Pregnant woman tasered by police . ..

[Optimist Prime]

If I saw a pig do that, I'd kill his pig ass on the spot.

Pig. dead oink.

[honeychile]

If your car stopped by the police for ANY reason, whether or not you feel it's justified, you put your hands on the steering wheel at 10 & 2 o'clock the entire time you're speaking to the officer! Your time to argue is when you take the officer to court for unlawful arrest.

More lives, more sanity would be saved if people would just remember that!

[James]

Hrmm . . .

I think the force was unnecessary because her offense didn't need an arrest.

She was speeding. She didn't want to sign the ticket. That was disobeying the police officer.

Because she disobeyed the police officer by not signing the ticket, the police decided to arrest her.

Since she didn't want to be arrested for not signing a speeding ticket she held onto her steering wheel while the police tried to draw her bodily from the car . . . because she didn't sign the ticket.

Since she managed to effectively hold onto the steering wheel while they were trying to drag her out, they decided that they could not control her or the situation and opted to taser her.

After they tasered her they were able to forcibly remove her from the car, toss her on the ground, and cuff her.

All because she didn't want to sign the ticket.

There is a disturbing trend in this country to countenance almost anything alaw enforcement officer does so long as they say they were following procedures or thought they were at risk . . . even if the situation fails the common sense test.

The could have mailed her the ticket or just lest it unsigned with her. IF she failed to show up in court or pay the ticket they could have then issued a warrant for her arrest or suspended her driver's liscence.

In this case it seems that they arrested her less because of breaking the law, but more because she was defiant. A paternal attitude, like the parent that will punish you for talking back or not cooperating.

This response was not proportional to the situation. Her refusal to sign a speeding ticket offered no clear and immediate danger to anyone, except the ego of the police officers involved.

[James]

I shouldn't have to fear people that my tax dollar pays, nor should I be treated like a suspect in a traffic stop.

Originally posted by honeychile
If your car stopped by the police for ANY reason, whether or not you feel it's justified, you put your hands on the steering wheel at 10 & 2 o'clock the entire time you're speaking to the officer! Your time to argue is when you take the officer to court for unlawful arrest.

More lives, more sanity would be saved if people would just remember that!

[honeychile]

The police are taught that, any time someone reaches for ANYTHING while being stopped, other than what they are being told to produce (driver's license, insurance card, etc), the person may be reaching for a weapon. Whether or not you AGREE with this reasoning, this is what they are taught.

When you are driving with a registered weapon, you ALWAYS tell the police that there is a (handgun) in the (glovebox), so that they will know how to watch you.

Signing a ticket merely states that you have received the ticket; it does not indicate any guilt.

The point that I am trying to make is that a few simple rules on how to handle being pulled over would go a long way to less complaints.

YES, tasering an obviously pregnant woman is extreme, to say the least!

[James]

I understand what you are saying Honeychile, and I certainly am extremely polite and even ingratiating when pulled over.

However, its bad when a system seems to encourage that type of fearful attitude and even worse where police develop an odd sense of entitlement when dealing with non-police.

That type of context is what leads to innocent people getting hurt, or even killed.

Her being pregnant is irrelevant. ITs not a situation that needs arrest and certainly not by force. Some common sense needs to be applied.

Also, is it really a matter of law that people have to sign a speeding ticket? Like there is an actual statute, with a corresponding punishment? That just seems unusual.

Originally posted by honeychile
The police are taught that, any time someone reaches for ANYTHING while being stopped, other than what they are being told to produce (driver's license, insurance card, etc), the person may be reaching for a weapon. Whether or not you AGREE with this reasoning, this is what they are taught.

When you are driving with a registered weapon, you ALWAYS tell the police that there is a (handgun) in the (glovebox), so that they will know how to watch you.

Signing a ticket merely states that you have received the ticket; it does not indicate any guilt.

The point that I am trying to make is that a few simple rules on how to handle being pulled over would go a long way to less complaints.

YES, tasering an obviously pregnant woman is extreme, to say the least!

[honeychile]

Originally posted by James
I understand what you are saying Honeychile, and I certainly am extremely polite and even ingratiating when pulled over.

However, its bad when a system seems to encourage that type of fearful attitude and even worse where police develop an odd sense of entitlement when dealing with non-police.

I will agree about the feeling for entitlement being wrong. But I would ask you if it's wise for a policeman to NOT be prepared for the worst? How do they know in that first minute or two that the driver isn't armed, high, suicidal, or even homicidal? THAT'S why it's important to listen up and obey procedure.

Also, is it really a matter of law that people have to sign a speeding ticket? Like there is an actual statute, with a corresponding punishment? That just seems unusual.

Here, it is. I don't know about Washington state.

[Tippiechick]

We're talking about a woman 8 months pregnant. Someone that far along is not going anywhere quickly.

There were three policemen on the scene. I find it hard to believe that three men could not get a pregnant woman, eight months along, out of a car. I also find it hard to believe that they found her to pose any significant threat.

