead. Investigation over.

 

I understand this is what happened. But do have to say that 10 officers, 4 beating him with his arms behind his back after he finally submitted is a bit much. The man at this piont (10 officers present) is more of a threat to himself as PCP does not allow for fireballs to be projected from the users mouth.

Anyways... you guys have to check out all the tasering videos as of late. There are too many... and they are used on the wrong people alot of the times.

The example above is open and shut, but most others just arent.

I dont mind it being used if its for the right reasons, same with deadly force... but verbal non compliance with an officer shouldnt be a reason to tase someone.
(The traffic ticket guy, the "don't taze me bro guy", the pregnant women, and the woman who didnt want to be searched by a man-cop) They are all just awful.

 

Ok Don, but I guess that's what it sounded like to me.

 

I was talking about the VACOUVER case. But now that you mention it, they may want to look into why the original taser didn't work in Winnipeg. If it had the guy probably wouldn't be dead. And what about next time? If the W'peg police continue to use those same tasers perhaps it won't work once again, perhaps the cop won't have time to reach for his gun.

 

The solution is obviously in Star Trek...

and the excuse could be.... "OOOPS.... I thougth it was set to stun...."

 

In Cincinatti, a big guy on PCP had to be tasered twice, because he kept fighting, and died, from heart problem.. that cops couldnt possibly know.

Cue outrage from the minority community.. saved up from expressions not used for carjack killing of suburban mom in daylight, right in the downtown business district.

 

Whatever happened to "shoot him in the leg"... : )

 

A "bit much" is putting it lightly but that is the part of the story we all know far too well.

Also, I didnt mean to sound callous about King, I was trying to emphasize the total tragedy that ensued from a failed tasering. The guy didnt have much of a chance of straightening out his life with that in his past.

 

I think Rodney King {viewed in the long term as he has been in the news since} points out the problems EXACTLY.

A basically good guy with a tragic flaw, filled with his own demons.

 

http://rawstory.com/news/2007/Florida_c ... _1221.html

This is absurd... in nearly every case the persons tazed are either being arrested or have been. This implies they are under investigation or at least in the custody of officers for possibly committing a crime.

This example is similar to the "I wont sign my speeding ticket guy"..

Some rhetoric the commanding officer used in this article pisses me off too... :

"... but she was arrested on two misdemeanors, disorderly conduct and resisting a police officer without violence..."

So, a person who committed NO CRIME was approached, an when "passively resisting with no violence", was subdued because the officer thought WHAT?? She was a threat? She used profanity? and because of this committed other crimes? C'mon now...

"....Beeland was the only person stunned who wasn't acting violently or fleeing."

So in this case if she DID flee... and committed no crime, she would be tazed for running... because running near an officer is now a crime.
I'm supposed to be convinced that those given the responsibility of keeping the peace and weilding potentially dangerous weapons have BETTER judgement then me and more resolve... UGH....

"... the woman never threatened the police officer, but the "force continuum" allows for stunning if "their actions force the officer to use physical maneuvers to establish control."

WTF???!! FORCE CONTINUUM? ESTABLISH CONTROL???

I just learned this phrase... I found a model on wikipedia explaining it like this...
Example model
This model is adapted from a United States government publication on use of force.[5] It lists multiple tactics in order from least to most severe, but is only a partial model, as it does not give corresponding degrees of subject resistance.

Verbal command
Handcuff suspect
Search suspect
Use wrist/arm lock
Use takedown
Block/punch/kick
Strike suspect
Wrestle suspect
Pepper spray
Use baton
Use firearm

Apparently the continua used by this police officer was more like this:

Verbal Command
Shock the crap out of them
Consider shooting anyway

Which model is PARTIAL?

Comments??

 

http://www.local6.com/news/14147512/detail.html

Try this one.

Police brutality? or ???? ummm.... Police BRUTALITY?