Posted on 02/01/2008 6:35:52 AM PST by Mr. Brightside
Taser video: Prosecutors reviewing trooper's action
By Nate Carlisle
The Salt Lake Tribune
Article Last Updated: 01/31/2008 02:11:10 PM MST
Posted: 2:11 PM- Prosecutors are determining whether the trooper who used a Taser on a motorist should be charged with crimes.
The case of Utah Highway Patrol Trooper John Gardner is being reviewed by prosecutors in Tooele County, who will determine if he broke the law. Lawyers in Tooele County are pondering charges at the request of the Utah Attorney General's office and to avoid conflicts for prosecutors in eastern Utah, where the traffic stop occurred.
Attorney general spokesman Scott Troxel said his office has completed a fact-finding review of Gardner's use of the Taser but has not made any recommendations to Tooele County prosecutors.
On Sept. 14, in an event recorded by a police dashboard camera, Gardner stopped driver Jared Massey for speeding on U.S. Highway 40 in Uintah County. Massey refused to sign the citation, setting off a dispute that ended when Gardner struck him twice with his Taser.
Massey posted the video on YouTube, turning the event into an Internet sensation. UHP has said Gardner did not violate any of its policies.
http://deseretnews.com/article/1,5143,695248860,00.html
Public outcry over the video, which was viewed more than 1 million times on YouTube, prompted the Utah Department of Public Safety to conduct a review of the stop. In November, UHP Col. Lance Davenport said an initial investigation showed that Gardner's use of the Taser was "lawful and reasonable under the circumstances."
A report on the internal affairs investigation was expected to be completed earlier this month, but has not yet been released. UHP spokesman Cameron Roden, contacted late Wednesday afternoon, was unable to reach investigators to determine the status of the report.
I’m surprised the terrified woman wasn’t tasered as well. What a brave guy this officer is. < /s>
The cop was outnumbered 4 to 1... if you count the infant in the car seat and the six month fetus.
If she had mentioned the Skull and Bones, she would have been!
Dont Taze me Bro! (that will be our generations version of “Give me liberty or give me death”)LOL
One of these days, one of these guys is going to get tasered back.
Thinking of something like “reactive armor”. The cop fires the laser ~ the wires brush your coat or cardoor, or something else with “reactive armor” hidden within, and whamo, the “armor” fires back with double the jolt.
Why was the motorist out of his car ?
According to comments at the YouTube site, the patrolman had asked the motorist to get out of the car.
bookmark
That makes no sense to me.
Did you see the story about a New Jersey cop that ticketed 14 patrol cars on his last day on the job?
The only better thing would have been if he tased fellow officers who objected.
The cop was given time off work and was forced to take an attitude adjustment “communication” course.
What did they do before tazers? Shoot them dead?
Depends on the state.
In some states you get out of the car and talk to the cop. In other states, he comes to you. I’ve been in almost every state and I’ve seen it both ways (No, I didn’t watch the video either).
I do know that in Oklahoma I was pulled over once for having a taillight out (brake I think it was) and the officer asked me over the PA system to come back to him. In another state in the NE I watched cops stop a vehicle and have the occupants step out of their car as well.
So, ask the other folks who watched the video... /shrug
I understand that the motorist was a direspectful, rude clown. Not excusing the officer, but I think it is mitigating.
When I was a state trooper you carried a sidearm and maybe a baton ( at night a flashlight ). I was in store yesterday in a moderate sized town and an officer came in about 5’9” 150 pounds. Poor guy had a sidearm, handcuffs, extra magazines, microphone control, ASP baton, small flashlight, a hand unit radio with ear piece and a taser.
Good Lord I bet that guy added 40 pounds around his waist.
My problem with all the PC push for non-lethal weapons is that todays officers have no negotiation tactics. In the old days you had to talk to someone and as a last resort tune them up worst case shoot them. Now a days if they look like they are going to argue you taser them.
I’m in Oklahoma quite a bit. I was not aware they bothered to pull over speeders.
Cops usually get a bad rap around here but this guy is a moron.
You could tell from his demeanor from the start that he was on a short fuse.
My only question is if refusal to sign a ticket in Utah is an arrestable offense because that’s why he told the guy to get out of the car. He was going to bust him for not signing.
What a great idea to pull these dash videos under records release and post them to YouTube.
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