UF student released, is mum after Tasering

[Omaha Steve]

Source: Miami Herald

BY PHIL LONG AND DIANA MOSKOVITZ

GAINESVILLE --
The morning after he was stunned with a Taser by police after disrupting a speech by U.S. Sen. John Kerry, University of Florida student Andrew Meyer, 21, walked out of jail, hugged his father and was spirited away in his lawyer's SUV.

Meyer had no comment.

But plenty of others were commenting about the incident, which was captured on video and distributed over the Internet. It became an overnight sensation on network news, on news sites like MiamiHerald.com and on political blogs.

UF President J. Bernard Machen issued a statement Tuesday afternoon saying university police Chief Linda Stump has asked the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to conduct a formal investigation into the arrest.

Read more: http://www.miamiherald.com/campaign08/story/241904.html

[rodeodance]

1. 'police officers involved have been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the invest

[rodeodance]

2. .Members of the student group sponsoring the event summoned UF police

.......Members of the student group sponsoring the event summoned UF police to escort Meyer out, according to a police statement. At first, students can be heard cheering as he is asked to leave.

But Meyer refused to leave, police said.

When officers tried escorting him, he resisted, and officers only partially got handcuffs on him, according to police.

By then, officers had moved Meyer to the back of the auditorium, where he was on the floor, Orlando said.

Officers told him to stop resisting, and when he still refused, they used the stun gun, Orlando said. On the video, he can be heard screaming at that point.

Meyer was then put back on his feet and taken out of the auditorium, he said.

At one point in one of the videos, Meyer says, ''Why am I under arrest?'' and ``They're going to try and kill me.''

[barb162]

27. This shows his state of mind; being arrested somehow means

they're trying to kill him. That's a little leap there.
:sarcasm:

[fishnfla]

3. His lawyer is laughing all the way to the bank, too

How much for a Larry King interview?

[RavensChick]

7. A whole lot more than people think

It won't be long before this guy hits the talk show circuit. I hope those cops have fat bank accounts 'cause they're definitely gonna get sued!

[GoddessOfGuinness]

23. Hi neighbor!

Riverdalian here... :hi:
Welcome to DU!

[pokercat999]

65. The victim of campus police brutality is probably

trying to decide how to spend the millions now. He won't be needing a job.....ever.

[ldf]

4. apparently his plan worked

now he is the cause celebre of blogdom...

maybe there were questions that many would like answered, but talk about shooting the "cause" in the foot, in the process....

he certainly did us no favors.

:shrug:

[Exiled in America]

8. His "plan" does not justify the police action in any way, shape or form.

His "plans" are irrelevant.

[Exultant Democracy]

24. I don't give a rats ass about his questions or his methods, thats not the point this is America

and we are tazering the constitution to death.

[Name removed]

79. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[scarface2004]

5. this has karl rove's fingerprints all over it!!!

this whole deal is bullshit... a karl rove dirty trick..has anybody checked his bank account to see if rove's check has cleared?!?!

[barb162]

31. Yeah Andrew Meyer is a Rove robot

asking Kerry about Skull and Crossbones from fucking 40 years ago and trying to make something of it.

[MisterP]

41. the guy gets zapped for asking trenchant questions and now he's a Rove operative?

[Lorien]

68. Ah yes, the omnipotent Rove

damn him for hiring 21 year olds at Florida State to set up fake blogs and ask crazy, wildly inappropriate, demented questions of a Democrat who isn't running for the Presidency in an effort to make him look...Ok, I give up. What was the point to Rove's cunning plan?

[Name removed]

6. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Mend]

9. I totally agree with you. Thank you for your statement.

[fishnfla]

10. Back in his day, JK volunteered fro active duty in a war zone

Who are you calling a coward?

[PSPS]

22. Yes, forty years ago. But it's obvious Kerry isn't the same man today.

I certainly don't dismiss Kerry's service or bravery forty years ago.

But as the old saying goes, what has he done lately? A person's past accomplishments doesn't automatically grant him a free pass forever. Today's John Kerry is a coward, plain and simple. He runs away in 2004, and he tolerates outrages committed on the citizenry by our thuggish regime.

You can worship such behavior if you wish, but count me out.

