Student Tasered at campus forum for Kerry

[Adrienne]

   Student Tasered at campus forum for Kerry

Story Highlights
NEW: Meyer spent night in jail, released Tuesday morning

John Kerry statement: "I regret ... a good healthy discussion was interrupted"

Andrew Meyer was asking questions at Kerry forum when police grabbed him

Police tried to remove Meyer from the room, then Tasered and arrested him
     
GAINESVILLE, Florida (AP) -- A university student with a history of taping his own practical jokes was Tasered by campus police and arrested after loudly and repeatedly trying to ask U.S. Senator John Kerry questions during a campus forum.




Student Andrew Meyer is surrounded by university police in Gainesville, Florida, on Monday.

 Andrew Meyer, 21, spent a night in jail before his release Tuesday morning. His attorney, Robert Griscti, did not return messages seeking comment.

Videos of the Monday night incident, posted on several Web sites and played repeatedly on television news, show officers pulling Meyer away from the microphone after he asks Kerry about impeaching President Bush and whether he and Bush were both members of the secret society Skull and Bones at Yale University.

"He apparently asked several questions -- he went on for quite awhile -- then he was asked to stop," university spokesman Steve Orlando said. "He had used his allotted time. His microphone was cut off, then he became upset."  Watch I-Reporter's disturbing video of Meyer being Tasered »

As two officers take Meyer by the arms, Kerry, D-Massachusetts, can be heard saying, "That's alright, let me answer his question."

Audience members applaud, and Meyer struggles for several seconds as up to four officers try to remove him from the room. Meyer screams for help and tries to break away from officers, then is forced to the ground and officers order him to stop resisting.

As Kerry tells the audience he will answer the student's "very important question," Meyer yells at the officers to release him, crying out, "Don't Tase me, bro," just before he is shocked by the Taser. He is then led from the room, screaming, "What did I do?"

Meyer was arrested on charges of resisting an officer and disturbing the peace, according to Alachua County jail records, but the State Attorney's Office had yet to make the formal charging decision. Police recommended charges of resisting arrest with violence, a felony, and disturbing the peace and interfering with school administrative functions, a misdemeanor.

Orlando said university police would conduct an internal investigation.

"The police department does have a standard procedure for when they use force, including when they use a Taser," Orlando said. "That is what the internal investigation would address -- whether the proper procedures were followed, whether the officers acted appropriately."

Meyer was ordered released from jail Tuesday on his own recognizance.

Meyer has his own Web site and it contains several "comedy" videos that he appears in. In one, he stands in a street with a sign that says "Harry Dies" after the latest Harry Potter book was released. In another, he acts like a drunk while trying to pick up a woman in a bar.

The site also has what is called a "disorganized diatribe" attributed to Meyer that criticizes the Iraq war, the news media for not covering the conflict enough and the American public for paying too much attention to celebrity news.


"I believe I could have handled the situation without interruption," Kerry said in a statement issued Tuesday, "but again I do not know what warnings or other exchanges transpired between the young man and the police prior to his barging to the front of the line and their intervention."

"I was not aware that a taser was used until after I left the building," Kerry's statement said. "I hope that neither the student nor any of the police were injured. I regret enormously that a good healthy discussion was interrupted." E-mail to a friend

Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/09/18/student.tasered.ap/index.html#cnnSTCText

[Bianca]

University of Florida student Andrew Meyer struggles with University Police as officers try to remove him from a question and answer session with Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., Monday, Sept. 17, 2007, in Gainesville, Fla. Meyer, 21, was Tasered and arrested after he angrily and repeatedly tried to ask Kerry about the 2004 election and other subjects during a campus forum. (AP Photo/Independent Florida Alligator, Andrew Stanfill)









I got really upset when I read this.  It's all over the net and the videos, too.

Surely, Mr. Kerry could have done something to stop the tasering.  The young man was
verbally obnoxious, true, but he was not a menace to any one's well-being, nor was he
armed.

He got tasered when he was already pinned down by FOUR cops.  Florida police are notorious:
they think nothing of arresting 5-6 year ods in Kindergarten for bad behaviour.
I know, I live in Florida.....

I hope he sues!


VIDEOS:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TIYTJ75U4NU&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Edailykos%2Ecom%2Ftag%2FJohn%2520Kerry

http://video.nbc6.net/player/?id=157250
http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/up/player/popup/?rn=49750&cl=4134379&ch=68276&src=news

[Bianca]

                                                In Gainesville Today (Taser story- many updates)






by dhonig
Tue Sep 18, 2007 at 03:09:20 PM PDT

UF President Bernard Machen sent a letter to students, faculty, alumni, and friends.  Text will follow.  He promised to hold a news conference.  A report on that, too, will follow.  There were also student protests at the school, and the tasered student was released from jail this morning. 





