Tasered by Utah Highway Patrol

[OLDSPUD]

About 2 months ago, a man his pregnant wife and kid was pulled over for speeding near Vernal Utah. The kid refused to sign the ticketbecause the UHP failed to tell him how fast he was going and so forth. The incident escelated and the kid ended up being tasered by the patrolman.

You can see the incident on youtube just type in "tasered by Utah Highway Patrol".

The kid and his wife have filed a suit against the sate and maybe the patrolman. This will get very interesting.

When I watched it I thought the patrolman was a pure egomaniac and failed to talk to the kid and explain to him why he needed to sign the ticket. After it escelated, I thought the UHP was ok in its action because the kid put his hand in his pocket.

Like I said, this is gonna get pretty nasty before it is setteled.

Spud

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Tasered by Utah Highway Patrol

tasers are always contriversial to the family of the tased. would they rather they were shot. i'm all for the taser, safer for the victim, and safety for the law enforcement officer. if you get tased, it's because you did not cooperate.

 

[rolmops]

Re: Tasered by Utah Highway Patrol

Taser guns are often quite as deadly as the regular type.
This year alone in Canada 18 people have died as a result of being tasered by mounties.
North of the border it has become a very controversial practice.

 

[wildmaninal]

Re: Tasered by Utah Highway Patrol

But if you take somebody with a heart condition (that they being the person who has the problem or the officer may not even be aware of) and tase em you may as well of shot them with a pistol. This is something that the officers should be aware of on the affects of the taser.

 

[BoatBuoy]

Re: Tasered by Utah Highway Patrol

Make sure the plug is in

The tasers around here don't operate on AC....they're battery powered.

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: Tasered by Utah Highway Patrol

What a bunch of bull.

"Under Utah law, when a motorist refuses to sign a ticket, a police officer can do things the easy way, or the hard way. He can make an arrest and jail the offender, or he can simply write "refused to sign" on the dotted line. Either way, the motorist has to pay the fine or show up in court to fight the ticket. Either way, justice will be served. "

The Taser is pretty far up the ladder of force. The officer did not demonstrate or use the steps. I do not agree that the taser was needed.

There are two ways to take a temperature.... you can slip the thermometer under the tongue or ...... insert it. One way is friendly and the other is not but both accomplish the same thing. The officer was determined to demonstrate the un-friendly way. The officer was trying to make up for his lack of control. The officer should have controled the situation better and not permitted the man to exit the car. Once the officer lost control he went to the taser to regain control. Over reacted.

 

[OLDSPUD]

Re: Tasered by Utah Highway Patrol

I have been pulled over way to many times for speeding, the officer has always told me how fast I was going, (of course I already knew that), and they have explained to me that by signing the ticket does not mean a plea of quilty, this cop did neither. He was questioned by the driver and it looks like he has little man syndrome. Just my op.

Watch the video it was take from the patrol car.

spud

 

[External Combustion]

Re: Tasered by Utah Highway Patrol

I am a cop's kid and what is worse he was a military cop, before retiring to become a county mounty. Y'all have to understand my prejudices before you read further.

Pop said there are two types of cops. When one arrives, he has to let everyone know he has the athourity to handle the situation. He has little ability to solve the problem, but he IS the athourity. His actions is much like adding gasoline to a fire in an atmt to put the fire out. The second type arrives on the scene of the incident and the touble disapears as everyone there KNOWS the cop has the athourity. Calm, but firm words are spoken, compliance is a norm because the people contacted know beyond the shadow of a doubt that noncompliance brings a terrible price. The second kind of cop assures everyone that a court of law will sort out the right or wrong of the situation, that they need to get to that court.

Yes, this particular cop was of the first class, but there is no reason for anyone to reach for their pocket without first explaining the action so the cop will not feel threatened. Tasing beats a bullet through the percieved threat. All you have to do is put yourself in the cop's shoes and realize that you want to go home each night without a toe tag. It doesn't make the cop right. It doesn't make him beyond being sued into oblivion, but it does make him "justifiable" if he takes your life for noncompliance.

