Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Hey Joe Taxpayer

This is how your money's being spent:

MOBERLY, Mo. | This municipality agreed Monday to an indefinite moratorium on the use of stun guns and will pay $2.4 million to survivors of a man who died after police shocked him.

Stanley Harlan, 23, died in August 2008 after Moberly police officers stunned him three times during a stop for suspected drunken driving. His family settled with the city of Moberly on Monday in U.S. District Court in St. Louis. ...

Harlan was shocked after arguing with officers during a traffic stop. Authorities have said he was suspected of drunken driving. A statement from his family's lawyers said he was accused of speeding.

The readout on the officers' Taser indicated Harlan was stunned three times, Ryals said. Harlan lost consciousness and died a short time later.

Calls to attorneys for the city Monday night were not immediately returned. But the city said in a news release that no fault was admitted in the settlement and its insurance company will pay the entire settlement.

All so some brave good-ol-boys can punish the citizens that piss them off.

Notice what caused the town to halt taser use (apparently only until the next town meeting)? It wasn't the death of a person. It was a big fat settlement. How nice.

And yeah, I get that this was covered by the town's insurance. But, does anyone think that the cost isn't going to get passed along to taxpayers? The cost of tasers is on you Joe taxpayer.