[fishnfla]

25. Tell you what, tough guy

you run for Senate,
you run for President

Put yourself, your family, on the front lines man. Death threats, secret service details, the name-calling of your wife and daughters


you be the first and last man to die so some college student gets his 15 mins,
worship him

[barb162]

32. I think Kerry is not only brave, he's very patriotic. Back then and NOW.

[psychopomp]

44. Okay, watch the video and tell me if Sen. Kerry's non-reaction was appropriate

I supported Sen. Kerry in 2004 (of course!) and felt let down when he quickly conceded the presidency to that fraud, *bush. I feel the same feeling of dejection when I watch that video and hear Sen. Kerry drone on while a young man is hauled away for asking a question.

For those who say that Sen. Kerry did not know what was going on, I urge you, please watch the video and ask yourself, how could he not have intervened?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SaiWCS10C5s&mode=related&search=

I am so angry right now with Sen. Kerry for not saying something to intervene!

[MODemocrat]

90. Just what will you be forty years from now?

Of course John Kerry is not the same man he was forty years ago, no one is; that 20 year old surely
wouldn't expect a 65 year old man to protect him; would he? What would you have done? The police are the ones who tazered him. He'd probably never been disciplined, just like George W. Bush!!!

[TheOtherMaven]

28. There are two kinds of courage

fishnfla: there are at least two kinds of courage, and they are not the same.

Physical courage is the ability to face danger, instead of running away from it.

Moral courage is the ability to stand up for what is right.

One may have physical courage OR moral courage OR both OR neither.

Someone who faces up to being shot at has physical courage.

Someone who faced up to the obvious fact that an election he lost was something other than kosher would have had moral courage.

[barb162]

35. Kerry has moral and physical courage.

How many fucking times does he have to prove it?

[PSPS]

39. Only once would have sufficed -- three years ago.

[goforit]

12. Yes I do think they are nothing but whimps!

[noel adamson]

13. After 27 years of Reagan, Bush, Clinton, Gingrich and Bush it is no wonder...

...the young people are Republican Lite at best. With that constituency, with the MSM being more of a privatized propaganda machine than ever before and stronger corporate ties to individual Democrats it goes a long way towards explaining why the Democratic party has also become Republican lite. Perhaps this incident might help to advance a new, more real, dichotomy that can lead us towards democracy.

[paulk]

14. you're calling a man with a silver star a coward?

another in DU's seemingly endless series of dumb fucking posts today.

[fishnfla]

15. The swiftboating continues eom

[barb162]

34. Yes it does and it's pretty obnoxious. n/t

[noel adamson]

16. You have to be brave to sell out.

Kerry is not the same man who spoke out against the war after his return from the massive Vietnam atrocity. Just being on those swift boats required courage or stupidity. They used them as bait to see where they would draw fire as the roared up the rivers in the middle of dense woods. I, personally credit Kerry with bravery rather than stupidity...mostly.

[psychopomp]

45. Not a coward, but something is definately WRONG with him

I remember when President Clinton was heckled and rather than allowing the heckler to be thrown out, he stopped his speech to address the heckler and dialog with him. Sen. Kerry does not do so in this case; he allows a man to be manhandled by campus police and roughed up right in front of him for asking questions.

Wrong, wrong, WRONG!

[knight_of_the_star]

78. Did you watch the video?

When Sen. Kerry started trying to answer the questions he raised, the heckler came up with a new question and shouted him down with it to keep his answer from being heard.

[MUAD_DIB]

81. Please. Don't bring up facts.

[Snarkturian Clone]

64. agreed nt.

[olddad56]

17. are they cowards, or in your day, did you have civil rights...

it is a different ballgame today. In the old days, we still lived in a democracy and we believed in our constitutional rights. Today, that has all been stripped away. I can see how people have been scared into avoiding a situation where they could get tasered and locked up, beat up, and denied their civil rights, or maybe even murdered.

On the other hand, I agree with you. Another Kent State might light a fire under those that aren't afraid to die for their country, right here in their country.

[JVS]

19. I love how I can come to DU and get both the message that young people are cowards and ...

that they deserve to be tasered for resisting authority. Next time you wonder why people sit on the couch and play video games instead of protesting, remember that it's because so many people, includign self-described progressives, think that being annoying justifies brutality.

[lateo]

20. Well this is true but...

is it possible there are 2 reasons for this? The cops today are maybe much more fascist than they were in the 60's and 70's....and the kids today are just a bunch of pussies.

[olddad56]

26. sort of like the people their parents voted for.

what is left to fight for. Democracy? gone. The constitution? gone. Civil rights? gone. The enviornment? gone.

We grew up in a different enviornment and we are the generation that let all of this happen.

Why don't you take to the streets.