First, the letter:

To students, faculty, staff, alumni and friends:

I have received a great deal of communication and input last night and this morning regarding the incident that occurred Monday at the conclusion of a town hall forum being held by Sen. John Kerry. The incident resulted in a student being tasered.
We are interested in learning what happened and are taking the following immediate steps to ensure the university utilizes best practice protocols:

• University of Florida Police Chief Linda Stump has requested the Florida Department of Law Enforcement conduct a formal investigation into the arrest of UF student Andrew Meyer. An independent review such as this will make sure the results are objective and impartial. Chief Stump’s priority is to ensure that the public remains confident in the department’s ability to keep the campus safe.

• Two officers involved in the incident have been placed on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation.

• We plan to assemble a panel of faculty and students to review our police protocols, our management practices and the FDLE report to come up with a series of recommendations for the university.

• Administrators and police officials plan to analyze the incident and conduct an internal review and will consider changing protocols in response to this incident, if necessary.

• Finally, as is standard procedure, the State Attorney’s Office will review the charges brought against Mr. Meyer. We have communicated with the State Attorney and understand he plans to expedite his review.

I will talk about the incident and answer questions at a news conference scheduled for 2 p.m. in Emerson Alumni Hall.

J. Bernard Machen






There was a press conference. 
                                              The local paper, the Gainesville Sun, had a report:




University of Florida President Bernie Machen told members of the media assembled at a campus news conference that UF officials will take a number of steps following Monday's incident in which student Andrew Meyer was Tasered during an on-campus speech by Sen. John Kerry.

"This is a university, and we want to have civil discourse," Machen said. "The fact that it didn't occur is as troubling to me as it is to our students."

Machen said that two UPD officers involved have been put on paid administrative leave pending an investigation.

He also said he has asked the State Attorney's Office to "act expeditiously" in deciding whether to bring any charges in the incident.

Machen said that he did not see the incident and will wait for a full report before making any further decisions.

"We will make our decisions based on the external review," he said.






There was a small (200 people, by the report) student protest.  Giving credit where it is due, the police spokesman talked to the students:



But the march remained peaceful with protestors being met by a UF Police lieutenant. UF spokesman Steve Orlando also spoke to the group, who were told that two police officers, one the officer who used the Taser on student Andrew W. Meyer and the sergeant who had ordered the action, had been placed on paid administrative leave.

The police officers involved have been identified.  And, as noted above, they have been placed on leave:

Sgt. Eddie King and Officer Nicole Mallo have been placed on leave, said UF spokesman Steve Orlando Tuesday afternoon.

The two officers were identified as the supervising officer who had ordered that the Taser be used and the officer who used it.

In the same story, the review will NOT be done by the same department, but by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. The school is also responding with a student/faculty panel:

UF Police Chief Linda Stump has requested that the Florida Department of Law Enforcement conduct the formal investigation into Meyer's arrest. The officers' suspension is pending the outcome of the investigation.

The university also is planning to assemble a panel of faculty and students to review police protocols, management practices and the FDLE report and come up with recommendations for the university.

The student, Andrew Meyer, was released this morning.

[19Merlin69]

That video was hilarious...  I wish they would do that more often when people get out of hand like that.  Let's face it, he even admitted that his intention was to become disruptive, so, he got what he deserved when he also became aggressive.

Three cheers for Law Enforcement :  Hip-hip-Hooray!  Hip-hip-Hooray! Hip-hip-Hooray!

[Jade Hellene]

I doubt that you would like it very much if they were using that taser on you.

Yes, three cheers for America becoming a fascist society!!!  These days, we can lock people up indefinitely, invade their privacy and torture them to our heart's content, both before and after they are arrested!  It doesn't get any better than this for the giddy neocons.   

[19Merlin69]

Oh brother...  Over reaction alert!

It has nothing to do with fascism and everything to do with resisting arrest.  He was asked to stop 15 separate times, even John Kerry asked that he be removed.  He fought back and was then required to be restrained for his and the officer's protection.  He continued to fight, so he was "subdued" - which he continued to fight through.  Eventually physics took over and his nervous system couldn't take any more electrcity (that when the screaming like a little girl began).  It could have been worse though, he could have been the guy that got the living hell clubbed out of him at a Clinton rally when he began asking how Bill could tell the country with a straight face that oral sex isn't sex!  I think that guy probably wished that tasers were in wide use. 

