Officer Not So Friendly: Taser Tales

I actually stopped covering Taser stories years ago. To keep up with all the tales of Taser abuse, not only would you need a dedicated blog, you would need your own server.

Police Taser Brutality: Blind Woman Tasered In Her Own Home

I’ve been a bit quiet on the subject of Taser torture, Taser murder and police brutality of late. It’s because it makes me so mad when I see ordinary people abused by ignorant out-of-control cops that I fear my already too high blood pressure may blow a gasket.

But in replying to a comment from somebody who is either one such described above or a self deluded supporter of same low-life, I got to research the subject again. Now I am not suggesting that all cops are ignorant, sadistic low-life. But the more I research, the more I read and almost every time I come into contact with cops (yes, here in England too) even to ask directions I have to conclude that a good cop is an exception.

By researching a reply to this comment from ‘Holbrookite’, I came across the following video of an innocent, unarmed, disabled and BLIND woman who apparently was a threat to the cops who knocked at her door. Lying sadists! More The Duckshhoot




Police Taser Brutality: Cowardly Cop Tasered 81-Year-Old Disabled Man Three Times

Stockton, Calfornia. Eighty One year-old Victor Schiaffini a disabled man who has suffered six strokes was forced to the ground and Tasered three times. The incident happened on July 29, 2009.

Mr Schiaffini has lost the use of his left arm due to the strokes and walks with the aid of a cane. He also takes several prescription drugs every day and yet this cowardly cop from the California Highway Patrol (CHP) chose to use a Taser to “subdue him”.

The CHP claims he attacked an officer with a deadly weapon, namely his walking cane. They arrested him and took him to San Joaquin County Jail where he remained for three days.

Victor Schiaffini who pleaded guilty to an infraction (probably just to get out of jail) is now considering filing an excessive use of force complaint. More The Duckshhoot

Cops Love Tasers: Not Half as Much as They Love Power

Although there is a Taser tag on this blog, I stopped reporting cases of Taser abuse years ago. The alternative, if one was to report Taser abuse properly, was to run the risk of ending up with a single issue blog.

Without even going to the trouble of searching a Google result, I know such dedicated blogs exist, But on this one occasion I shall run with this story, it being bad enough in its own right to warrant attention, but it is for another reason that I run with it.

Sat one above the other on an email alert for today, was the story in question, and another story that I really liked the look of. That I don't possess an iphone myself, my lifestyle these days hardly warranting one, is academic, nevertheless I did like the sound of this particular app. Read about it here, or as a dedicated post above.

To this day I regret not bookmarking the story, and no amount of subsequent searching has ever brought the story to light, although it spoke much about the misuse of Tasers, it spoke volumes about the quality of person to whom these deadly pieces of kit are issued, vis: those possessed of an authoritarian attitude combined with the intellect of a falling rock; the cops.

The story then, so little in its telling, but worthy of much reflection.

Man dies sitting in his car, cop comes along and Tasers him.

And I ask you please, just take a moment and run the scenario through your mind.

Cops Just Love Those Tasers
by Kevin Koeninger
June 30, 2011

Dayton police "mistook" a mentally handicapped teenager's speech impediment for "disrespect," so they Tasered, pepper-sprayed and beat him and called for backup from "upward of 20 police officers" after the boy rode his bicycle home to ask his mother for help, the boy's mom says.

Pamela Ford says her "mentally challenged/handicapped" son Jesse Kersey, 17, was riding his bike near his Dayton home when Officer Willie Hooper stopped him and tried to talk to him.

The mom says that "Prior to the incident described below, defendant Hooper knew Jesse and was aware that Jesse was mentally challenged/handicapped and a minor child."

Nonetheless, Ford says, Hooper "apparently took Jesse's speech impediment for disrespect ... [and] began yelling at Jesse and after Jesse attempted to communicate with him[.] Jesse, being a minor and mentally challenged/handicapped, turned and rode his bike back to his home in an attempt to ask his mother, Ford, to help him communicate with defendant Cooper," according to the complaint in Montgomery County Court. On the way, the mom says, "A neighbor attempted to communicate with Officer Hooper about Jesse's disabilities and was told to go back into his home, or he would be arrested."

As Ford opened her front door, she says, Hooper and co-defendant Officer John Howard, "fired their Tasers, striking Jesse in the back with both probes."

