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Will Femia is a Weblog enthusiast who, through good fortune and dumb luck, was introduced to the form as his position as chat producer for MSNBC.com careered into obsolescence. On any given day, Will can be found having already spent an unhealthy amount of time squinting at a computer screen.

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That Utah taser video

Posted: Monday, November 26, 2007 10:28 AM by Will Femia


This looked like yet another unfortunate taser incident - one more example of what we've already seen are nearly daily examples of questionable use of the tool - so I hadn't planned to even mention it. When I clicked it last week it had 24,000 views and only a hand full of local stories in Google News. The only thing that made the story of note was a mention that the release of the video to YouTube had caused an acceleration in the investigation - a rare admission by authorities.

On Friday I saw it as the very last item on my (New York) local news report, one of those three second "loog-a-dis" items at the very end of the broadcast. A re-check of Google News saw a growing collection of stories on the matter.

This morning the video has cleared 800,000 views and the description now includes links to mainstream media interviews. The definition of viral.

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Comments

This is an outrageous example of excessive force and police harrassement. This little coward cop was never in danger! It was ALL about being in a power trip. He Never told the driver what he was going to do before he Tazered him. Pitiful...pitiful. Give a weasel a badge and a gun and a carte blanche to use excessive force and this is what you get. The driver was NEVER under arrest before the officer used force.
When the driver saw the officer pull a gun(taser) you would have to expect?  He was afraid! People are afraid of trigger happy cops!
The cop never warned the driver he was goig to taser him. The cops a liar! The cop told the other cop that he warned hin first! He lied because he knew what a ridiculous thing he had just done. Probably been dying to use that thing and he did.
Pitiful.. pitiful! Send him to a desk!!!!!
take down those stupid 40 mph speed limit signs so the coppers can combat real violence like the 7 armed street robberys that happened in my city this week. Or is that line of work too dangerous for them ? Better the cops sit in their air-con cars and ambush citizens out driving with their families. The cops should get real and go after the crooks and theives or resign from the force......aha.......force by use of a tasser.
The cop tells the guy to get out of the car, why? He wouldn't sign the ticket? Guess what, the cop doesn't need a person to sign the ticket in order to issue it to him. This incident is one of many that cops are abusing their power in order to serve(?) and protect(?) the public. The cop also didn't give the victim any reason for pulling him the speed he was travelling at, which is required. This is a gross misuse of power, one of many incidents happening like this every day.
another ignorant person who refuses to obey the simple things a law enforcement officer instructs them to do.  The guy was responsible for everything that happened.  The officer was only doing his job.
I'm not a lawyer, cop, or anyone else that can lend credible arguement as to why this was or was not justified. But I'm a father and would never, ever, under any circumstances put my wife and kids through what Mr. Massey chose to do by being noncompliant. It was not the place or time to argue. Take the ticket, and "stick it to the man" in court if you are so sure of yourself. However, this case was ruled reasonable, end of story. Was the copy "perfect"? NO. But Mr. Massey continued to up the ante, tried to be in control, tried to ignore instructions, and lost because of his ego. It was a pathetic display of discipline in front of his family. I agree with the post about Mr. Massey being an only child. HE is what happens when we communicate to our kids that they do not have to be accountable, because they are surely never wrong. One more thing... a big "bravo" to the wife of Massey. Way to keep it together, mom.
and also 40 miles per hour on that stretch of road.  "speed trap".
If you don't listen you get tasered we should have harsher punishment in the US to straighten some of these people up. Cops have to deal with the scum of the earth on a daily basis. I'm a firm beleiver of if you walk a straight line you'll never even deal with a police officer except the occaisional ticket. If you get a ticket sign the damn thing we all break the law daily when your times up except it.
This cop should not be a cop. He is plainly unsuited for the difficult job.

I would hope the victim would sue the department and the cop for excessive force etc.

Police agencies must be held accountable for allowing cops like him on the streets.
To those who think the driver was an idiot who deserved what he got-- it isn't against the law to be an idiot, & even if it was then it shouldn't be a tasering offense.

To those who think that a driver needs to instantly obey every order of a cop without comment-- the lack of importance that you attach to individual liberty is one of the main reasons this country more closely resembles a Nazi dictatorship than the America of a hundred years ago.

To those who think it's OK for a cop to taser someone without warning, dropping him into a lane of oncoming traffic-- the first duty of an officer taking someone into custody is not to safeguard the officer's own life, but to safeguard that of his suspect.  Taking someone into custody deprives the suspect of the ability to protect himself & makes the officer both legally & morally responsible.