I would never be in such a situation though Jade, I know when to shut my mouth (the moment the police show up).   

[rockessence]

What makes me ill in watching the tapes, people were actually appauding the police when they snatched hold of him!   

[19Merlin69]

Watch the tape clearly - Kerry directs them to "END the kid's diatribe".  The audience was tired of the guy's rampaging and I too would have invited the police to shut him up.  Free speech has limits - it cannot incite or cause harm.

[Jade Hellene]

Watch the tape clearly - Kerry directs them to "END the kid's diatribe".  The audience was tired of the guy's rampaging and I too would have invited the police to shut him up.  Free speech has limits - it cannot incite or cause harm.

Free speech has it's limits but they weren't reached in this occasion.  Just because someone goes on, just because they are annoying doesn't give the cops the right to taser him. 

And we have all seen the tape, Merlin.  Kerry acted badly by not taking steps to stop the tasersing, but he wasn't responsible for "directing the cops," spew that propaganda to people who don't know any better. 

[Jade Hellene]

Oh brother...  Over reaction alert!

It has nothing to do with fascism and everything to do with resisting arrest.  He was asked to stop 15 separate times, even John Kerry asked that he be removed.  He fought back and was then required to be restrained for his and the officer's protection.  He continued to fight, so he was "subdued" - which he continued to fight through.  Eventually physics took over and his nervous system couldn't take any more electrcity (that when the screaming like a little girl began).  It could have been worse though, he could have been the guy that got the living hell clubbed out of him at a Clinton rally when he began asking how Bill could tell the country with a straight face that oral sex isn't sex!  I think that guy probably wished that tasers were in wide use. 

I would never be in such a situation though Jade, I know when to shut my mouth (the moment the police show up).   

Merlin, have you even seen the tape??  The kid held up Greg Palast's book, "Armed Madhouse," asked Kerry about winning in Ohio, asked him if he and Bush were both in Skulls and Bones together, and, next thing we knew, he was getting led off.  He did not resist arrest, he simply never stopped talking, he even put his arms up at one time.  They pushed him down to the floor, the boy asked them not to taser him ("don't taser me, bro!"), and they did it anyway. 

Again, Kerry had nothing to do with it, other than to be a lame observer. 

[Anassa]

A few taser incidents

"In April of 2006, 56-year-old Emily Delafield, a wheelchair bound mental health patient died after receiving 10 separate jolts of electricity from a TASER. Ms. Delafield was dead within one hour of making the call to 911, the coroner has ruled the death a homicide. Yahoo News

In October of 2006, 17-year-old Roger Holyfield died after being shot twice with a “police stun gun”. Young Mr. Holyfield was carrying a bible while shouting “I want Jesus” when police officers attempted to subdue him. Officers say he became combative and only after several warnings did they shoot. MSNBC

In Colorado in 2004, an apartment dweller called for an ambulance stating something was wrong with his neighbor. When paramedics arrived they found they could not get close to Glen Leyba, who was thrashing violently and in distress. A police officer, hoping to restrain Mr. Leyba, fired her stun gun four times and after the fourth charge Mr. Leyba died. While the coroner ruled his death a **** overdose, Mr. Leyba’s sister stated, "The only thing we know for a fact is that he died immediately after the last TASER." CBS News

In New York, in 2004, the family of David Glowczenski called the police after Mr. Glowczenski, a schizophrenic, began screaming incoherently and refused to come back inside the house. When police arrived a struggle ensued and Mr. Glowczenski was repeatedly shocked with a stun gun as many as 9 times. He collapsed and died at the scene. The Suffolk County police investigation determined that appropriate force was used, but Jean Griffin, sister of the deceased, stated, "He had no weapon and had no committed no crime." The family is suing both the police department and the stun gun manufacturer. New York Times

In Colorado in 2006, Officer John Harris spotted Ryan Wilson, 22, stepping into a field containing a dozen, small marijuana plants. When Mr. Wilson ran, Officer Harris followed, which led to a half mile foot chase. The chase ended when Officer Harris fired his TASER, at which time Mr. Wilson fell to the ground in convulsions and stopped breathing. Officer Harris attempted to resuscitate Mr. Wilson, but Mr. Wilson died at the scene. The county coroner found no alcohol or drugs in Mr. Wilson’s system and declared it was the shock from the TASER, along with physical exertion and the fact that Mr. Wilson had unusually small arteries. An internal investigation cleared Officer Harris of any wrongdoing and it was determined that appropriate force was used. In These Times

