Tasers

[Lady Di]

I am interested in reactions to the situation depicted in this video (link provided) where a student is asking John Kerry a pointed question. I'm particularly interested in knowing if any of you feel the use of a taser was justified in this instance. I'd especially like to hear from LE as to whether or not they believe the use of the taser was justified in this particular circumstance.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6bVa6jn4rpE

[VegasGeorge]

I have at least three specific comments about what I saw:

1. This guy is lucky he wasn't shot when he was resisting arrest, and went toward the speaker on the stage;
2. This demonstrates that the Taser is absolutely worthless as a defensive weapon. The guy wasn't incapacitated at all, and was on his feet, yelling vociferously within seconds of being Tased;
3. Those cops should NEVER have let this happen in the hall in front of God and everybody. There were plenty of cops there, they should have just given the guy the bums rush out the door, and cuffed him outside;
4. Once this guy was down on the floor, and there were a number of cops standing around, there was no need to Tase him. They just did that to punish him for causing a scene. They had him down, and they had plenty of muscle there to control him. So to answer your question, "No, by they time they got around to using the Taser, it was no longer necessary or justified."

[D-Ric902]

Doesn't he have secret service protection? Some type of security other than local PD. Where were they?

[Bill of Rights]

I have a different question. He was loud, yes, but he was only asking a question, which was the purpose of the event. Someone (other than Kerry) decided he was being disruptive, but Kerry was answering.

Next question (and I have to cheat, because Lady Di already told me about this and I'm going to echo a question someone asked on her blog:

If the security at the event had not been provided by local police but rather by private security (who don't have arrest powers), as anyone else would have, what would have happened to this man? What crime did he commit other than disturbing the peace? If that was his crime, how is it defined? Who was the complainant? (as above, obviously not Kerry; he was answering, rather than calling for the man's ejection.)

I'd agree with George, though, the taser was punitive, because he was being unjustly arrested (and dared question the reason why).

Blessings,
M