Hundreds mourn Tasered Miami graffiti artist

[carpnter]

I really don't see what all the commotion is over this (on whether the kid committed a criminal act or not).  The general lesson to take away from this is to not vandalize property that isn't yours.  Everything else could have been avoided by that simple act.

With that said, is using a taser in a situation like this necessary?  Are tasers supposed to be killing people?

The investigation will determine whether the use of the taser was warranted.  There is an allegation that the kid charged at the cops

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-201_162-57597515/fla-teen-dies-after-being-shocked-by-police/

If that is true then the use of the taser was justified. 

The fact remains that had the kid not been vandalizing the building he'd still be alive today.  Sure it was a misdemeanor but the cops saw him vandalizing the building so it is their job to arrest him.

There is risk with anything the police use, the taser is the safest available option they have.  The goal is to reduce the risk to the officer without the officer having to use his firearm. 

I've never been tased and hope I never have to.  However, I've always been under the impression that they aren't intended to kill people. Am I wrong in this assessment?

They aren't intended to kill people, but there is always the possibility that a taser could kill someone if they are using certain drugs or have a medical condition that they are unaware of and could not be detected without a through examination. 
I have not been tazed either, but I do know police and state troopers who have been.  It is not a pleasant experience. 

[I-10east]

Well said LAE. I totally agree with everything that you said. I never understood why so many people are so sympathetic to criminals. I was young and dumb once, and did stupid stuff like tagging, but I always knew the potential of facing the consequences for my actions.

[If_I_Loved_you]

I really don't see what all the commotion is over this (on whether the kid committed a criminal act or not).  The general lesson to take away from this is to not vandalize property that isn't yours.  Everything else could have been avoided by that simple act.

With that said, is using a taser in a situation like this necessary?  Are tasers supposed to be killing people?

The investigation will determine whether the use of the taser was warranted.  There is an allegation that the kid charged at the cops

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-201_162-57597515/fla-teen-dies-after-being-shocked-by-police/

If that is true then the use of the taser was justified. 

The fact remains that had the kid not been vandalizing the building he'd still be alive today.  Sure it was a misdemeanor but the cops saw him vandalizing the building so it is their job to arrest him.

There is risk with anything the police use, the taser is the safest available option they have.  The goal is to reduce the risk to the officer without the officer having to use his firearm. 

I've never been tased and hope I never have to.  However, I've always been under the impression that they aren't intended to kill people. Am I wrong in this assessment?

They aren't intended to kill people, but there is always the possibility that a taser could kill someone if they are using certain drugs or have a medical condition that they are unaware of and could not be detected without a through examination. 
I have not been tazed either, but I do know police and state troopers who have been.  It is not a pleasant experience.

(but I do know police and state troopers who have been.  It is not a pleasant experience)                                                                                                                              Here is Sheriff Rutherford being tased? But Herein lies the Problem he is in great physical and mental shape and two officers were on each side of his body so when he was hit by the "Taser Probes" it hurt but he was taken down to the floor. So was the "Tasered Miami graffiti artist" helped to the ground after he was hit by the Taser Probes? And was he in good physical and mental shape?
Here is a First Coast News back in Jan 19th 2005 they did a story on Sheriff Rutherford.

By Roger Weeder First Coast News JACKSONVILLE, FL -- Sheriff John Rutherford tried to put fears to rest over tasers in schools Tuesday. Sheriff Rutherford personally demonstrated how a taser works at the training academy on the Northside. Rutherford, 52, took a taser hit in the back and fell to the floor. Afterwards, the sheriff said, "As you can see, it's completely disabling as soon as the charge is over, I'm fine." The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office is in the process of ordering 1800 tasers that will be used by officers on the street and in Duval County schools. School resource officers will carry the tasers in schools beginning this fall. The $900 gun shoots an electronic charge to disable a suspect for a few seconds and give officers time to make an arrest. "It doesn't scramble your brain. I could hear what's going on. I could see if I wanted to open my eyes," said Sheriff Rutherford. The sheriff says the taser will not be used on anyone who is frail, or on someone who is very young or very old. Procedures also prohibit officers from firing an electrical charge at at pregnant woman, anyone holding a child, driving a car or standing near water. Officers will be trained to used the tasers during the course of the next year. The training course is for eight hours and requires to officer to be zapped by the gun. School resource officers in middle and high schools will be trained this summer. They will be equipped with tasers in the fall. School officials have no say in how police officers are armed in the schools. Sheriff Rutherford says he will work with schools to answers questions or concerns that parents might have.

First Coast News

http://www.firstcoastnews.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=30970

[MEGATRON]

This isnt really a liberal/conservative site, LAE. 