To those who quote state laws that criminalize refusal to sign a citation-- such laws have no place in a free society.  Shame on you for defending police tyranny.

To those who cite the U.N. resolution on torture-- the U.N. is & should be irrelevant.

To those who think the cop has a right to taser someone who is not threatening him, simply because the person "might" have a weapon-- get real.  Cops are given weapons in order to protect themselves & the public, and also to enable them to apprehend fleeing felons.  No one should be shot, beaten with a nightstick, or even tasered over a traffic ticket!!!  Or over refusing to sign a citation.  These, at worst, are misdemeanors.  In this case the offense wasn't even material-- it was technical.  The video clearly shows that the driver wasn't using excessive speed or driving recklessly-- at worst he may have been a couple of miles an hour over the posted limit at a place where the limit apparently changed.  For anyone to get tasered over that is an outrage.

The kid's mistake was in thinking that he still lives in a free country, & not a Third World dictatorship.

BTW, I am a retired military officer with a couple of years of experience as an armed court-appointed officer.  The reason I left the latter profession & did not pursue a career in law enforcement was because of the need to work alongside badge-heavy idiots like the cop in this video.  He doesn't deserve to work a desk.  Fire him immediately & reprimand the supervisor who was lazy or stupid enough to let him get away with this.
fire this cop, now ... he's a liability
This driver is an idiot.  The 40 mph sign was clearly visable in the video.  The knucklehead wants to contest the ticket, do so in court, not on the side of the road.  Signing the ticket is not an admission of guilt.  He was arrested for his noncompliance and resisted by trying to leave.  An officer doesn't get paid enough to get hurt wrestling with a-holes on the street, so he lit him up.  The dumbass brought it all on himself and deserved every volt.
i guess all of the posters here are registered lawyers in the state of Utah.what would have happened if a truck had run over the kid while he was tasered inside the moving traffic lane? the officer has a job to protect and serve the people. a friend once hsiad: "as long as the selection and examination process of the police stays the same, we will see more of the same situations as we have seen on this video.the police officers are getting the same education that the IRS agents are.90% of the IRS agents have no idea about the tax laws. the current selection examination in most states requires the officers and agents in trainig to pass the exam with a grade of 35-45(out of 100)any person with a grade of above 65 will not be selected to serve and disqualified".i hope we "the people" can vote to change this process.
This driver was a jerk and all thought he was going to challenge the officers authority. Well, he certainly learned a lesson got what he asked for and deserved. I dont think he'll try that again next time he gets stopped. Lets look at several factors to take into consideration here, for all the critics: 1) speeding does kill 2)Officers ares supposed to stop speeders to protect lives 3)Dont argue with the officer. The traffic stop site is not the time and place to challenge the officer. That's what courts are for. 4) It's not the officer's job to drive you around or show you what the last posted speed limit sign was. If you dont know what the posted speed limit is - you're probably sleeding - Jack ass. 5) and the big one here - NEVER EVER walk away resisting the officers authority while REACHING into your pocket. Too many officers have been killed across the US this year like that. The driver got what he asked for. If you don't like or agree with the ticket you got, GO TO COURT!  
The young man was a little mouthy. But, when he was told to exit the car, he obviously thought he and officer "god" where going to discuss the issue of where the speed limit sign was. (he was pointing towards the sign) Officer"g" intended to teach this young man a lesson for invoking his right to be informed of what basis the cop made the determination that he was speeding.(radar gun?) The driver wasn't walking away until he had the taser GUN STUCK IN HIS FACE. I would walk away too from this out of control power freak, wondering if this man is going to shoot me simply because I disagreed with him. Lets stop this misuse of authority. Americans are afraid of cops because they all have this "us against them" attitude towards even the most courteous and law abiding citizens. I will not give up my right to free speech just because a cop gets his jollies from giving speeders a "ride on the taser"
This cop should be fired.  The guy was  NOT a threat to  himself or others.  Cops like this want people to live in fear of them - they think people should do what they are told OR ELSE.  That is TERRORISM.  Cops like this one make me thank God I moved out of the US.
I think there is shared blame for the escalation of this event. They were both acting like jerks. It is foolish to get lippy with a cop, however, the article states that the ticket could have been issued without a signature. If that is the case, there was no cause for initiating the arrest. The cop tells the guy to hop out of the car, and not that he is being placed under arrest until after the guy is pointing down the road at something. Also foolish not to do what a cop says when he is pointing a (gun shaped) taser at you.