"Once inside the house, defendant Hooper and defendant Howard began to struggle with Jesse, who was standing against the back door with his hands up in front of his face, saying 'Please quit, please quit.' "On numerous occasions, Ford and a family friend, Christopher Peyton, informed Officer Hooper that Jesse was mentally challenged/handicapped, and that Jesse did not understand what was happening," the complaint states. But the mom says the cops continued their assault: "Officer Howard utilized his Cap-Stun pepper spray and sprayed Jesse ... [and] struck Jesse with a closed fist in the upper chest area.

"Officer Howard utilized his ASP and repeatedly struck Jesse in the upper left side of his left thigh.

"Back-up units were requested to Jesse's house, wherein upward of 20 police officers from different jurisdictions were present.

"At no point, even after being advised of Jesse's mental challenge/handicap by Jesse's family and numerous bystanders, did defendant Hooper, defendant Howard, or any other police officer present, attempt to communicate with Jesse or explain in terms he could understand as to why Jesse was being chased.

"Jesse was handcuffed and hogtied before being placed in the back of a police cruiser.

"Jesse was charged with assault on a peace officer, resisting arrest, and obstructing official business."

However, "Jesse was declared incompetent by the Montgomery County Juvenile Court and the charges against Jesse were dismissed."

Jesse and his mom seek damages from the city and the two lead officers, for false imprisonment, false arrest, malicious prosecution, assault, battery, excessive use of force, infliction of emotional distress and civil conspiracy.

They are represented by Richard Boucher ICH

Don’t Spray Me Bro, I'm Only a Baby Squirrel

Not the home of the brave then?

To Protect (from Dangerous Baby Squirrels) and Serve
by Karen De Coster

“Don’t spray me, bro!” probably won’t become a popular t-shirt anytime soon, (But then?) but, thanks to the video culture, we have all of these unbelievable moments captured for a lifetime of viewing.

Once again, an embarrassing moment from a guy with a plastic badge and a plastic Glock in the cause of “protecting the children” from an enemy combatant. A gigantic, menacing baby squirrel encroached upon school property in Texas, endangering ‘the children.” Thank goodness a tough guy in blue was on hand to save the day by using pepper spray to avert this life-threatening intruder. This is truly an amazing video.

‘Round the Internet, people are actually justifying this act based on the potential for the animal to have rabies. Once again, the nation of pansies does not disappoint its spectators. source

Fucking wuss.

"Schmidt, 25, has been relieved of his police powers"

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Kind of makes one wonder how he became empowered with any in the first place.

Must have passed the entrance exam I guess.

Cop in bar brawl Tasered

It took a Taser to subdue a Chicago Police officer who attacked two Forest Park cops Saturday night, authorities said.

Richard Schmidt, on the force two years and assigned to the Englewood District, faces felony aggravated battery charges for allegedly striking two Forest Park officers as well as a paramedic. Judge Gregory Ginex set Schmidt's bond at $10,000 on Monday.

"He wouldn't stop fighting," said Deputy Chief Thomas Aftanas of the Forest Park Police.more

FBI Investigating Ohio Taser Cop

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I posted on this story featuring one of Ohio's finest stormtroopers tasering a handcuffed woman back in September, (story video and links, you really need to go there) well it would appear the fat son of a bitch has declined to testify against the woman he tasered for fear of implicating himself in an ongoing FBI investigation probing his behaviour.

I hope the Feebies nail the cocksucker to a fucking cross, and you might agree with me once you have viewed the video.

Charges were dismissed today against a northeast Ohio woman who was handcuffed and tasered by a patrolman whose actions were recorded by police dashboard video.

The Warren officer who arrested 38-year-old Heidi Gill outside a bar has been fired for lying to investigators in an unrelated traffic stop.


Richard Kovach had refused to testify against the tasered woman on the advice of his attorney. The FBI is currently investigating the matter, and Kovach himself may face federal charges.

A video made from a cruiser shows Kovach using a Taser on the woman as she screams and tries to kick out a rear window of the patrol car.

The officer got a two-month suspension in the stun gun case. more

Trouble At 'Mill: New Orleans

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Tasers, Pepper Spray, and Arrests

The Struggle for Affordable Housing in New Orleans

In a remarkable symbol of the injustices of post-Katrina reconstruction, hundreds of people were locked out of a public New Orleans City Council meeting addressing demolition of 4,500 public housing apartments. Some were tasered, many pepper sprayed, and a dozen arrested. Outside the chambers, iron gates were chained and padlocked even before the scheduled start.

