tazered teen? too much or no

[sunnyday123]

I doubt they would have, but I fail to see the humor in wanting to see someone in pain.

If you take baseball that seriously, you need to step away. Its a game, to watch, for enjoyment.

Again, I am not saying the tazer wasn't necessary. But, the fact is the use of the tazer wasn't meant to "teach him a lesson" it was meant to stop him. So for anyone to say "he got what he deserved" kind of misses the point of the cops using the thing.

So should they have let him run around until he took a nap? He should have stopped the first time they said stop. He got tasered because he wouldn't stop. He did get what he deserved.

 

[Geoff_M]

I'd like to reply to a few of the comments and misconceptions that I've seen in this thread from a law enforcement officer's perspective.

1) The use of a Taser is not a form of punishment. It is an approved form of controling a non-compliant subject, which is exactly what they were dealing with. We don't use any of the of the tools available to us for punishment, but rather to acheive compliance and/or stop a threat. This guy will get his punishment when he goes in front of a judge.
...
3) From a policy perspective, most departments, including mine, allow the use of a Taser to stop a fleeing subject. I would be willing to bet that the officer was operating well within his department's policy.

I think this is a major point of misunderstanding by most people. In most police departments a Taser is primarily considered a "pain compliance" device and not a weapon. The "victim" normally doesn't have to exhibit threatening behavior in order for an officer to be authorized to "tase" someone. In the case of "Don't Tase Me Bro'!", the Florida use of force matrix authorized use of "pain compliance" techniques such as tasering if a person physically attempts to avoid apprehension. From the initial reports from Philly police officials, it would seem their policy is similar.

If you watch the whole video you'll also see the teenager is up and walking under his own power in less than a minute.

2) For those who have posted about the Taser being equivalent to deadly force: I'll be blunt...that is total BS.

I've seen a lot of people critical of the tasering of the teenager point to news articles about people that have died after being tasered. In response, I've offered to post stories about people that collapsed and died while the police struggled to cuff them. The bottom line is that there always "risK" to both parties when someone resists arrest.

4) Finally, the most important thing to us when we're out there is officer safety.

On another board someone posted a good local story about this concept. It was stated that in Jackson, WY a couple of years ago a drunk guy jumped out of the stands and streaked during a demolition derby. The event halted as police chased the guy around and then tasered him. The police defended their actions but caught a ton of heat from the local community and press. The next year at the event another guy did the same thing... but this time the cops kept their tasers in their holsters. After a while the police had the guy cornered when the guy ran full-bore into one of the officers. As a result, it blew out the knee of the of the officer that was bowled over by the drunk.

 

[jimmalru80]

I'm old school. There is no reason to run onto the field, none. Life is choice and consequence; deal with it.

 

[disney1990]

I don't agree that this kid or anybody else should have been tasered for running out on the field. Where is the line drawn for the seriousness of the offense?

If this kid had died, people would be lining up on the other side saying how outrageous this was.

Many people have died from being tasered.

 

[luvsJack]

So should they have let him run around until he took a nap? He should have stopped the first time they said stop. He got tasered because he wouldn't stop. He did get what he deserved.

Again, I never said he should or should not have been tazered. That was something the officers needed to decide and they did.

My comments were about the crowd chanting "taz him" at the next game when the next guy did the same thing and about some here saying "he got what he deserved". As a pp stated: Its not a from of punishment, its used to stop someone.

 

[Jennasis]

I don't agree that this kid or anybody else should have been tasered for running out on the field. Where is the line drawn for the seriousness of the offense?

If this kid had died, people would be lining up on the other side saying how outrageous this was.

Many people have died from being tasered.

Really? I would love to see your stats on that comment. I'm not saying it's never happened, but "many". not so sure of that. And people have died being subdued by the authorities in other ways.

The guy took on the risk of being tackled/tazed/arrested etc, when he got on the field.

As Geoff M said...it's all about compliance. When the officer says STOP, you stop. If you don't stop, you get subdued. That's just how it works. Go through law enforcement training (BTW, officers are required to actually GET tazed as part of their training.)

 

[Scurvy]

I am going to reply BEFORE reading any other answers, lol.

I think it's not too much -- he deserved a taser strike, imo. I just really, REALLY wish the news would blur out the idiots' faces so they don't get what they wanted out of it all (15 minutes of fame). A few seconds of taser, and now living up the continued fame from his stunt. Arrrhggghh. WHY encourage it by giving them air time??

My thoughts exactly!

It is very easy to not get tased for running on the field...don't run on the field. Millions and millions of fans, some in single cities, manage to go to sporting events every year and not get tased. You know how, staying off of the field.

This guy broke the law. He was non-compliant with the officers. He was "resisting" arrest. They used non-lethal force to stop him.

Don't like the consequences? Don't do the crime.

Exactly. The police told the guy to stop. He didn't. They tried to catch him. He evaded them. They did what they had to do in order to get the situation back under control. They couldn't know what he was going to do next - he could have gone after someone else on the field and injured them. If he didn't want to get tased or tackled then he should have stayed off of the field or at least stopped when he was ordered to. The police did nothing wrong; the idiot did everything wrong.