As Pop said,"be nice and do what the cops say. It is far easier to get out of jail than a coffin."

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: Tasered by Utah Highway Patrol

And..... how did the dash camera video (police property) get out on the net?

The guy was doing 68 in a 40 and in this state (VT) anything 20 over the limit is considered C & N (Careless and Negligent) which escalates it from a traffic ticket to a misdemeanor offense. If you are caught you are notified of that first thing.

That Utah officer needs additional training.

I am sure that young man will NOT beat the ticket in court. I will bet the officer does not become unemployed as a result...... I do know that some apologies are due. Thankfully he did not fire the taser at the pregnant wife.

Tasers are dangerous..... just read the recent news.

 

[wildmaninal]

Re: Tasered by Utah Highway Patrol

What ever happened to using pepper spray? To add on to what I mentioned earlier. I have been sprayed once as a kid my own doing didn't know what I was getting into, but I did spray myself with that , I would rather be sprayed instead of tasered. I agree that the man should of been questioned on why he was reaching into his pocket, but as mentioned the officer sounds like he is in need of further training. You should of added a pole to this thread.

 

[JRJ]

Re: Tasered by Utah Highway Patrol

The cop was dealing with a stupid idiot. Glad the incident ended without any injuries to the patrolman.

 

[kenimpzoom]

Re: Tasered by Utah Highway Patrol

The guy was an idiot but the cop had a real itchy trigger finger. Seems more and more cops are thinking of going home rather than a persons rights. I dont blame them, lots of psychos out there, but still it seems to be going a little bit too far.

The lawsuit should get the guy nothing, but the cop needs to find another job or a lot more training.

The worst tazing incident I have heard of was an off duty cop working security at a hospitial, tazed a father trying to remove his own newborn from the hospitial. The tazing caused the father to drop the baby (the baby was fine, but parents claim some issues with the drop). How could a cop taze someone holding a newborn? My two daughters were born in this hospital and they are a bit overbearing about the tracking of newborns.

Ken

 

[Kenneth Brown]

Re: Tasered by Utah Highway Patrol

They are dangerous Bob, no doubt about that. That being said the kid shouldn't have reached in his pocket. If it had been me (9 years as a cop) I would probably still be upset because they carried him away in a bag. I can't say for sure because I wasn't there and it wasn't me. Here in Tejas if you refuse to sign the ticket you go to jail. When written a ticket, any ticket, you are basiclly being arrested. By signing the ticket you are being released on bond (personal recogninze) and agreeing to appear in court or make contact the court before the due date. Your right about him needing additional training also. Theres a procedure every cop should follow- The 7 step contact.
1- Hi, how are ya?
2- I'm Officer Brown from Freestone Co SD.
3- The reason I stopped you is because________
4- IS there a reason for the infraction?
5- get dl and insur info
6- Write ticket or warning
7- Thank them for there courtesy and allow them to leave

Lots of wrong on both sides of that fence.

 

[kenimpzoom]

Re: Tasered by Utah Highway Patrol

If you listen to the youtube video, the cop already had an attitude within the first 30 seconds (like now). Cops with attitudes mixed with idiots gets people hurt.

And the cop did the worst job EVER explaining things and the worst job EVER arresting someone. He told him to get out of the car, then turned his back on him?? Man, he needs a lot of training, or the next time, the bad guy will kill him dead.

Ken

 

[JRJ]

Re: Tasered by Utah Highway Patrol

The speeder knew why he had been stopped. "Where is that 40MPH sign?" He was belligerent and non-compliant. Maybe a PR24 put down would have been more PC? The problem with pepper spray is the giver can get as much as the receiver, depending on the wind. Always easy to second guess situations. I hope the boy impressed the girl. Note to self, don't play games with speed cops in Utah, and certainly not Texas. lol

 

[kenimpzoom]

Re: Tasered by Utah Highway Patrol

Do a youtube search for Jared Massey. News story did a pretty good job telling both sides.

