Posted on 05/11/2010 5:49:59 PM PDT by The Magical Mischief Tour
LAKE CITY, Ga. (MyFOX ATLANTA) - A man said Tuesday that he is disabled was cuffed and tasered by police in Lake City for parking in a handicapped zone. Police said the man resisted arrest.
Fifty-four-year-old Chester Bradford has an implanted defibrillator for his heart. Bradford said he is disabled and is entitled to a handicapped parking permit.
Bradford said that last December while grocery shopping at a Lake City Kroger store, he pulled into a handicapped space and was questioned by police.
"I told him I could show him the papers," Bradford said.
According to the police report, Bradford showed the officer a black decal, which is different from a permanent blue decal or a red temporary decal. The officer thought the decal was fake.
(Excerpt) Read more at myfoxatlanta.com ...
O.C.G.A. § 40-13-2.1
GEORGIA CODE
*** Current through the 2009 Regular Session ***
TITLE 40. MOTOR VEHICLES AND TRAFFIC
CHAPTER 13. PROSECUTION OF TRAFFIC OFFENSES
ARTICLE 1. UNIFORM TRAFFIC CITATION AND COMPLAINT FORM
O.C.G.A. § 40-13-2.1 (2009)
§ 40-13-2.1. Signature on citations required; effect of failure to sign; exemption for out-of-state drivers
(a) A person who is issued a citation as provided in this chapter or Code Section 17-6-11, relating to display of driver’s license in lieu of bail, shall sign the citation to acknowledge receipt of the citation and of his or her obligation to appear for trial. The officer shall advise the person that signing the citation is not an admission of guilt and that failure to sign will result in the person having to post a cash bond. If the person refuses to sign the citation, it shall constitute reasonable cause to believe that the person will not appear at trial and the officer may bring the person before a judicial officer or traffic violations bureau to post a bond as is otherwise provided by law.
(b) The provisions of subsection (a) of Code Section 17-6-11 shall not apply to a person in possession of a driver’s license issued by a state or foreign country that has not entered into a reciprocal agreement regarding the operation of motor vehicles with this state as provided in Chapter 5 of Title 40, which provides for the suspension of a driver’s license by the other state or foreign country of a person who fails to appear for trial of a traffic offense committed in this state.
HISTORY: Code 1981, § 40-13-2.1, enacted by Ga. L. 2000, p. 1313, § 5.
http://www.lexis-nexis.com/hottopics/gacode/
I have an ICD and wouldn’t think of claiming to be disabled. Walking in from a remote parking space is generally good for individuals with heart conditions.
But I also wouldn’t think of fighting with the cops. Even if so inclined, the ICD would make me think three or four times about getting into any situation where tasering is a possibility.
Oh good. Another blast the police thread. Maybe there are two sides to every story.
I remember going to Lake City once and having someone (think it was Thomas) tell us to be super careful about parking near some park that was there, because the cops were “rabid.” That was 15 years ago...apparently he was right, and not much has changed.
No...wrong pack of friends...it was Kevin and Jason...
thank you!
Someone should verify the date he got the defibrillator and why. It all sounds like a setup.
People can go ahead and call me a cop hater, which I am not.
I am getting tired of these taser happy cops. Sooner or later this crap is going to reach a point where the general population will say “enough” and the cops will lose the things. It’s too bad because the taser could be a useful tool for the right situation.
My spouse needed a permit for about 6 months once when she was hobbling around with a broken foot in a cast. I did the driving, but she had to get from the car to the store and vice versa, so we got a temporary handicapped permit.
They are good nationwide.
We went to San Diego ~ next thing you know my rented car was papered over with nasty stickers with total fines mounting into the hundreds of dollars.
That required us to go to the appropriate police department, show them the sticker, get a local one issued, and prepare for "court". I asked them to look at the federal law regarding handicapped stickers and it was one of those situations where you knew the officer/clerk would have pulled a gun on me if this had been in a parking lot somewhere.
We didn't pay the tickets ~ and they didn't ever try to track us down either ~ but I've never trusted any of the cops in San Diego county since ~ none of 'em. Ignant bunch of people.
This is an easy one, he brought it on himself
Good thing your device works as advertised. There are people who are not that lucky.
Bwahahahah~! Sure. I’ve no doubt that’s what the cops were thinking ~ this ol’ coot just had that defibrillator installed so he can entrap us ~ so TAZE ON!!!
That title is misleading. He was arrested for failure to sign a traffic citation and tasered for resisting arrest.
Guess the fuzz had already filled their quota
of ‘protecting and serving’ that day...
They tasered him after they put him in handcuffs?
Wusses.
Nice to see that there is no discrimination here. A tazer should be used only when a firearm may injure innocent people, not because the cop is lazy or too slow to catch a fan on a ballfield. Maybe having a bad day and is trying to make a point..Zap!
The problem with the story is that it says he was handcuffed, and THEN began struggling and a SECOND officer tased him.
Are you trying to tell me that TWO cops can’t subdue an old man who is ALREADY in handcuffs?
There is a thing called escalation of force, and you escalate the level of force needed to gain compliance one step at a time. Tasering seems to be used awfully early in that progression these days.
Again, there were TWO cops. The guy was ALREADY in handcuffs. It doesn’t make sense that they would have needed to tase him to get compliance at that point.
Interesting that AAA doesn’t know about the federal law that’s been on the books since George HW Bush!
You base your decision from one side?
I did not know about a federal law. I did say I didn’t call any states but I just remembered I called AZ and they said I need a temp from their DMV (2006). Didn’t get it. Well, then I wont be concerned about it at all.
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