I think the officer could have taken a lesson from another famous video of an irate motorist screaming and swearing at an officer, and ripping up the ticket. The officer never loses his cool, has the motorist pick up the pieces of the ticket and says "have a nice day" as the motorist drives away.
The arrest was unjustified and poorly executed.  Everything else stems from that.  If I'm walking down the street and nothing about my outward appearance or behavior suggests I have committed or plan to commit a crime, then a police officer's instuctions to me carry no particular obligation for compliance on my part (apart from certain instructions regarding public safety).  Guy doesn't sign his ticket?  Mail it to him; mail him another for not signing.  But he's committed no crime, and the officer knew (or should have known) that.  He has no cause to inform the citizen that he's being arrested (he didn't anyway), no authority to instruct him to place his hands behind his head.  It's the same as me strolling past an officer on the sidewalk; he might as well be the county dog-catcher, and he certainly had no more right to use a Taser than does an officer passing any random citizen on the sidewalk who places his hand in his pocket.
For those who object to him subjecting children to this, is it not important to show children that we live in a country of laws.  What would have happened if the officer had simply said: "That's fine, sir.  We will mail the ticket to you and you can dispute it in court.  If you wish to inspect the sign, please do so from your vehicle and not at the side of the roadway because it's unsafe to walk here next to traffic."
But that did not occur; it didn't occur because someone thought his instructions trumped someone else's right against personal violation.
The cop was arresting the man for an unlawfull reason. Not signing the ticket is not a crime in Utah! The cop made a mistake. Arresting someone unlawfully, im sure no charges where filed. The driver made his share of mistakes but that cop showed us how not to do it.
The idiot driver got what he deserved!  If he can't respect the law and authorities based on the job they're hired to do and laws that apply to EVERYONE, then try living in another country where there is no tolerance to stupid ill-mannered behavior!  I'm sick and tired of cry babies like this that think they're above our laws.  Our country is going to hell because of people like this.  Come on people, own up to your irresponsibilities.  Assume some accountability!!  
What most people are not remembering is that approval for deployment of the Tazer was as an alternative to use of deadly force. As such, there was another example of the correct use of Tazer in the news recently; the situation where a deranged individual was on the highway with a knife threatening people on the roadway and responding officers.  This Tazer use was exactly what the deployment of the Tazer was for.  The use on this motorist was bordering on criminal assault on the part of the officer.  BTW, I know of which I am talking; I'm retired from the job with 25 years service in New Mexico.
I live in the most violent country on earth and even to me this is unbelievable. A guy is caught speeding and is then tortured with a taser for having the audacity to argue with the cop. This cop belongs in jail himself. Clearly Americans have no rights at all! That is a myth.
    The guy was a jerk. The cop never gave a verbal warning that he was going to use his taser. I wasn't there and I don't know the cops mental state at the time. Those being said I do believe that tasers are being abused by some because they are a(usually) non-lethal form of incapacitation. What ever happened to a police officer being polite and putting up with a jerk without incapaciting them. If I could do that a lot of people would be shocked constantly. It seems that the taser has made overreacting so much easier. Maybe that is a good thing and maybe not. It is hard to say. On the one hand it has made some abuse their authority and it has undoubtedly saved some lives on the other. I think in this case the officer was not being very cooperative and wasn't very good at explaining what was going on.
the perp was being a big jerk as earlier stated and was being very uncooperative. Would there have been a more amicable resolution of the incident if the police officer hadn't had a taser(Who's to say?)but I think that they were both in the wrong in this case.
Some have stated in this thread that tasers are supposed to be used in place of lethal force. That remark is absolutley incorrect. I cannot emphasize that fact enough, it is absolutley not true. Tasers are a force option that is considered as being "less than lethal". As a force option, it can be used to gain compliance from an otherwise non compliant person or persons. If the incident escalates to physical force, the taser is an option for officers to use.

In this case, the officer gave clear direction to the offender that he was under arrest and was to place his hands behind his back. The offender did not comply. The officer had the option then to go hands on and attempt physical force to apprehend the offender. He also had the option to use pepper spray. Had he employed those options it would have likely caused injury to the offender and himself. By using the taser option, the likliness of injury is greatly reduced for both parties involved.  This was evident when the offender got up from the ground on his own seemingly unscathed only minutes later.

I do think the officer dropped the ball in terms of walking away from the offender after he used the taser. Having the suspect get up on his own and walk up behind him while he was talking to the woman in the car was somehwat unsafe for him.