They also tasered her 3 times! We are not talking once, but three times! They hit her once on the thigh and twice more on the neck.

I believe that the use of tasers on pregnant women should outweigh the risks. IF a woman poses a threat to herself, the officers, OR the unborn child, then I do believe it is necessary. But, when adults have died after being tasered, I think caution should be exercised when dealing with an unborn child.

I don't think in this case it warranted the use of such a powerful weapon.

Yes, she was resisting arrest. But, c'mon. I don't think she deserved to be tasered.

Being tasered is a very serious thing. Proper discretion should be exercised by someone permitted to operate the weapon. I don't think it should be used because officers run out of patience. It should be used in extreme circumstances, IMO.

[KSig RC]

Originally posted by Tippiechick
We're talking about a woman 8 months pregnant. Someone that far along is not going anywhere quickly.

There were three policemen on the scene. I find it hard to believe that three men could not get a pregnant woman, eight months along, out of a car. I also find it hard to believe that they found her to pose any significant threat.

They also tasered her 3 times! We are not talking once, but three times! They hit her once on the thigh and twice more on the neck.

I believe that the use of tasers on pregnant women should outweigh the risks. IF a woman poses a threat to herself, the officers, OR the unborn child, then I do believe it is necessary. But, when adults have died after being tasered, I think caution should be exercised when dealing with an unborn child.

I don't think in this case it warranted the use of such a powerful weapon.

Yes, she was resisting arrest. But, c'mon. I don't think she deserved to be tasered.

Being tasered is a very serious thing. Proper discretion should be exercised by someone permitted to operate the weapon. I don't think it should be used because officers run out of patience. It should be used in extreme circumstances, IMO.

ugly ugly ugly conjecture, and uninformed opinion -

To address my man James - how about this: the guy was given orders by a superior to arrest her, based upon her actions. This lead to hear her reaction, which lead to her taser-ing. Since our facts are very much incomplete, I have trouble making a clear-cut statement one way or another that either side was wrong.

Along the same lines, there's no chance I can use "SHE WAS 8 MONTHS PREGNANT!" to justify any particular set of actions that aren't expressly dangerous for the fetus.

A cursory search claims that the Taser is not dangerous for the fetus.

[Optimist Prime]

you're not required to sign any ticket


well you might be but who cares? I'm way too much out of it to be driving, so let the pregnat bitch get the ticket.

[Kevin]

Some policemen are very professional and are really and truely concerned about our safety. Others are arrogant thugs who get off on tasering people, clubbing people, spraying people with pepper spray, the whole power trip thing.

We have a case in our office right now where a kid was told that he was under arrest, the officers tackled him, he broke their tackle (being a former state champion wrestler), ran a few feet, stopped and got on the ground. At that point, the police siced a dog on him, clubbed him for a few minutes on the back, legs, and arms, punched him in the face, pepper sprayed him, tasered him, all of the above all after he had knelt and said he wasn't resisting (we have a polygraph report confirming that story, the police have yet to submit one on their behalf).

And you know what? The officers didn't even get written up for that.

That department is known for thugs, it's sad that we have so little recourse against them. I'm more afraid of guys like that than 99% of criminals.

[valkyrie]

Hey, it could be worse. In Denver, the cops shoot people.

[Kevin]

Originally posted by valkyrie
Hey, it could be worse. In Denver, the cops shoot people.

That does probably cut down a lot on there being another side to the story about their brutality.

I wonder if our local cops will pick that technique up at the next cop convention?

[Tom Earp]

It is amazing reading some (Not Police) reports on certain situations, just media reports.

Most Officers try to do what is best and some of the Rookies get gungho. Training is much better today than it was in days of yore.

If you havent been there Like I have, then it is hard to judge what happened at the moment. I dont condone this type of thing at all, but when you almost get run over by someone in a car trying to hit you, it comes home very quickly. At the Moment, I have a Petition in My Store to keep a asswhole in Prison for killing a Police Officer who I knew. 3 rd time for Parole. Great isnt it.

I dont really care if she was 8 months pregnant, if she was fighting, they didnt shoot her with a real gun.

If you have a chance, sign up for a ride along program and see how it really can get on the streets.

Y0u can get in shit so fast that you will quake in fear.

Oh, it is never the fault of the person being arrested!


Billy, Your mouth overloaded your asswhole. As we used to say to that comment, "I bet your Mother Love to Eat Pork"!

[Kevin]

Tom, I think we all respect good cops. It just seems that an amazing number of us have run into officers that seemed to be abusing their badge so that they could be in control and in power over others -- to the point where they feel that they can cause someone considerable physical harm when it wasn't necessary.

What makes it worse is that other cops cover that kind of behavior. When was the last time you ever saw one cop testify against another that had roughed someone that was submitting to arrest?

Sure, it's the criminal's fault that they're being arrested, but that sure as hell doesn't entitle a cop to act as judge, jury and executioner, does it?

-- oh, and as far as the cop killing thing, how does that enter into this? No one is condoning killing police officers, at least no one who is sober.