 

[OLDSPUD]

Re: Tasered by Utah Highway Patrol

ya I watched that also. It is good, but like it was mentioned before and in the video, not signing a ticked was not that big a deal here in Utah. I don't know that for sure though.

One thing I noticed, at the end of the orig video, the officer was talking to another officer when the wife took off. He said I warned himed that I would tase him if he didn't obey or somthing to that effect. I think there is a break in the video, but he did not warn him, the dude just shot him.

My B-I-L worked for the UHP for quite a while, needless to say, he and I have never saw eye to eye. There is somthing in these guys personality that just gets under my skin, but I have never wanted to be a cop and don't know what they go through. Some stuff they do is pretty gross I imagine.

spud

 

[Bigprairie1]

Re: Tasered by Utah Highway Patrol

I think the 'average' cop should buck up a bit on his confidence with respect to his ability to defend himself....if he has to at all. (or respectfully...her)
It seems they are falling back on using these sparklers like they were convenient squirt guns. However a lot of people seem to be dying as a result. If the guy is a serious threat...use the gun.
At the risk of over simplifying the situation either pull out your gun and ks shoot him or use your training and take him down and immobolize him.
Here is a serious question: what would the cops do in the pre-taser era? Did any of these earlier 'historic' measures not work?
Just curious.
BP

 

[wildmaninal]

Re: Tasered by Utah Highway Patrol

You also got non lethal bullets now adays, they might sting like heck, may even cut you but they wont kill you. Put your self in that man's shoes though, obviously the driver didn't mean any physical harm to the cop. Sorry this subject has me , I just trying to stay but I'm at the same time. I would be soooo peeved if that happened to me.

Obviously he didn't suffer no side affects. Maybe they need to taze the cop for punishment an eye for an eye, let the man be the one to taze him that would be the day. Another way to look at it, like I got to look at it is that the man is alive.

 

[i386]

Re: Tasered by Utah Highway Patrol

I think because they're non-lethal and so effective they tend to be abused more. The temptation to use the power of a firearm on a whim is overshadowed by the fact that it's likely going to end in death. The taser doesn't come with such dire consequences.

I think before you can get a drivers license you should be thoroughly trained in what to do if pulled over and tested on it. Whenever I'm pulled over I try to put myself in the officer's shoes. He doesn't know what I might do as he approaches my car. I try to make it as stress free on him as possible. It's paid off for me in the past.

1. Stop in a well lit area if it's at night. He'll be able to clearly see around the vehicle. Other people can see him as well. He'll be less likely to abuse his authority when there's possible witnesses.

2. Stop where passing traffic isn't a hazzard if possible. Cops getting ran over during a stop is fairly common. Take this danger out of the equation if you can.

3. Turn on all interior lights if it's at night. That way he won't have to wonder if you have weapons within reach or someone hiding in the back seat.

4. Roll down all windows. He'll likely approach from the rear. He'll get to the back window first. Once he sees that area is clear that'll be one less thing for him to worry about.

5. Keep both hands on the wheel as he approaches. The next thing he sees after he passes the back side window is your steering wheel. If your hands are on it you are probably not prepared to shoot or stab him. Again, one less thing for him to worry about.

6. If you need to look anywhere (glove box, console, visor) for anything tell the officer what you're about to do and do not move until he acknowledges. Then proceed slowly. Leave the glove box open for a second or two before you reach in. It gives him time to see there's no weapon in there.

I don't carry firearms very often. But if I had any, I'd make him aware of it. I'd rather him hear it from me rather than be surprised by it.


That's really all you can do. If you don't agree with the ticket, take it to the judge. You won't get the officer to change his mind once it's made up.