Otherwise, I think the officer did a decent job. Remember, when you are suspected of committing a violation it really is in your best interest to obey the police officer. The officer, at least in my state, is not obligated to argue with violators or suspects. All they simply have to do is observe the violaiton, explain the stop, and issue the citation. It really isn't that complicated. If you think the officer is worng, or is acting illegally, it is really in your best to address that matter later in the form of a citizen complaint or when you are in court.

Unless of course you know the video might makes it's way to Youtube.
Cops do have a job to do, this was not it.  Another direct example of the poice over using power.  Cops don't become cops to "protect the inocent", they become cops "to put away the bad guys".  Get where I'm going here, they are always LOOKING for the bad, and whatch out if your id next Soccer Mom.  
ok, that cop had some issues.  He could have handled that better.  It was a speeding ticket!!!  He was afraid and already had the taser out so he fully planned to use it no matter what.  I was a cop for 25 years, he could have handled it better....
The cop was not happy that the driver challenged his decision to issue a ticket.  The driver refused to sign the ticket,though never denied that the cop had the authority to issue it.  The cop gets mad and has the guy exit the car in order that he can force the man to comply with his wishes to obtain a signature.  This is harrassment with threat of bodily harm.  That is illegal.  There was no reasonable indication of a threat to the cop. The only reasonable threat to the cop was that his intelligence and integrity was challenged.  A real man would have handled the situation with dignity and grace.  The car driver did not need to sign the ticket.  The interaction is documented on video such that if the driver ever claimed he had not been issued a citation, the tape would then clearly document that it had been indeed issued; just not signed.  The cop has anger and control issues and any argument that he was concerned about his safety or the safety of the public is not believable. It is best that he be completely removed from law enforcement in any way, shape or form.  As well, were we a punitive society, one might argue that a stun from the same gun for the cop to experience might serve some sort of therapeutic intervnetion for anger management.  I wouldn't go that far, but I can see how angry people must have become watching this video.  This guy is always going to think he was justified.  Narcissistic personalities are not uncommon in law enforcement.  The sad thing is that the power we as The People give to the narcissist is butressed by the fear of the established law enforcement and judiciary.  I'll bet he'll get off scott free.  Sad.
Most of you are clueless with regard to contacts with the police.  If we had to adjudicate every ticket on the side of the highway, we'd never accomplish anything.  More people have died in auto accidents in this country than all the men and women killed in combat in this county's history!!!  This idiot deserved to be tasered.  Like the cop said, he didn't follow direction.  For those of you who think you are on equal footing with an officer during a police contact, YOU'RE WRONG!!!
What an embarrassment.  At least one thing was reinforced; police will rule and do as they please, when they please.  It's lose lose.
Everyone needs to get cameras installed in their cars. It's now a duty. Respect is for the dreamers.
This wise ass should have obeyed the officer. Putting your hand in your pocket and walking away from an officer is completely stupid and his sniveling wife is no better. Officers have loss their life from people like this.

If you can make the case that the officer was wrong, I can make the case that this punk show off was dead wrong.
Refusal to sign is rarely an arrestable offensive.  Mostly it ticks of cops (no respect for ma authority?) and looks uncooperative to a judge.  Also, it is right of citizens to be advised of the arresting charges and Miranda rights.  This cop (rookie maybe?) seemed to have issues with both.  Even though the driver was a bit stubborn, he wasn't rude - lots of "please explain" and "can you tell me" --.
Lastly, tasers are defensive weapons to be used when an officer believes his safety is threatened - not a means of compliance for a non-violent misdemeanor offense.  The guy had is back to the officer, did not make any threating moves -- he hardly raised his voice - he was loud (the side of a highway does that) but he never yelled or screamed at the officer.