[2rth2pwr]

49. You know some people that have shot police with their own gun? nt

[RantinRavin]

50. Just like

The students of Kent State.

[goforit]

11. Sue the whole University Meyer!!!

[sofa king]

18. If he keeps his mouth shut, his grandkids will be going to college on his punative damages.

I'm not a litigation lawyer, but it looks to me like he's got a helluva case. The only thing he could do to screw it up is by firing up another rant in front of the cameras to show prospective jurors that he's just fine and unchanged by the incident.

Since we're stuck with the litigious and fatally flawed justice system we have--and I think we are for a while--then I guess I won't mind too much if this kid sues the ever lovin' crap out of those cops and everyone else responsible and walks away wealthy.

[OzarkDem]

21. I hope he sues

that will probably be the only way the cops and university will learn from their mistakes.

[MUAD_DIB]

82. Except for the tasering, which I don't agree with,

what should the police have done?

[cali]

29. Baloney. This kid doesn't stand a chance in front of a jury

It's laughable to think he does. He's on tape resisting arrest. Do I think they should have tasered him? No, but that he was disorderly and resisting arrest is on tape for a jury to see.

[Maribelle]

55. He was tasered on the left shoulder because they could not cuff that wrist...

because of his violent twisting and kicking while resisting arrest.

They had already cuffed the right one.

In reality, under the firm grasp of the police, the kid could have done damage to himself if he continued on acting like such a crazy lunatic. We don't know if the police took this into consideration.

[bulldogge]

71. so

injure him to keep him from injurying himself?

[bulldogge]

67. Resisting arrest

On tape he is saying "if you let me go I will leave," and "don't taser me". I am not saying this guy is the swiftest in the group and that he handled the situation properly but he was in no way a physical danger/threat to anyone so being tasered was too extreme, if 4 cops can't handcuff one college student they are the ones that failed. The cops have a thankless job but none the less they over-reacted. Remember that whole freedom of speech thing we supposedly have?

[MUAD_DIB]

83. Were you there at the time? Nobody in this country thinks that

they have to take responsibility for their actions.

The kid doesn't have the luxury of negotiating with the police if he resists. Besides, are you going to believe somebody that is presently wrestling with you that he will make nice if you let him go?


This isn't Kent State, and Kerry isn't Nixon.

[bulldogge]

87. In Response

I think you may be misinterpreting me. To begin with if you had to be present at every crisis not a single person would have the right to comment on any given topic. Obviously I was not there I am willing to bet the majority of people posting were not. Second I do believe they are responsible for their actions the same as the tasered student. I am very aware of the reality that if you physically resist the police it is going to have an unhappy ending and he put himself in a situation that helped create its own outcome. I am simply saying there were other alternative possible that in the heat of the moment were obviously overlooked. The Kent State, Nixon comparison is yours not mine.

[MUAD_DIB]

88. Okay, fair enough.

You have a valid point. I think that others were throwing that around (Nixon Kent State Fascism), and I don't mean to mischaracterize what you have said.


What I am getting at is this: I don't care about this moran, really. If you want to be an idiot and think that you can shut down the dialog then you are going to get what is coming to you.

It's just common sense. No matter what alternatives there may be with dealing with this situation prudence would dictate that you plan for the worst.


And yes, he will most likely sue, but I am not sure that he will see any $$. In fact, if I were the President of the College/University he was at I would head this off and sue the kid for disorderly conduct at the event.

[Zhade]

80. Uh, the arrest was misjustice in the FIRST place.

You don't arrest people for hogging the mic. Jesus!

[Sacajawea]

30. Kitty Genovese...That was my first thought when I saw the video. It seemed as if the entire audience

JUST SAT THERE AND DID NOTHING!!!!!!!

For those DUers too young to remember, she was attacked on the street near her apt. building (I believe in Queens county, NY) and was brutally and viciously assaulted for a prolonged period of time WHILE HER NEIGHBORS (looking out of their windows) DID NOTHING.........and she died. For those of you who don't remember this, I suggest you Google her name.

To me, the students in that audience behaved in exactly the same way.

Never again, indeed.

[barb162]

36. The audience clapped when that idiot got the mike shut off

for his looney-tunes ranting against Kerry. The student organizers called the cops themselves and I am glad they did.
The last thing I would do is compare Meyer to Kitty Genovese. This guy was trying to victimize Kerry whereas Genovese was a real victim.

