Comments on: Discretion is Important

By: Baltimore Police Officer Physically and Verbally Abuses a 14 Year Old

Baltimore Police Officer Physically and Verbally Abuses a 14 Year Old — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 05:29:40 +0000

[...] trigger happy or wanted to try out his Taser on these adolescents. I’ve often advocated that discretion is key to proper enforcement. It’s quite clear that Officer Rivieri’s discretion needs some readjustment. I sense a [...]

By: Taser Abuse: Deaf, Naked and at Home. at DygiScape

Taser Abuse: Deaf, Naked and at Home. at DygiScape — Sun, 09 Dec 2007 01:15:17 +0000

[...] Then you must make a reasonable decision on how to react to it. As I’ve blogged before, Discretion is Important, you need to listen to them. If the situation legitimately warrants the use compliance devices, [...]

By: Joe

Joe — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 04:39:45 +0000

Thanks Dossy and Junkyard Willie, for your insightful comments. My error for stating “non-lethal,” indeed, Tasers are less lethal.

Both of you have made very good points.

Thanks,
~ Joe

By: Junkyard Willie

Junkyard Willie — Sun, 02 Dec 2007 20:46:04 +0000

Tasers are not “non-lethal,” they are “less-lethal.” Tasers kill people all the time. What they are officially designed for and authorized for use for (at least on paper), is in an alternative to the handgun. This means that a taser’s appropriate use is in a situation where you would normally just have shot the guy, but don’t want to kill him. Tasers are grossly misused by American police, they are used as compliance tools; you know, as in cuff up or I’ll tase you, move over there or I’ll tase you. Compliance used to be enforced by physically moving the guy, my twisting an arm while on the ground to cuff him up, that sort of thing. With a taser, its impersonal. It takes a little something to mix it up with a guy and get those cuffs on, but with the taser you don’t need that little something. Obese, weak, or female cops can enforce compliance to cuff up (or compliance to do anything) with a taser; they don’t have to call for backup or chase someone down.

Tasers are never appropriate when used as compliance tools and the use of a taser should be investigated and handled the same as a shooting. Since they’re not handled like that, cops can essentially use them with impunity- no paperwork hassle or bothersome investigations into trivial matters such as due process, justification, or human rights.

They’re even used more frequently than just smashing someone with a PR-24- a reject working campus security can’t (and shouldn’t) get away with knocking some dude’s head into the cheap seats with a nightstick, but they’re quick to tase. Tasering leaves small, innocuous looking marks, usually doesn’t even draw blood; which makes them more psychologically “acceptable” to cops and the public- people say “well after the juice turns off they’re no worse for wear, so why not tase people? After all, if they’re not criminals the police wouldn’t be tasering them, right?”

The victim will most likely sue, and may not get win because of that mentality of “only bad guys get tasered.” I’d be surprised if the cop gets any serious punishment and would bet money he won’t face any criminal charges. Police and DA’s are on the same team, they’re not going to hurt one of their own.

And what of the cops that aren’t on videotape? That officer knew there was the dashboard cam recording the stop. What would have happened if he knew there was no video camera and wasn’t on a main road full of witnesses?

Cops can and will enter your home with explosives, wearing masks and brandishing automatic weapons if a crackhead informant indicates yours is a drug house. They will bring out the tanks, the grenades, the gas, and the snipers on the flimsiest of warrants. They might even burn the place down and kill your pets, as happened in Phoenix not too long ago. There are next to no repercussions or accountability for mistaken SWAT raids, most times not even if it results in innocent people getting killed.

Don’t take my word for it- the CATO Institute says that these raids occur 40,000 times per year on nonviolent or petty warrants. They even have an interactive map of botched SWAT raids here:

http://www.cato.org/raidmap/

With a system like this, who can doubt that something “minor” like abuse of tasers is going on?

By: Dossy Shiobara

Dossy Shiobara — Sun, 02 Dec 2007 20:36:56 +0000

Kids who were school bullies grow up to be police officers. There’s a reason why civilians need to carry firearms: to protect themselves from these kinds of officers.

Sure, there are some nice people who go into law enforcement–but, they’re not the norm. Normal, healthy people don’t seek out a job where you get a gun and a bulletproof vest the first day on the job.

The problem with the taser is that it IS believed to be non-lethal. It’s used way too easily. Give cops guns: at least they might think twice before pulling it out and shooting someone. A taser? Too easy to abuse.