The scene looked like one of those countries on TV that is undergoing a people's revolution -- and the similarities were only beginning.

Dozens of uniformed police secured the gates and other entrances. Only developers and those with special permission from council members were allowed in -- the rest were kept locked outside the gates. Despite dozens of open seats in the council chambers, pleas to be allowed in were ignored.

Chants of "Housing is a human right!" and "Let us in!" thundered through the concrete breezeway.

Public housing residents came and spoke out despite an intense campaign of intimidation. Residents were warned by phone that if they publicly opposed the demolitions, they would lose all housing assistance. Residents opposed to the demolition had simple demands. If the authorities insisted on spending hundreds of millions to tear down hundreds of structurally sound buildings containing 4,500 public housing subsidized apartments, there should be a guarantee that every resident could return to a similarly subsidized apartment. Alternatively, the government should use the hundreds of millions to repair the apartments so people could come home. Neither alternative was acceptable to HUD. A plan of residents to partner with the AFL-CIO Housing Trust to save their homes was also ignored.

Outside, SWAT team members and police in riot gear and on horses began to arrive as rain started falling. more

Taser The Citizens Not

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A big article with lots of good links.

Hardly a week goes by without our being inundated with shocking reports of police using tasers to subdue citizens. Taser guns shoot darts that apply a violent electric shock in excess of 50,000 volts when the needles from tasers penetrate the skin of victims. I have watched a number of taser incidents....more

Cops Taser Unarmed Innocent Man In The Head

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No point in having power and not abusing it I guess.

Police fired a 50,000-volt Taser into the head of a 45-year-old company director who later proved to be unarmed and innocent. Daniel Sylvester, the owner of an east London security firm employing 65 staff to guard council offices, pubs and nightclubs, was driving home on October 20 when he was stopped by armed police because of "firearms related intelligence".

According to Sylvester, he got out of his car and was surrounded by officers, at least two of whom were carrying automatic weapons. Without warning, one officer fired a Taser into the back of his head which made him drop to his knees, he said. A second shock caused him to fall on his face, breaking a front tooth. A further six shocks made him wet himself and left him lying in the road in pain while the officers and sniffer dogs searched the car and found nothing.

Article continues

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The Independent Police Complaints Commission has started an investigation....more

London's Met Issued With Tasers

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Just read the spin.

From Monday, the Metropolitan Police will issue Taser stun guns to previously unarmed officers, becoming the tenth force to join the Home Office pilot. To demonstrate the benefits, the Met opened its training centre to the media last week.

How do you stop a man with adrenaline surging through his veins and a knife in his hand?

If you've already bent his wrist to breaking point, hit him with an iron bar and piled every man you've got on top of him, what is left?

That's the dilemma the police face every day and that's why they say they need Taser stun guns.more

Then read the reality, OK I grant you these are mainly US examples, plod would never abuse taser use I'm sure.

Canada To Change Airport Procedures After Taser Death

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The border authorities say they will change procedures to assist arrivals of foreign nationals but there is scant mention, in fact there is no mention of their taser policy.

How many more have to die before it is accepted that tasers are lethal?

Canada's Border Services Agency says it will change its operation at Vancouver airport following the death of an immigrant stunned with a police Taser.

Robert Dziekanski's final moments were captured on video by another traveller and the recording sparked outrage when it was broadcast two weeks ago.

Mr Dziekanski, 40, was Polish and spoke no English. He was declared dead at the scene by an emergency medical team.

It is the first time the agency has spoken about the 14 October incident.more

Then there is this fine piece of kit, just how indiscriminate does it get, and the IQ of the bugger that would pull the trigger doesn't bear thinking about.
Don't let your dear old Ma go on any peace protests.

With the push of a button, Shockwave deploys multiple TASER Cartridges oriented across an area arc to provide full coverage to simultaneously incapacitate multiple personnel standing within that region. The baseline Shockwave unit is a command activated, 6-shot device that covers a 20 degree arc with the 25ft XP TASER Cartridges. When activated,......more and watch the promo video while you're there.

But the multi shot pales in comparison to this piece of 1984/scifi weaponry being developed in France.

