http://wcco.com/local/fridley.driver.ta ... 31113.html

Sheesh.

I want to see that dashcam footage.

It could be that a guy got clonked in the head, acted nutty, then died of his injuries....

You and me both -- all of them. Even assuming that the story is completely accurate, it's very incomplete. Was this "uncooperative" motorist actually a threat to five state troopers, or was it the sort of roadside tuning up -- "head slammed in to the hood of a car as you are being cuffed and stuffed," and all -- that some sort of folks seem to salivate over?

If he was a threat, it wouldn't say "uncooperative".

What you think they should? Uncooperative motorist. At least they used NONLETHAL force. They cannot release to the public all the info until the attorney look at the story first. Come on be patient. The truth will come out once it's approved. No need to go to the tape. They will tell us what happened.

And if it looks like they may be covering up some malfeasance, and we mention that it looks like a cover-up, somebody might accuse us of ruining the victim's life.

Oh, wait....


But, I suppose it's cop bashing to suggest that maybe, just maybe, it might be worthwhile to review taser procedures for appropriateness. I don't even know what label I'd earn if I dared to suggest that cops be reminded that their cars say "Serve and Protect".

There's probably a special place in the ninth layer of hell for those of us who long for the days of "Peace Officers", instead of "Law Enforcement Officers".

Bingo.

I have been thinking that the use of a taser on a person with a heart condition, or a pacemaker, could be lethal force right from the get go.

You, sir, owe me a keyboard. I was having a Crown Royal when I read that, and, well . . .

http://www.startribune.com/local/north/13841301.html

I'm not sure what should be done. Seems to me that, all in all, it's likely to be safer (on average) for everybody (the cops, the subject of their, err, attention) if somebody gets tased rather than clubbed -- err, subjected to the proper albeit vigorous application of a police "baton". Yup; in some cases, I expect that some tased folks will die, just as some clubbed folks will.

My problem with it is, as we've seen, that tasers are far too often used promiscuously, in a situation where somebody shouldn't (I'm not saying "wouldn't", although that would be my wish) be clubbed if a taser weren't available.

Sure, cops are know that clubbing will cause serious injury. The problem is, they are taught that tasing will NOT injure anyone.

They confuse tactics with a sales pitch.

The lack of information here is itself very informative. It sort of tells me that the "uncooperation" with the 5 officers was pretty minor. Maybe he didn't want cuffs, and they didn't want to wait of put him in the car without "cuffs". If it's a "good tase" they have the information right away.

(If there was not an existing warrant and he was not an impaired driver there is little excuse for placing a motorist in custody in the first place.)

They probably would not have clubbed him, because, they would look bad at the hospital. Doctors don't like gratuitous infliction of injuries. But they thought they could get away with tasing him.

The dash cam is a good idea, maybe there's a taser camera too. In any event it would be interesting to see how LONG they tased him, or if the officers exhibited any "attitude" while doing so.

Yow. I just want to hold that thought up and admire it.

I'm not one to drop into this forum too often, but the state patrol operates like a military operation, and there is a level of arogence amoungst the force that is astounding.

I happen to live 5 doors down from a trooper who decided it would be fun to harass me one day, while puting other motorist, myself and himself at risk of a collision in a BAD way. He pulled up on his bike NEXT TO my truck, not behind it. The passing motorist had to go into oncomming traffic to avoid hitting the a-hole.

I called the SP office later when I got home and got 20 minutes of run around, fluff and insults from Lt. Dan Ersbomer. When he tried to put words in my mouth and I called him on it he retorqued "I'm the one with the tape". He promtly shut up and lost his attitude when I informed him that he wasn't the only one with a tape.

I haven't heard squat from any of these jack-booted thugs since.