Because taking that into consideration totally disrupts the debate... Never let facts get in the way of a good time!
I love how everyone is pigeon-holing everyone else in this thread, especially the people defending the law over the cops/judge. No one is defending the lady (be she pregnant, black, extraterrestrial, etc), rather the rights of people according to the law... it's not exactly a difficult concept to grasp. And for all of you who want to see how these arguments have gone in the past, feel free to dive in: Police Officer Uses Taser On 10-Year-Old Girl [video] 72 year old Texas granny tasered Why don't people cooperate with police? [Hilarious] Student tasered at Kerry Speech I find it hilarious how I've been called both a cop lover and a cop hater now, when all I've been doing is looking at if the law was followed as it is written.
If I slam you in the face with a baseball bat, that also causes temporary, localized pain only. That implies to me that the proper course of action would've been to write her a ticket for not signing the ticket, which she presumably would've been asked to sign.
Mr. River... did the Nazis ever tell those Jewish dudes "please sign this"??? Also, FIXED yer post, sir. No, no... no need to thank me, everyone else.
I'm just going to point out - again, because you seem to have missed it the other four or so times it's been explicitly stated - that the officers had no right to arrest her because failure to sign a ticket is a nonarrestable misdemeanor . So maybe we're placing the blame on the cops because the woman was tased for refusing to comply with an unlawful order.
First of all, her pregnancy is completely immaterial. I've seen nothing to indicate that the settings used to tase her are the least bit threatening to her unborn child, so to mention her current gestational state is blatant manipulation by the defense. Don't fall for it. Now, for those who think this whole situation is "ridiculous": wouldn't you agree that the whole reason this situation escalated is because of her actions, not the actions of the arresting officers? She decided to add to her legal legal woes and put herself in harms way by leaving her engine on while arguing with a police officer. This is a bad idea, and can be criminal (which, in her case, it was). Let's not make it sound like police are just grabbing random pregnant women off the street and tasering them. She was exhibiting criminal behavior. Did the officers overreact? Absolutely, and they should be disciplined for it. But to make them out to be some power-drunk cops who are out to tase anyone no matter what the circumstance is pretty presumptuous.
For those of u defending the lady. What would u have the officers do? Let her go without consiquences? This a serious question. You're a cop, she violated the law, put children at risk, she wont sign, what do u do?
I will not defend the police officers, but you should read the court's opinion. It goes into detail on this issue and explains that she could be arrested and she even asked to be booked. I think the police officers over reacted, but I do not think they should be held liable for civil damages to her.
For the last time, we're defending the law. Not the lady. And even if you don't sign a ticket, the officer still has all of your info, other officers as witnesses, and most likely ALL of it on video tape. So it's not like she's getting away with anything.
I don't think you can compare a taser on the lowest setting to getting hit in the face with a baseball bat. Maybe I'm wrong. But probably not. I just have a hard time feeling sorry for most of these people. It's like people expect the police to overpower people or use their brute strength to handle the situation instead of just incapacitating them via taser -- the taser is easiest and safest, for both parties. I admit I didn't see this the first time (or four) it came about, but there is some conflicting evidence in the opinion: So unless the law changed from 1996 up until the incident (quite possible), I'm not quite sure which side of the fence it falls on. If the police had the option of letting her go with two tickets, they probably should have, but it doesn't necessarily make them guilty for not choosing that option (assuming arresting her was a legal option).
Long story short for some is this: You have no rights that the cops *have* to respect. You have no rights unless the cops *give* them to you. They have the authority and weight of 'The State'. They have the the guns. Bow down or get Beat Down! Rocket River
They do have rules. You just don't know them as well as they do. Sometimes, you have to work from an understanding that you don't understand the rules of the game and setting arbitrary limits on your behavior on that basis will not have good results. I see a parallel in your distrust of science. If a cop tells you that you are required by the powers the state has given him to get out of the car, you'd better be damn sure he is wrong about the law before you decide to create your own private little reenactment of the Alamo. You seem to equate the fact that you don't know the rules with the idea that the rules are arbitrarily set ad hoc. I got pulled over once for a traffic violation by older cop as an FFL holder with a gun in my car. When I told him this, I was sure he was going to be confused. But the cop knew right away to ask for my bound book and, seeing it, send me on his way. The dude had probably been a cop for 20 or more years, and probably never pulled over an FFL in all that time, but he knew right away this obscure little bit of law. Obviously some cops break the rules, but if you aren't sure you know the limits of what they can do, don't act like you do. Whether what the cop did was appropriate, and whether there are actually limits on what he can do aren't the same thing.
Nope. The long story short is this: Don't break the law. If you get a speeding ticket, be sure to sign it like a smart, responsible adult. Consider donating to the The National Association of Chiefs of Police, the American Federation of Police or the Police Hall of Fame. Maybe sponsor a child whose mother or father who was killed in the line of duty by a stupid thug. And most importantly of all...
You know... It seems like you have a lot of fun on here. I'm actually considering creating a new profile on here so that I go around and post funny things with it.
God you are a r****d. Please shut the hell up. I wondered what's your stupid opinion would be if this was your sister, daughter, mother, wife or girlfriend that did not agreed with the over excessive cops for certain reasons got tasered like an animal.