French reveal Plans For Taser Flying Saucer

A French businessman tells AFPhis company is working on putting TASER stun guns on a flying saucer that would zap protesters, evil-doers, and anybody else that authorities there don't like. Antoine di Zazzo, identified by AFP as "one of the biggest Taser representatives" outside the United States, said his company is "developing a mini-flying saucer like drone which could also fire Taser stun rounds on criminal suspects or rioting crowds. He expects it to be launched next year and to be sold internationally by Taser."more There are numerous taser related links from this site.

Home Of The Brave Land Of The Taser

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I would dearly like to know what kind of psychological assessment, if any, these inadequates go through before they are let loose with a firearm and a taser.

Jared Massey, 28, posted the nearly 10-minute long clip on YouTube two months after the confrontation with police took place along a rural stretch on a state road two hours east of Salt Lake City.

In it, John Gardner, the officer, is shown on his own dashboard camera as he approaches Massey's SUV and tells him that he pulled him over for speeding in a 40 mph zone.

Massey and the officer have a brief dispute over speed limit signage before Gardner returns to his cruiser to write the ticket. He then approaches Massey and the two again engage in a dispute, with Massey claiming Gardner stopped him "blind" -- without a radar gun -- and that he had not yet passed a sign where the speed limit on the road dips to 40 miles per hour.more or video

Looking Egyptian + Rucksack = A Good Tasering

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Oh and did I mention the guy was already in a coma when the pigs zapped him.

On England's pleasant pastures seen.

Mr Gaubert said he was on his way to meet friends when he suffered a fit on the bus and slipped into a coma which left him slumped on his seat clutching his rucksack.

Armed police were called to the bus depot in Headingley and when he failed to respond to their challenges he was shot with the Taser.

He said as this was happening, another officer was pointing a real gun at his head.

He was restrained and eventually came round in the police van.more

h/t Barefootbum

Taser Death At Vancouver Airport : Video

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I reported on this tragedy a short while ago.
How Sad

The chap was a Polish immigrant without English, had taken his first ever flight that day and spent the next ten hours wandering round the secure baggage area after a snafu with the arrangements for him to be met. Understandably he was a tad frustrated.

Video footage has been released in Canada showing the last moments of an immigrant who died after being stunned with a Taser by police.

Robert Dziekanski, 40, of Pieszyce, Poland, was restrained by police after becoming agitated at Vancouver International Airport on 14 October.

Mr Dziekanski, who spoke no English, was declared dead at the scene by an emergency medical team. more

Taser The Little Children Not

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Nice.

Last week's use of a Taser stun gun on a handcuffed 14-year-old trick or treater is within Gwinnett County police policy, which has no age provision, police said.
The only protection in the policy is for pregnant women because it could induce labor.

So what about a 5- or 6 year old?

That's OK, according to Gwinnett police policy.

"People who are handcuffed are still a threat no matter what age," said Cpl. Illana Spellman, a Gwinnett County Police Department spokeswoman.more

How Sad

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Taser death at Vancouver Airport

Akezys says: "Recently police at the Vancouver airport were attempting to question a recent immigrant that could not speak English. They tasered him after 24 seconds of speaking with him. The man had spent 10 hours stuck in the airport with no-one helping him."


The 40-year-old construction worker, who had never left Poland before, was immigrating to Canada to join his mother, 61, who lives in Kamloops, about a five-hour drive from Vancouver.

They had arranged to meet at the baggage carousel in the international terminal at YVR....

Mr. Dziekanski arrived at about 3 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 14.

"He made his way to primary customs in the ordinary fashion … he went through there in the normal time frame … he then proceeded through and was directed to secondary customs, which is normal for someone who doesn't speak English and is immigrating to the country," Mr. Kosteckyj said. His papers were in order and he proceeded without difficulty....more

"He had refused to drop the camera which could be used as a weapon." Said Cop

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Must have been a tad camera shy I guess. ( graphic unrelated)

Officers wrote in their reports that Waterhouse ran off, they chased and then bean-bagged and Tasered him. One officer wrote, "He had refused to drop the camera which could be used as a weapon."

If that's the best the cops could come up with I'm not surprised they're getting their arses sued.
more and short vid

Tasers R Safe. Tell It To The Deacesed

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WINSTON-SALEM, N.C., Oct. 8 (UPI) -- U.S. scientists examining the safety of Tasers used by some law enforcement officers have found the devices are safe, causing few serious injuries.......