[Sacajawea]

38. I disagree. No way was this young man trying to victimize Kerry. MEYER WAS THE VICTIM!

[barb162]

40. Meyer must be a drama queen pug plant, going after that Skull and Bones line

line of questioning and implying Kerry threw the election. When that idiot dragged out what frat Kerry was in during his college years,like a half century ago, it's time to realize that Meyer was up to no good and his goal was to attack the Democratic Senator from MA. All that he was doing was attacking Kerry. And if he was so damned interested in hearing Kerry's answer, maybe he should have stopped his long-winded crazy rant. I believe the organizers of the talk told the audience they would get one question. Not three questions and a crazy attack rant that went on and on and on. This situation should not be compared to Genovese.
edit sp

[psychopomp]

74. S&B is hardly a "frat"

but you know that, don't you.

"...long, winded, crazy rant." Okaaaaay.

[cali]

61. I think I'm going to throw up

How dare you compare the kids at UF to those who didn't come to KG's aid? Or what happened to her to what happened to Andrew Meyer.

That's just sick.

And I don't need to Google. She's buried in the town I grew up in. Everyone there knows what happened to her..

[midlife_mo_Jo]

33. What is this world coming to?

Those fascist, authoritarian students! Imagine. :sarcasm:

"Members of the student group sponsoring the event summoned UF police to escort Meyer out, according to a police statement. At first, students can be heard cheering as he is asked to leave."

[ShortnFiery]

42. Yes, if this student "group" was representative in the 60s, the Vietnam war would have never ended.

Yeah, implement the draft and see them miraculously begin to CARE. :evilgrin:

[midlife_mo_Jo]

51. The point being it was NOT the fascist cops' decision

It was the organizers' decision to determine how the forum was run. Imagine that!

In other words, this is NOT A FREE SPEECH ISSUE. No one has a right to take off a make, act belligerent, and expect that the organizers of the event wouldn't take charge.

This is not an issue of fascist cops censoring content.

[barb162]

43. And I saw several smiling too when that mike got shut off. n/t

[Chomskyite]

37. Hear this:

Andrew Meyer was wrong to break in line and monopolize the mike. He was wrong to resist arrest. He was wrong to turn the arrest into a "performance" a la Alex Jones.

The police were wrong to start their interaction with him by simply grabbing him. He might easily have been led out by them voluntarily after the exchange of some words. But we have no idea if that would have been the case now.

John Kerry was wrong not to immediately deplore the police violence he saw being exhibited.

[sleipnir]

52. Watch out! A rational, sane explaintion from all sides!

Congrats!

[tomhayes]

46. Um, do you guys know how the police work?

You know the police are trained to use overwhelming force whenever possible?? Frankly, being wrestled to the ground and resisting arrest and then being tased is *exactly* what you should expect if you are "raging against the machine." All this stuff about "Kerry should have jumped in the crowd and thrown the police off the poor innocent student" are missing the point.
Don't you know how the world works?? If the police tell you to stop doing something you have to stop. And if you think your position is just and you exercise your civil disobedience you will face resistance. This was no Rodney King incident. This was no Ghost of Mississippi attack. This was no Tiananmen Square. This was a loud, agitated, student's actions being seen as a threat and the student not complying with orders given by an officer. I didn't see the student being hit or clubbed.

What I want to see is the *full* video, and eye witness accounts from students at the event talking about the entire interaction they may have witnessed during the entire event. Then I will make up my mind.

[Pastiche423]

47. You're right! Everyone should be doormats!

We mustn't upset the fascistic cops!

Surrender your rights! (They don't mean anything anyway.)

[tomhayes]

48. No, but if the world is as bad as you think

Then this *has* to happen to validate your worldview. Again, the cops are going to taser you if you don't do exactly what they say.

Maybe it could have been wrong in this case, but it was *CERTAINLY* predictable.

I wonder *how many* death threats Kerry *has actually* received in the past 30 years? Do you think that's maybe why the police were tense (that + their normal fascistic impulses)?

But here's a real question for you to answer: Have you seen the entire event from beginning to when this happened? Have you heard from witnesses who knew neither Kerry, the man tased, or the police? I know I haven't/ All I've seen is a video that starts many sections behind the man and the scuffle happening *away* from the stage.

Could it *actually* have been that this guy was agitated the whole time, broke the line, kept talking and becoming more agitated, asked to leave, refused, asked to comply, refused, physically tried to be restrained and refused, told to stop struggling and refused, was tased and then complied? is that a *possibility* right now??