I'm waiting for the civil suit -- although cops and judges and public officials would disagree, I wouldn't bet on a jury thinking this cop was out of line.
WHAT HAPPENED TO PROTECT AND SERVE? This could have been handled so much better. That cop has a bullying attidude. Our cops here in Texas face danger from the border drugs every day and I have never known them to act like that.That cop evedently needs a lot more training or a desk job so he won"t be so scared he had to tazer someone.
Way to go cop.  Maybe one of these days idiots like this driver will learn to shut up and follow directions.  He is lucky that cops have tasers because if they didn't they would have be drawing their guns when idiots like this guy start sticking their hands in their pockets while walking away.  Police have a dangerous enough job without having to have their hands tied behind their backs by crybabies whining about the fact the the UN calls tasers torture.  This is the same UN that elects contries like Sudan and China to the Human Rights Commission.
For those of you who keep harping about the sign being blocked, it wasn't.  If you notice, the sign and the suv are in the picture together. Also, a cruiser is lower than the suv so most if not all of the flags and sign would have been visible even if the cruiser wasn't two or three car lengths in front of the sign.
I don't know about Utah, but in California if you don't sign a traffic ticket you go to jail. I'd say the driver has watched too much TV, because he doesn't know much about what he can and can't do when dealing with LE.
You don't argue with the cops ever, you especially don't  get out of your car and start explaining why your right ... Cops are taught to keep control of the situation and not let it escalate FOR THEIR PROTECTION, it's a judgment thing and it's easy to criticize but after working the job and seeing what goes on there are reason he acted as he did which I think is appropriate ...  
Try doing that in any other country, lets say Germany, for instance.  What exactly do you think would happen there?  Other police forces would beat you down for even looking at them funny, but you know what, there is actually respect for the police in other countries.  Also, have any of you ever worked the road?  Everytime you make a traffic stop could be your last, even with family members in tow.  Anyone ever see the stop where the big guy beats the female cop down in front of his 8 year old daughter?  Its time we have some respect for our police and remember, yes, we are a free country, there still has to be laws.
Is it any wonder that people in this country do not trust officers.  Time and time again we seee instances of excessive force over minor issues.  People getting killed because a polic officer is chasing a speeding car, people dying from being tasered, it goes on and on.  Get this officer off the road before he kills somebody's daddy.  Stop acting like storm troopers and you will get more respect.
i'm no police officer or attorney, but this officer scares the hell outta me.  
For some reason, people have come to believe it's okay to argue with the police.  When given an instruction by a police officer the response is simple:  comply.  To do anything else puts the both the officer and the citizen at risk.  Just watch a few videos where officers have been assaulted, injured, and shot to death, to gain an understanding of why this is so important and why people get tasered when they don't comply.

The only fault on the officer's part that I observed is when he actually begins explaining to this guy why he's doing every little thing he's doing.  It's simple, the officer told him he was speeding and wrote him a ticket.  If the guy wants to argue the facts, he has the option of appearing in court.  Arguing with a police officer on a busy highway, with your wife in the vehicle, and the history of violent traffic stops, does not make arguing with the police in this situation a smart choice.
Another example of excessive force. An excited short tempered officer, imagine that. Even after the officer said to the other officer, "He took a ride with the taser." That about says it all of the attitude of that officer. Of course the police are going to cover this up. Protecting one another just as they did with Peterson and the 18 times in less than 2 years the police were called to his house and nothing came of it. And now we have a missing wife and an exhumed ex wife where foul play is now the reason for her death.
Just watch your newscast that said cop was justified to use his taser because the speeder turned away from the cop. The cop told him to. Again police investigating police. No charges will be filed. Surprise Surprise. Police play judge, jury, and Taserers. How many people have died from being tasered? Tasers are far from being non-lethal. The cop is truely mad and wanted to show his authority.
The officer should be fired.........
It should be expected that a motorist would be upset
and want to ask questions and receive an explanation.
From the start the officer handled the situation very poorly and un profesional he was as you would say power trippin and he even admits later that he could of handled the situation in better matter.
A cop is supposed to be trained to deal with the different emotions of different people, we the public at hand are not trained to deal with the emotions of the differant officer's
Again he should be fired and now!!!!
The act of defiance to sign acknowledgement of a citation for speeding (guilt or innocence can be debated in court), 2nd refusal is to walk away, Police Officer should have one primary concern at this point "Is he retrieving a weapon or driving away while acting in a manner self governance".  We are a nation of laws, which means we submit to a life of being governed by those hired to enforce our laws.  He deserved to be tasered as he could have been retreiving a weapon.
Put yourself in the police officers position.....really....at the end of the day he wants to go home to his family too and given the fact that we NEED police should we give them the benefit of the doubt in most cases. How many of you go to work wondering if you will get back home? Or if you will get back home in the same condition you left?  And keeping wondering if a simple situation will get out of hand everytime you do your job? Someone mentioned ...."Once upon a time, there was a country called America where the people were truly free."  But you forget once upon a time we respected each other, everyone wants the U.S. to suit there needs individually but YOU know it doesn't work that way eventually it all comes falling down.

It was good to see all the support for the officer and to clarify something on my behalf, tasering is excessive but so are some of us.