Two other subjects died after being shot by a Taser, but autopsy reports indicated neither death was related to the use of a Taser.!!!!!!!more

And The Moon Is Made Of Green Cheese. Death of Carol Ann Gotbaum

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And yet another example of the power of the storm troopers run amok, handcuffs around the victims neck! stop please.



I guess the Taser marks or what ever else they did to kill the woman will show up with the autopsy.

She was late for a plane. She started yelling. She was taken into police custody.

She was handcuffed. She was put in a cell.

And then she was dead.

Yes, there is an explanation for what happened, but it’s a shocker given the fact that she was the mother of three young children, from a prominent New York City family, and she’s said to have died in a way that will raise some eyebrows until the autopsy is done — or perhaps if the matter winds up in court as part of a lawsuit: more,

CNN asks the question we all would, "How is it possible to get handcuffs around your neck?"video

Have Volts Will Taser

Nice.

Officer on leave after Tasering woman

The police department in Warren, Ohio has placed an officer on administrative leave after he was accused of using a stun gun on a handcuffed woman. (AP/Sept. 20) video. You will have search "Officer on leave after tasering woman" I can't get a direct link to open.

Update

Might I suggest y'all have a read of this, both those that are suitable outraged by the above story and those that are eager to call the rest of us "sissy" and rush to the defence of their "Daddies" in blue.
How easily you give up your fundamental rights so your Daddies can protect you.

And you call us sissy.

There are links to tasering in the latter part of this previous post.

Places I Wouldn't Want To Live And People I dont Want To Meet: Utah And Cops

And here an unrelated short video.

The Militarization of Our Police

Places I Wouldn't Want To Live And People I dont Want To Meet: Utah And Cops

Not wanting to meet cops is hardly a new thing and not wanting to live in Utah is only relatively new.
There are in fact a whole lot more places on the "Don't want to" list than are on the "Do," but ain't that true of everybody.
Why then Utah? probably because they are all so fucking Jesusy, and batshit crazy Jesusy at that, let's face it the LDS's run Scientologists a close second.



But doesn't the same apply to a couple of dozen other states you might ask? it surely do but Utah is the setting for this story so Utah it is. But that said the story is actually about cops.

Cops, I don't honestly believe that is a true description these days, paramilitaries is a far more befitting title to endow on these stormtroopers of the establishment.

I was in a bit of a quandary as to what heading to run with for this article, so I will run with the first alternative as a sub header.
Stop Complaining, At Least You Didn't Get Tasered.



Here then is the lead story of a fine example of the "Protect and Serve" pissed (drunk) with power state sponsored terrorists.



An Orem police officer is on paid leave after he handcuffed, fingerprinted and booked into jail a 70-year-old woman in a squabble over her lawn......... When she said she couldn't afford to water her lawn at 1568 S. 800 East the officer started to write her a ticket.......... Perry said the officer struck her in the face with the cuffs while he was restraining her. "He's just trying to cover his tracks,"..........more

The last two sentences of the article say it all, mission accomplished, get the citizenry living in fear.

That's the answer to these pigs, get 'em all running scared, even if it's a Seven year old boy and running scared this first grader is, as his momma explains in this second report.


"Now he's scared," said Lakisa Dinkins, Gerard's mother. "Now he's telling me, 'Ma, don't talk smart to White people, 'cause I [will] go back to jail."



Nice hey! why do I get the feeling that young kid is going to grow up an angry antisocial young black male who's destiny has now been writ.

But cuffing and fingerprinting little kids isn't the solely reserved for boys, you have to hand it to the pigs they are equal opportunity abusers of power as they demonstrate so clearly in the arrest of this felonious Six year old girl.



Could it be just a coincidence that both these kids are black? it would have been interesting to see how much shit would have hit the fan if the kids had been the little darlings of a white soccer mom.



So let us move on to Tasering, I shall only mention two cases, after all it would be impossible to bring to the fore the thousands of cases of abuse and at least One Hundred and Fifty deaths brought about by these ubiquitous pieces of kit. long list here

There is this case of a Six year old boy getting zapped to stop him "harming himself" say no more.

But pride of place in this catalogue of abuse must go to this little gem, the pigs wasting a Fifty Six year old woman sat in a wheelchair!



Ten shocks from a police Taser were enough to kill a wheelchair-bound Green Cove Springs woman whose death in a confrontation with two officers in April has been ruled a homicide but, according to prosecutors, justified....

Of course.