It could be that he was a nice young man who meekly offered his view on a topic and then was assaulted , and murder was attempted on him by the Nazi police. (People die from tasers)

We don't know enough right now, but since it was *JOHN KERRY* the french looking skull and bones conspiracist who trolled over when he knew he won an election it seems that it's a bigger deal than say, if it was John McCain.

[Mojorabbit]

56. I thought

they were also trained not to escalate a situation which is what they did.

[tomhayes]

57. Escalate how?

How would you have *POLICE* deescalate a situation like this?

Have you ever seen an episode of COPS? Or have you ever talked to a young black man? If they touch you you have to submit or they will force you to comply. Is it right? I'm not sure, but it *is* correct. That is what happens.

It's not like this guy was choked out. Remember people arguing for that in the past? They also didn't beat him into submission or stand on his neck, etc, which is what they will do many times.

So, can someone provide a scenario of what should have happened that isn't one of these two:

1)The cops should remove him using all force necessary to do so. (Which is what they did.)

2)The cops should have left the building and let this guy exercise his right to free speech by cutting the line, ranting about skull and crossbones, not giving up the microphone, and shout invectives at the crowd. (Which is what free speech seems to be defined by on DU now.)

(To be fair I guess some people here are saying that the reasonable student's honest questions offended the "suits" in the crowd at which time they chose to oppress the student, who while not submitting wasn't really resisting alot because he didn't try to punch no one and wasn't try to kick the cops once 4 of them got on him to opress his freedoms.)

This reminds of of the "Why did the cops storm Waco when those poor innocent cult with the children who refused to surrender after 51 day didn't do nothing? Why not wait 52 days???"

Maybe someone has a tape of the WHOLE incident that is not edited and starts well before the student relinquishes the mic and gets into the scuffle."

[Jed Dilligan]

58. British and European cops do it all the time (de-escalate)

They are selected and trained as conflict resolvers and basic psychological helpers rather than face stompers. I've seen them in action, and their techniques work. They calm people down and get them to comply by means other than brute force. Why can't we have the same kind of cops?

The techniques are fairly simple. Distract the agitated person from whatever is bugging them and engage them in dialogue. I realize this is too difficult for the thick-necked brutes that fill our police ranks, but why not just fire them and hire a different type of person?

[Name removed]

69. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Name removed]

72. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[psychopomp]

76. Learn to write more clearly

From your post, it looks like you meant to say that there are unreasonable people around that need to have force used on them, just look at COPS or talk to any young, black man.

I am sorry that I misunderstood you and even sorry that I called you a name, though it seems to be deserved.

Signed,

A Reactionary Lefty

Oh, and welcome to DU! Sort of.

[MUAD_DIB]

84. Are they? I think that would depend on the state, the department and the

office from which they train.

This is not a flame. It's just an observation.

[D-Sooner]

89. I agree totally

As soon as you physically resist the police, you should expect to be physically subdued.

Bottom line, you don't fight the cops.

[BUSHFRAUD]

53. More information about this stunt...

I just have to say very interesting, looks like the kid is wanting to be noticed.

Police noted that his demeanor "completely changed once the cameras were not in sight" and described him as laughing and being lighthearted as he was being driven to the Alachua County Detention Center.

"I am not mad at you guys, you didn't do anything wrong. You were just trying to do your job," Meyer said, according to the police report.

Meyer was carrying a business card advertising "TheAndrewMeyer.com 'Speak My Mind,' " the police report said.

The Web site features videos of Meyer taking part in several practical jokes. It also includes a "disorganized diatribe" that criticizes the war in Iraq and the media.

Read the rest here is this is true this guy is a scam and did this whole thing as a stunt! I for one am outraged if this is true. My brother is in Iraq fighting and we want him out tomorrow and I don't need a snot nosed "mommy and daddy will take care of everything" practical joker making a mockery of the cause...END THE WAR NOW!!!!!

You can read the whole article here
http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/09/18/student.tasered/index.html

[6000eliot]

62. Baloney. The guy was tasered for asking questions.

That is wrong in a country that supposedly values free speech. I don't care if he planned it, if he laughs all the way to the bank, or if he was heckling a war hero.

[Maribelle]

54. By all means let's castigate the Campus Police here for acting ...

and castigate the Campus Police for not acting at places such as Virginia Tech.

Let's all just blame them no matter what they do.

Forget about the fact that universities across the nation are now arming Campus Police. That too is so wrong.

Let's just scream profanities at all of those rotten Police for not using their crystal balls when needed.