 

[Heidict]

Really? I would love to see your stats on that comment. I'm not saying it's never happened, but "many". not so sure of that. And people have died being subdued by the authorities in other ways.

The guy took on the risk of being tackled/tazed/arrested etc, when he got on the field.

As Geoff M said...it's all about compliance. When the officer says STOP, you stop. If you don't stop, you get subdued. That's just how it works. Go through law enforcement training (BTW, officers are required to actually GET tazed as part of their training.)

Since 2001 there have been 351 deaths. http://www.amnestyusa.org/us-human-rights/taser-abuse/page.do?id=1021202
I found another report that stated that the majority of those deaths where later attributed to other reasons but that the tasing may have played a part in it. Most of them had drugs in their system or may have had a health problem that let to their death.

 

[wdwfan16]

Since 2001 there have been 351 deaths. http://www.amnestyusa.org/us-human-rights/taser-abuse/page.do?id=1021202
I found another report that stated that the majority of those deaths where later attributed to other reasons but that the tasing may have played a part in it. Most of them had drugs in their system or may have had a health problem that let to their death.

This is exactly the person you want to use a taser on. A drugged up person can have super human strength (PCP people can run on broken legs) that could injure the cops or others around. If my choice is to protect Joe Public or a cop vs. a drugged up person I will taser the drugged up person.

 

[Octoberbride03]

Since 2001 there have been 351 deaths. http://www.amnestyusa.org/us-human-rights/taser-abuse/page.do?id=1021202
I found another report that stated that the majority of those deaths where later attributed to other reasons but that the tasing may have played a part in it. Most of them had drugs in their system or may have had a health problem that let to their death.

There ya go. The tasering IN and OF ITSELF is NOT going to kill a healthy individual. And quite frankly, what do you say about the cops who actually fire real bullets? Y'all have a choice. Support the cops for doing their jobs, which includes tasering a 17yo nutty boy on a field or support the anarchy that comes from no law at all. Its really simple.

 

[Kim&Chris]

actually i think it says a lot about society.

It says we are sick and tired of people acting ******** and thinking age, race or childhood gives them a free pass.
It says we are sick and tired of people thinking they can break what ever rules they feel like and then whine about the consequences.
It says that we are tired of the "entitlement" syndrome. You do not have the right to act like a complete park ape in public because you want your 15 mins of fame on you tube.

amen!

 

[disney1990]

I just don't think that somebody running on a baseball field is a serious enough offense to be tasered.

 

[marcyinPA]

well he obviously wasn't waving a knife or a gun around, if he started doing that then i could understand them doing it. but he was running around the field with nothing in his hands

Yeah, OK...but he could have had a concealed weapon. Would you really be willing to take that risk?? They were chasing after the guy, he refused to stop....obviously he was resisting authority. If he had dropped to the ground immediately, then maybe he'd get a pass here, but that didn't happen, and he had to be forcibly stopped.

 

[Mkrop]

I just don't think that somebody running on a baseball field is a serious enough offense to be tasered.

But no one knew that was all he was going to do, that is why they used the tazer. He could have been headed to hurt one of the players or the umpires or was hoping to hurt the cop he lead out onto the field. You have no way of knowing if he was commiting a prank or if he had more criminal intentions.

 

[RadioNate]

I just don't think that somebody running on a baseball field is a serious enough offense to be tasered.

I think someone like Monica Seles or Tom Gamboa would disagree.

 

[DBL101]

We're not talking about someone who mistakenly took a wrong turn, who then apologized and left when asked. We're talking about someone who intentionally went where he knew he did not belong. He then evaded those who tried to get him to leave. When you have someone who is not acting logically, you have no idea what they are capable of. Also, the longer it goes on, the more likely it is to escalate. Other JERKS might have decided to join in "The Fun". You want it over quickly and need some way to make them comply if they won't listen.
It reminds me of the joke about the policeman in England who is chasing a suspect and yells: "Stop or I'll . . . . . . . . . . . . . . yell Stop again"

 

[RadioNate]

I think someone like Monica Seles or Tom Gamboa would disagree.

In fact, according to this USA Today article(5.4.10), Tom Gamboa DOES disagree and thinks tasering the kid was a good idea.

http://content.usatoday.com/communi...es-taser-curbs-violence-on-baseball-diamond/1

These are not the only incidences where fans from the stands have attacked players. I've found 2 more from MLB alone.

 

[Nancy F]

He called his dad and dad said don't do it. He did it anyway. I side with the cop. Too bad the idiot that ran on the field the second night didn't get his fat a** tazered too. He almost cost us the game. I'm a die hard Phillies fan. I say do whatever is needed to keep the players safe.

Nancy

 

[robinb]

I guess I'm in the minority. It was clear from the video that he was just happily romping around the field and no danger to anyone. I don't support him running on the field, but teenagers do stupid things . He should have been caught the old fashioned way, removed from the field and arrested. I think the taser was an excessive use of force.

 

[pweyl36]

I agree. There have been people die from being tasered.

More security should have come out, and they could have caught him without resorting to tasering.

He is still in his teens, immature, but yet he should have some sort of punishment. Community service or something. But definitely not tasering for an "offense" like that. Good grief.

Nobody knew how old he was, Why should the run around like fools to try and stop him. ?