You people who do not see what is truly happening here are deceived!

There have been countless situations where someone refuses to "follow the orders" of a cop and did not get tased.  All the power tripping cop had to do was put him under arrest, pad him down, and handcuff him -- they guy WAS NOT being physical, he was just being difficult.

It was OBVIOUSLY a power play for the cop because he wanted to be "in control".  That's the crux of the issue here.  Authoritarians thrive on control, and whenever that control is threatened, they react with some form of violence.

This tasing crap is getting WAY out of hand.  For those of you who think this cop handled the situation professionally, just wait until this kind of thing happens to you, or a loved one... say your daughter, and then let's talk.

America is very quickly becoming a POLICE STATE.  The similarities with pre-Nazi Germany are shocking.

WAKE UP AMERICA, before it's too late!

... and VOTE RON PAUL!
The young man got what he deserved! Plain and simple!
Cops are out of control.  It is an epidemic problem in the Southwestern part of America and seems to be growing.  Look at the ways Arizona violates Due Process with their camera measures and the Vigilantism inspired by the Phoenix's Sheriff's opinion of how to do Justice.  

If the U.S. Government does not take this seriously, it will become a culture of lawlessness and martial law.  

Police officers are to serve and protect.  A speeding "violation" does not warrant being tasered.  The officer should be fired, charged with criminal neglect, sent to jail, and sued for a considerable amount of money.  

Land of the free? The whole thing of it is this...yes, walking away when you are under arrest is resisting arrest. IMO, a trooper is acting reasonable to taser someone who is resisting arrest if that is the least amount of force that he/she must use to make the arrest. HOWEVER, in this case the driver was stopped for SPEEDING. The driver refused to sign the ticket. Admittedly, the smart thing for the driver to do was to shut up and sign the ticket. But no doing so does not make the driver a jerk. A police officer's job as an agent of the goverment is to PROTECT and SERVE. The trooper could have issued the ticket WITHOUT the signature. Instead the trooper TOLD the driver to get out of the vehicle AND he was under arrest BECAUSE the driver refused to sign the ticket. The driver then cooperated with trooper the up until he pulled his taser out of its holster. Sounds like we live in Nazi Germany to me.
This is very frustrating because the cop told the guy like a hundred times that he was speeding.  The guy wasn't simply asking questions, he was being a jerk.  How many times do you have to have it explained to you about why you are receiving a ticket.  You can't come up on a cop quick like that, that's why the cop pulled the tazer in the first place.  Then he exaserbated the situation by trying to walk off.  I understand his wife's concern but it's obvious that the cop was concerned about her coming up behind him.  It was also out of line and completely pointless for her to sit in the car screaming and threatening the cop while he was putting the cuffs on her husband.  Then to make matters worse the guy decides to get up and walk around some more while the officer is trying to calmly explain to the wife the situation. It's apparent to me that the driver has a hard time following simple instructions because he feels entitled.  From the minute the cop walked up the guy was a jerk and I felt the cop was very calm before and after the incident.  Oh, and for all those that are trying to act like the cop was blocking the sign on purpose, it is very clear that he was driving and saw the guy coming up on him fast so he pulled over momentarily to let the guy past so he could pull him over.  You know, when you are going the speed limit and someone is flying up on you, that they are speeding.  Also, having worked with troubled youth and been attacked many times myself by kids that looked completely harmless, after the incident you have adrenaline and the need to talk about what happened.  Even to make light of it makes you feel better and aids in the calming process.  I don't blame the cop at all for the comments made afterward.
in the UK this wouldnt have happened, and firstly he was not under arrest when the cop pulled his taser. he was not told that he was under arrest for speeding, the first words that came out of the cops gob was "turn around, turn around", then he was zapped. IF YOU ARE UNDER ARREST, THEN AN OFFICER HAS TO FIRST SAY THAT YOU ARE UNDER ARREST.  

THE COP NEEDS SACKING. and a good punch in the head.
SEEMS THAT 3 ITEMS HAVE BEEN OVERLOOKED FOLKS.
1.MANY OFFICERS HAVE BEEN SHOT STOPPING SPEEDERS.
2.TURNING AND WALKING AWAY WITHOUT PERMISSION IS SEEN
AS A THREAT TO PULL OT A WEAPON.
3.A OFFICER HAS AN UNDENIABLE "RIGHT TO ARREST". IT
HAS BEEN UPHELD IN COURTS EVERYWHERE.

FFICERS HAVE BEEN SHOT BY IRATE TRAFFIC


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