Although the statistics differ on how many have actually died after being shocked by a TASER, some numbers state it is as high as 250 since the TASER has been introduced to law enforcement officials. Of course, not everyone who is tased dies, but many of those who do are mentally ill or under the influence of drugs and alcohol and this fact has led to a new and controversial diagnosis, Excited Delirium. The victims of this new disorder have certain things in common, they are typically over weight, on drugs, display violent and erratic behavior and interestingly enough, this disorder is often only diagnosed after death. It is said that Excited Delirium only raises its head while the victim is under stress and dealing with police custody. NPR

Law enforcement officials claim that TASERs are saving lives everyday because they don’t have to revert to fatal measures to control suspects and injuries among peace officers have dropped dramatically since the introduction. So TASERs appear to be effective, although fatal in some cases, but perhaps it is not the weapon that is the concern, perhaps it is the training, insight and maturity of those using electro-shock weapons.

In Michigan in 2005, two police officers on patrol had a disagreement over whether they should stop at a convenience store and purchase a soft drink. The argument led to a struggle over the steering wheel and ended when the thirsty Ronald Dupuis discharged his TASER into the leg of his partner, Prema Graham. MSNBC

In April of 2007, Allen Nelms, 52, dialed 911 to request assistance from paramedics for a diabetic seizure, when police arrived, kicking in his front door, they tasered him where he lay in bed. Mr. Nelms stated in his written complaint, "I respect the law and police but on this day I was a shooting target for them when I needed help." He has contacted an attorney. The Register

In 2004, Florida experienced two separate incidents of police officers using TASERs against children, a 6-year-old boy and a 12-year-old girl. MSNBC

Officer Randy Reynolds drew a warning from his superiors last year when a video of him tasering a friend in the genitals turned up on You Tube. The officer, on his way to work and in uniform, had stopped by a social gathering where a friend volunteered to be shocked. FOX News"


http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/viewArticle.asp?articleID=38173

[Bianca]

University of Florida student Andrew Meyer struggles with University Police as officers try to remove him from a question and answer session with Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., Monday, Sept. 17, 2007, in Gainesville, Fla. Meyer, 21, was Tasered and arrested after he angrily and repeatedly tried to ask Kerry about the 2004 election and other subjects during a campus forum. (AP Photo/Independent Florida Alligator, Andrew Stanfill)









I get really upset when I read this. 

Surely, Mr. Kerry could have done something to stop the tasering.  The young man was
verbally obnoxious, true, but he was not a menace to any one's well-being, nor was he
armed.

He got tasered when he was already pinned down by FOUR cops.  Florida police are notorious:
they think nothing of arresting 5-6 year olds in Kindergarten for bad behaviour.
I know, I live in Florida.....

I hope he sues!

[19Merlin69]

And we have all seen the tape, Merlin.  Kerry acted badly by not taking steps to stop the tasersing, but he wasn't responsible for "directing the cops," spew that propaganda to people who don't know any better. 

Watch it again and then read his testimony...  I'm not the one spewing, I leave that in your very capable and consistent hands.

[19Merlin69]

Merlin, have you even seen the tape??  The kid held up Greg Palast's book, "Armed Madhouse," asked Kerry about winning in Ohio, asked him if he and Bush were both in Skulls and Bones together, and, next thing we knew, he was getting led off.  He did not resist arrest, he simply never stopped talking, he even put his arms up at one time.  They pushed him down to the floor, the boy asked them not to taser him ("don't taser me, bro!"), and they did it anyway. 

Again, Kerry had nothing to do with it, other than to be a lame observer. 

Oh my God, are you kidding?  "HE NEVER RESISTED"? Clearly it is YOU who has not watched the tape.  Allow me to help point you in the right direction: 


Watch that for the entire 4+ minutes, and you will come out with a new, clear view of just how wrong you are.  By the way - waving, running, kicking, swinging your torso around and kicking all constitute "resisting".

You slay me Jade - I swear that you just say the opposite of everything I do - Just 'cause...

[Jade Hellene]

By the way - waving, running, kicking, swinging your torso around and kicking all constitute "resisting".

Oh, ridiculous, the police accosted him simply because he went on too long and they found him to be annoying.  All the kicking, etc. happened when they were forcing him down and trying to taser him.  If six police officers can't escort someone out of an auditorium without getting the cattle prod out, then what is this world coming to? 

You should just be happy it wasn't you, Merlin!