[6000eliot]

63. So practicing your right of free speech is the equivalent of mass murder?

[MUAD_DIB]

85. When does free speech devolve into disruption, and

I think that it has been posted a few dozen times that the police were called to attend to the disrupter.

Right?

[6000eliot]

91. Which is the equivalent of mass murder?

[Acadia Blue]

59. Isn't it Florida where a 10 year old was tasered by a police man?

[tomhayes]

60. What does that have to do with this??

It was the state where many stupid things have happened such as: Rush Limbaugh getting busted for drugs, minorities being thrown off the voting roll, Epcot Center, Elian Gonzalez being held captive by an American family, voting machines that record a 15% no vote on the democratic side, and so many other.

BUT WHAT DOES YOUR POST HAVE TO DO WITH THIS CASE?

Are you saying that Florida is CRAZY and TAZY??

You'll need more than two unrelated examples to even get the Internet nuts to follow your "logic."

[ohio2007]

66. the 'victem' was a practical joker with his own website

Tasered Student Has History Of Practical Jokes

snip
Meyer, a senior telecommunications major from the Fort Lauderdale suburb of Weston, has a Web site featuring several homemade videos. In one, he stands in a street with a sign that says "Harry Dies" after the latest Harry Potter book was released. In another, he acts like a drunk in a bar while trying to pick up a man dressed in drag.

http://www.local10.com/news/14138122/detail.html?rss=mia&psp=news

anybody got a link to his site?

[bulldogge]

70. Seem to be missing the point

It would seem to me that the big issue is being missed here. It does not matter what this fellas agenda was, his heckler past, etc. The point is this in this country there is the illusion that we have certain rights until we go to use these rights then they are quickly swept away. You do not taser someone for free speech. We are fighting a war against people who hate freedom so I hear but all the while the noose gets tighter at home.Freedom Speech means just that!

[ohio2007]

73. he cut in line and took away the microphone and started to rant......

as you saw, the cops didn't move until he started to mention Bill Clinton and blow jobs.....

You did watch the video ?

He didn't ask one question, he was 'ranting' with non stop questions and going on a conspirecy screed.

of course, the cops knew he wasn't armed and dangerous.... ;)

Kind of like a cop who got killed for confronting a J walker in Arizona, he knows the guy isn't dangerous.

The point is,
the joker didn't follow the rules set up to express his freedom when he cut in line,took away the microphone and proceeded to what was turning into an incoherent screed .

Kerry should have stopped him imo.

[bulldogge]

77. In Response

First let me begin by apologizing, I am somewhat new at this so I did not realize until after I had posted that it would seem I was directly attacking you, I should not have attached on your comment.

With that said let me say this. First yes I did watch the video other wise I would not have taken the time to comment on it. Second while watching the video I was able to see that he didn't ask one question but was ranting and going on a conspiracy screed. He was a totally obnoxious college kid who made himself look and sound foolish.

I will say this I did not see him walk up and take the mike from anyone had he done so that was obviously rude but does not warrant a stun gun. If you are referring to him taking the mike back from the police officer that is certainly different.

The point is,
the joker was rude and obnoxious but non the less in no manner warranted a taser. I am the last person that needs to be made aware of the dangers faced by policemen and women on a daily basis. A cop in Arizona has little to do with multiple officers wrestling a single student to the ground. As I said in another comment space if multiple officers are unable to restrain a single individual and then stun him they failed in their job. If people view this as acceptable behavior by law enforcement then we are in trouble. Should they have removed him...thats open to discussion, tasered him NO.

[MUAD_DIB]

86. How exactly should have Kerry stopped him?

[ohio2007]

75. local college bars around UF are making the most of it

T-shirt sales



Who needs to pass a a stinking civics test when the wet Tee shirt contests start after happy hour

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=2995426&mesg_id=2995426

[EMAN51]

92. No prejudgement, but this self-promoter

was disruptive, confrontational and a foolish boor. His interruptions and nonsensical diatribe distracted from the event and done solely to cast the spotlight on himself. He deserved to have the microphone cut and to be removed for his conduct. To wrap himself around the "free speech" banner is an embarassing excuse. He had plenty of time to make a fool out of himself and should have respectfully departed when requested. He didn't, created havoc and received a taser shot after warning. Perhaps too strong of tactic, but he was not responsive and resisted handcuffs. He was not forcefully removed for the content of his speech, simply his obvious attempt to place attention on himself and disruptive behavior.