And this is a conservative issue in any case.  Unless youve forgotten Janet Reno and the tragedy at Waco.

conservative issue?  Please explain

[thelakelander]

I really don't see what all the commotion is over this (on whether the kid committed a criminal act or not).  The general lesson to take away from this is to not vandalize property that isn't yours.  Everything else could have been avoided by that simple act.

With that said, is using a taser in a situation like this necessary?  Are tasers supposed to be killing people?

The investigation will determine whether the use of the taser was warranted.  There is an allegation that the kid charged at the cops

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-201_162-57597515/fla-teen-dies-after-being-shocked-by-police/

If that is true then the use of the taser was justified. 

The fact remains that had the kid not been vandalizing the building he'd still be alive today.  Sure it was a misdemeanor but the cops saw him vandalizing the building so it is their job to arrest him.

There is risk with anything the police use, the taser is the safest available option they have.  The goal is to reduce the risk to the officer without the officer having to use his firearm. 

I've never been tased and hope I never have to.  However, I've always been under the impression that they aren't intended to kill people. Am I wrong in this assessment?

They aren't intended to kill people, but there is always the possibility that a taser could kill someone if they are using certain drugs or have a medical condition that they are unaware of and could not be detected without a through examination. 
I have not been tazed either, but I do know police and state troopers who have been.  It is not a pleasant experience. 

Thanks.  I didn't know and was just wondering in general.

[NotNow]

StephenDare!,

Please advise us how you would have handled this arrest as the Police Officer.  Please advise us why tazing a suspect is the same as "killing" said suspect.

Thanks in advance.

NotNow

[NotNow]

StephenDare!,

Please advise us how you would have handled this arrest as the Police Officer.  Please advise us why tazing a suspect is the same as "killing" said suspect.

Thanks in advance.

NotNow

did the suspect die?  If the person shooting him with the taser were not a cop, would you claim that the armed person did not 'kill' the victim?  If you do think this, would the states attorney agree with you that no one got killed?

Did McDonald's (the actual landowner, and therefore the actual person with legal standing to press charges in the first place) actually complain?

Did the officer make the department decision to use a weapon that has been medically proven to cause deaths in situations not involving law enforcement?

It has nothing to do with the police officer. 

Are all of you just still engaging in your usual very disturbing death porn fantasies?  Or did you stop and think about any of the issues other than some cop got to kill a grafitti artist?

So you really have no idea what to do then, do you?  Except maybe call McDonalds, cause you know...permission.

And you really don't know anything at all about ECD's either, do you?  The statistics are available online.  Do your research. 

Of course, it's really not your fault.  You are just ignorant of the facts.  You have never acted in such a situation.  You have never arrested anyone.  You have never fired an ECD, or been shot by one.  You are not even aware of the advantages of the weapon. 

And in your ignorance, you rely on your usual personal insults.  Exactly what are you accusing me of by stating that I have "death porn fantasies"  or "that some cop "got" to kill a grafitti artist"?   I'll give you a break for not knowing anything about ECD's.  But you are our of line and violating your own rules with the "death porn fantasies" crap. 

As for the officer that attempted to apprehend the "grafitti artist", how do you justify saying something like "got" to kill someone?  Again, you have obviously never been in this position.  Police operate in an uncontrolled environment.  That means "your on your own and you could get killed doing this".  This officer used the safest tool that he/she had available according to current stats.  He/she could have used hands/fists, batons, or spray as well (and no one would have been there to "catch" the suspect before he fell.  No one is there in the street to "catch" the officer either.)  It is terrible that the suspect died during the arrest.  We do not even have the medical examiner's report yet, but you feel justified in stating that "the officer killed the "grafitti artist".  Again, you have obviously never been in this position, or had to help a young officer who finds him/herself in the same position.  I suppose that makes you either ignorant of how officers deal with such a result, or an insensitive jerk.   

There will always be criminals.  There will always be police that apprehend them.  There will always be unpleasantness and unforetold circumstances in doing so.  And I suppose there will always be some that will criticize what they do not completely understand. 

      "It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; because there is not effort without error and shortcomings; but who does actually strive to do the deed; who knows the great enthusiasm, the great devotion, who spends himself in a worthy cause, who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement and who at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly. So that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat."
Theodore Roosevelt quotes (American 26th US President (1901-09), 1858-1919)

[NotNow]

And in your ignorance, you rely on your usual personal insults.  Exactly what are you accusing me of by stating that I have "death porn fantasies"  or "that some cop "got" to kill a grafitti artist"?   I'll give you a break for not knowing anything about ECD's.  But you are our of line and violating your own rules with the "death porn fantasies" crap. 

I have actually been bandying about with a couple of the posters for the better part of the day.

I can certainly see how you would think I was referring to yourself with the Death Porn Fantasies, and having read your posts for several years, I believe this would be a very insulting and inaccurate way to describe you.  I was referring to several others, not yourself, my apologies for the clumsy wording which made you believe otherwise.

Accepted.  Thank you.