Friday, July 24, 2009

How Cops Actually Use Tasers

Some taser use caught on tape in Boise, Idaho:

It's audio from a police officer's own recording the night of Valentine’s Day -- a day typically known for love turned into a domestic violence situation and Boise Police officers were called to intervene.

But when officers arrived the suspect refused to let police in.

They broke down the door and tased the man standing on the other side.

That is not the incident in question but what happened next is.

(from taped recording)

"You feel this?” “Yes.” “You feel that, that's my taser on your ***.” “OK." said Officer 3 to suspect.

With the suspect already handcuffed -- the officer refered to as Officer 3 used vulgar language, threatened the man, and tased him a second time on his bottom.

(from taped recording)

"If you look again, I am going to stick this taser up your *** and pull the trigger.” “I am sorry.” Do you understand it?” “Yes, I do."

"Now do you feel this on your *****?” “I am not going to move, I am not going to move.” “I am going your ***** if you move again," said suspect and officer.

"Okay, I am going to take this taser out of your *******. Are you going to fight with me?” “No, no, OK," said suspect and officer.

Masterson says the suspect was acting out and finds his officer's concern for safety legitimate, but he admits how it was handled was not.

"The public trusts us to use force and use it judicially [What public is that?], in this case we made a number of threats, very inapproperatly language, we didn't carry through to the threats, to the certain body parts, but totally inappropriate and a violation of our policy," said Masterson.

What was that about tasers replacing guns?

The video: