RSSOVER-REACTION at The University of Florida, Gator Student Andrew Meyer Tasered & Arrested at John Kerry Forum
Over-reaction? Free speech? The University of FL is still a state run college, is it not?
Ok folks, now this is where you are supposed to complain about “free speech” rights being violated. A University of Florida student, Andrew Meyers, was tasered and arrested on Monday at a Q & A session held by the university for a John Kerry forum. Tasered? Rather amazing seeing that conservative speakers have been actually physically assaulted at college campuses and nothing like this was ever done. Seems that some at Columbia University should have been tasered as well.
Think this might be a bit of an over-reaction? UF, better get your attorneys at the ready, you are going to need them on this one.
Here is another video of the event. A moonbat none the less, this is an over-reaction.
Andrew Meyer, 21, asked Kerry why he did not contest the 2004 presidential election, which he lost to President Bush, and why there had been no moves to impeach Bush.
“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.”
While as many as four police officers tried to remove Meyer from the forum, he yelled for help and asked “What did I do?” Minutes after Meyer started speaking, he was Tasered.
Could anyone imagine what the news articles would have read like if this occurred at a George W. Bush, John McCain or Giuliani forum? There would have been one or two “storm trooper” references for sure.
Read More here:
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Stop the ACLU, Geez! Sure the guy asked stupid questions to Kerry, but did it really have to go this far?
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Ace: Don’t expect to see this make the news. Only Republicans are complicit in the Ill Winds Chilling Dissent.
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Michelle Malkin: A University of Florida student/eyewitness shares what he saw
UF student Tasered at Kerry forum
UPDATE I: John Kerry Upset with Police reaction
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The Raw Story: At the ABC’s Political Radar blog, Rick Klein reports that Kerry is condemning the arrest of 21-year-old University of Florida student Andrew Meyer.
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The Jawa Report: Truther, HEEELLLLLP!
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The Carpetbagger Report: For his part, Kerry was apparently trying to defuse the situation, trying to answer the student’s questions and asking everyone to stay calm. Today, the senator responded to the incident.
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Michelle Malkin: UF president schedules 2pm press conference…plus: Andrew Meyer, professional taunter
UPDATE II: Two Florida University Police Officers On Leave after Andrew Meyer Taser Incident at Kerry Forum
(CNN) — Two University of Florida police officers were placed on leave with pay after using an electronic stun gun to subdue a student who was questioning Sen. John Kerry at a campus forum, the school’s president said Tuesday.
But the student’s behavior and past activities are prompting questions about whether the incident was part of a stunt.
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Comments
58 Responses to “OVER-REACTION at The University of Florida, Gator Student Andrew Meyer Tasered & Arrested at John Kerry Forum”
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Hugo Chavez, take heart. Left wing tolerance at its best in America.
When the questions get too hectic, throw ‘em in jail.
Wow, this goes to show how disengenuous guys like Kerry are.
Here he had the opportunity to embrace a moonbat/tin foil hat/troofer/MoveOn.org-r and instead he had him escorted out and Tasered.
Guys like Kerry will pander to whatever crowd they are in front of….but as soon as one of their own asks a difficult question they turn on them.
Geesh….and they think Bush is trying to invade our lives and restrict our freedoms!
md
Well ya know? There are very good and respectable policemen and policewomen.However there are also pigs!Police that misuse their power as in this case.This pig should be fired as a cop and put in prison.
If the kid had shut his trap
and done as he was told, he
wouldn’t have been zapped.
#4 The police force used excessively violence for this “crime”. FIVE police officers on his back and they tasered him anyway. True heroes. Seems there is also a sensure on freedom of speech.
Sorry, but I agree with #4. Take a more unbiased look at the video…they guy is clearly grandstanding and giving a SPEECH when there are plenty of others waiting to actually ask a question (as it’a a question and answer format). They gave him plenty of time to have his say, but for whatever reason, he clearly seems to think the entire event it about him and his personal beliefs. When they told him his time was up and he should move on, he became beligerant, then bordering on hysterical, acting like he’s being assaulted when the police are simply trying to move him along so others can participate in the event.
“If the kid had shut his trap and done as he was told, he wouldn’t have been zapped”.
True, true………….
Absolutely, our forefathers and military hero’s have died so police officers can use whatever force necessary to subdue someone that is grandstanding and giving a SPEECH. Let this be a lesson to all the kids out there: You are in the wrong country if you think you can ask a question regarding impeaching the president or presidential candidates linked to secret societies. You want freedom of speech without the risk of death or imprisonment, move to a different country…we don’t want you here. Our government and country became the super power it is today because no one ever questioned authority or asked pertinent questions.
I am sure the troops in Iraq would be proud to here their fight to save our freedom is working!!!! Keep up the good work, and may Allah bless you!!!!
_________
SM: Hmm … let’s not go overboard … next thing you may be tasered by the UF police.
Also, please post under the same name … changing your name and pretending to be multiple people with multiple complaints is old. So pick a name and stick with it … as that little old IP does not change.
R
He could have died…1 in 800 people die as a result of a police tazer… compare that to the odds of dieing in a terrorist attack (1 in 88,000)…or 1 in 10,455 of dying in your bathtub…seems like the United States has trouble putting its priorities in order.
__________
SM: Steve, come on … pick a name.
R
Firstly, you can see and hear John Kerry in the video, telling the police that he wants to answer the kid’s question, so let’s not accuse the man of having him arrested.
Secondly, why do the words “actually physically assaulted” link to a post about Ann Coulter getting verbally heckled?
I agree that this kid was being an obnoxious turd and he should have rightfully been removed from the forum. But they did not need to use the excessive force of tasering to subdue him. Yes he was going off and screaming, but they could have handled it differently and diffused the situation in a less hostile manner.
TEhe police ATTACKED this kid, who was clearly not a threat to anyone (I don’t see fatigues?), and continued to physically restrain him when he was far away from the microphone. We live in a police state, folks, and this is more evidence of that fact.
I don’t care who the kid is, a rightwad or a leftwit or something in between, the fact is if you are laying on the floor and unarmed with four cops on you there is NO REASON to be tasered. Unless the cops are rookie pussies.
What he said makes no difference at all.
I hope the kid sues the shit out of the Gainsville police.
“grandstanding” and “speechgiving” no matter how rude does not excuse 4-5 cops tasering him to save them a little time and effort.
Screw that. If cops can’t act like cops they should have their badges taken away. If we wanted mobs with tasers to take care of things we’d hire mobs with tasers.
I personally think that Andrew’s first two questions , regarding 2004 election and impeachment, were very appropriate (of course he shouldn’t have been so blunt in his wording regarding oral sex). Unfortunately, he was grandstanding and belligerent and therefore reduced himself to a joke and took attention away from his questions. If he played it cooler and cared more for the truth he would have let everyone else pay attention to Kerry’s answers. Regardless if he was a “conspiracy nut”, his questions were pertinent (except for the Skull and Bones questions. go see the movie or something)
This kid is the next Geraldo Rivera. Somebody get him a journalist job. Other journalist are afraid to ask the real questions. Maybe if we had more people like Andrew Meyer, our political system and broken borders would be healthy.
GOOD JOB ANDREW!!!!!!!!!!!! WE LOVE YOU!!!!!
10. I agree, what next, if you question a cop about something you are being accused of you can get tasered?
“Goooooodbye American…..Helloooooo Russia”
Its nice to see that our brave forefathers and soldiers did not fight for our freedom in vain. Of course it occurred during a question regarding the impeachment of GW Bush…although they attempted to censor him, ironically his questions will reach millions more. I am sure our brave soldiers fighting in Iraq would be glad to hear that their fight for our freedoms is failing miserably. How many people have been censored the past couple weeks because of anti-war comments??? Sally Field, Eddie Vedder, Tom Morello, Tazer Kid…how many have been censored since the beginning of the invasion??? WOW! What a wonderful society we have created for our children.
__________
SM: Steve ,,, argument getting old.
Trying doing any form of any type of disagreement in another country and off to prison ya go.
What they should have done was power slam his ass
to the floor, and put a fat knee in his back
so he couldn’t continue on disturbing
people with his own special version
of Masterpiece Cry Baby Theater.
1-2 officers could’ve handled that task.
It shouldn’t have been allowed
to linger for as long as it did.
They gave him several chances to shape up,
he kept on acting like an idiot, so they
moved on to the next step in the training
manual. It was his decision all along.
He kept taking it to the next level.
Resisting and fighting with a LE Officer is
still considered illegal
in the US, right?
…
“Cuff ‘em and stuff ‘em”
-Roscoe P. Coletrain
are you kidding me. this had nothing to do with politics. the kid is a prankster. this was done as a prank for shock value. it was university of florida property, and the university police have every right to ask anyone to leave at anytime for any reason. the kid got his just desserts…
I think it was an OJ set-up. He must have seen another student get out of hand like that. He had a camera crew with him, and then he spouted off that the government was going to kill him. I agree that Kerry was spineless and should have intervened, but had it been the Bush goon squad they would have taken Andrew out of the room much quicker and smashed the camera’s that followed. Andrew needs a bit of therapy.
From watching the video, he didn’t seem like much of a threat to me. I’ll admit he was out of line. I agree he needed to be removed from the stage. If you look at the police reaction, it was like they saw something I didn’t. Considering him a security threat for trying to speak what’s on his mind and probably offending a lot of people including Kerry. Come to think of it, the police were probably offended. That explains their harsh reaction. If he was properly warned and informed of what he was doing wrong and that he could be arrested for it, I’m sure he wouldn’t have reacted the same way. It went from get off the mic, we’re arresting you and taking you off the mic, now we are going to taser you if you don’t calm down. He obviously didn’t understand what was going on and he panicked. I think a large number of people would have reacted the same way he did, there’s either a problem with the police or the procedures here.
Luckily, their phasers were only set to stun. This jackass was disruptive, hostile, and potentially dangerous to others. He acted far beyond his rights to free speech, broke the rules and got fried.
Now watch the campuses create their UCP “hands off” policies, that is until the next jackass pulls out a gun and snuffs a sitting senator.
To Dave. First, if he has something to say and is prone to panicking and becoming belligerent, he shouldn’t have chosen that arena to create a spectacle. He is either the type of person that opens his mouth and screws things up someway, or he is a deliberate trouble maker. If it’s the first, he still deserves his freedom of speech. If it’s the second, he deserves to be ignored.
This kid went over his time limit when asking Kerry his question. He was then told to finish; he continued for 2 more minutes; his microphone was cut off; he continued anyway; police told him to go sit down; he didn’t, so they went to arrest him. He resisted arrest, six officers tried to subdue him to no avail and so they had no choice but to subdue him. He choose not to obey orders by the people putting John Kerry’s Forum together, so the police had no choice but to make him, he continued not to, so they tasered him. End of discussion.
This student had used up his allotted time with Kerry and was asked to wrap it up. The student refused.
The student was then asked to leave. He refused.
The student was then escorted out. He refused to comply. The student then began to physically assault the officers. The officers responded by taking him to the ground to handcuff him. While on the ground he continued to kick and resist the officers. That was why he was tased.
You should check out this kid’s website. He has a couple of videos that he made of himself. In one, he is pretending to be drunk at a bar and trying to pick up women. In another, he took video footage of himself along the side of a road with a sign that reads “Harry Died” right after the last Harry Potter book came out. This kid is a real piece of work.
I hate police brutality as much as anyone, but only in cases where such brutality and abuse of power actually exist. I have no idea why people are labeling this as a supposed instance of police brutality. The bottom line is that this moron was told to stop interrupting the public event, which he blatantly refused to do. Then, when the police began to remove him from the auditorium, simply trying to lead him out peacefully at first, he became belligerent. You can plainly see him struggling with the police and trying to get away (possibly trying to further escalate the situation by causing even more trouble). The police forced him to the rear of the building so as to prevent others from being hurt as he continued to struggle with authorities. At this point, he is obviously not complying with the officers’ orders, and is in fact committing a serious crime as he is resisting arrest. He is forced to the ground to be handcuffed, and yet he still insists on struggling with the police. Rather than struggling with him and physically forcing him into restraints, an action that could in fact injure the idiot, the police tasered the student to force him into compliance without hurting him (of course being tasered in unpleasant, but it prevents officers from being forced to use physical means that could cause much more serious injury). What are the police to do in these situations; are they to put themselves at risk and just hope that the assailant doesn’t burst out violently and batter them? If they hadn’t diffused the situation, wouldn’t the safety of the public been put at risk? This retard could have lashed out violently and hurt people, and the police simply did their duty in safely putting an end to a potentially dangerous situation. This has nothing to do with the government impeding free speech, Mr. Meyer failed to comply with the justified orders of a police officer and they physically resisted arrest. This arrest was done by the book, no one was seriously injured, and the assailant was successfully taken into custody. I am sure that a lawsuit will be filed, but I surely hope that it fails in court and that all of the officers involved are completely cleared of any wrongdoing.
Thank you Officer for that fine legal police force justification for the use of excessive force. 6 beefy officers feel threatened by an unarmed kid at a peaceful very public dialog. Pull out the ol 9mm. done. end of story.
Dave,
Yes…
PANIC BUTTON MELTDOWN
The kid was scared silly, he didn’t
know whether to shite or go blind!
You people who are blaming Kerry (who I don’t want to defend because I do think the guy is a pandering liar) for this incident are IDIOTS!!! FIRST OF ALL, the people who subdued “andrew” were not POLICE. They were campus security guards. So stop calling them “pigs.” SECOND, “Andrew” (I’ll bet you anything that he’s a momma’s boy, who was raised by his mother alone, a spoiled ass who get’s everything he wants in life) RAMBLED ON AND ON FOR MINUTES, WHEN EACH PARTICIPANT WAS TOLD THEY WOULD ONLY HAVE TWO QUESTIONS. He was first asked to stop. HE REFUSED.
Then his microphone was turned off and asked to leave. HE REFUSED and began shouting so Kerry could here him.
They then told him he was going to be removed if he did not voluntarily leave. HE IGNORED THEM and kept shouting.
They then tried to escort him from the room. He TOTALLY resisted. Throwing his arms, yelling. (If you watch the tape you’ll notice that his is the only voice heard.)
When they got him closed to the door he began violent; wailing his arms, running away from the guards and yelling louder. (What were they supposed to do? Apologize, lead him back to the floor and turn the mic back on??)
At one point they warned him that if he did not stop, they were going to “tase” him. ALL HE HAD TO DO WAS SHUT UP!!! A child could understand that!! Did he stop? NO!
Screw that kid! All he needs is to learn how to respect others, AND LISTEN TO THEM, like he wants to be listened to. Guys like him only want to shout and be heard, but when you try to speak, they get upset.
maybe as ask kicking would help.
i don’t give a flip that kerry was harassed, he deserved it, but this kid made a fool out of himself and hurt his own efforts.
dennisintn
STLpublicsafety, your information is wrong and your comments are way out of line. The student was not “escorted out.” If you even watched the video once (which I doubt) you would see that Meyer was obviously trying to GET AWAY from those officers, and they persisted in assaulting HIM, continually pawing and tearing at his shirt and grabbing at his body. Contrary to what you describe, the student did not “physically assault” the officers, he made every effort to get away from them, even raising his hands completely in the air several times and trying to get away and leave the auditorium on his own. About seven officers then wrestled him to the ground and even though they had him totally under their control by sitting on top of him and had him handcuffed, they still Tasered him. They ought to be fired over this and he should sue the school.
Thankfully it’s all on video and now the public can see that it’s the POLICE who are out of control. All he was trying to do was say his piece and ask some questions, Kerry was ready to answer them, the police were totally out of line and should have just let him leave without incident, he did nothing illegal and never made any physical threat against anyone. Did you ever hear of the right to free speech? Or maybe you are a visitor to this country, have you ever heard of the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights? You need to read those, STLpublicsafety.
I also fault Kerry in this, he has issued a statement saying he didn’t know the student was Tasered until he had left the building. Come on, didn’t everyone in the auditorium hear the student’s cries of pain? Kerry should have told the officers to back off and he would answer the questions, and things would have ended peacefully, instead of making a stupid joke and behaving like a wimp.
John Smith, did YOU watch the video? He was being escorted out of the building by the officials, and he tried to elude them and run back towards the front of the auditorium. After not complying with the officials’ orders and causing a disturbance, he was going to be placed under arrest and thereafter HE CANNOT LAWFULLY TRY TO RUN AWAY FROM THE POLICE. At that point they needed to subdue him in order to enforce the law. The very fact that he was indeed trying to run away from the officials contrary to their orders is an offense, known as resisting arrest. The officers DID NOT assault him, they were attempting to place him under arrest, and because he would not comply they needed to use force. He was tasered because he persisted in resisting arrest after the police had him on the ground; are the police just supposed to wait and hope that he eventually listens and calms down? Not only that, but his flailing around could have hurt the officials or someone else. In fact, it was ‘nice’ of the officials to use the taser and not resort to physically forcing him into compliance with other more painful means (the taser, while unpleasant, is no where near as painful as the kid makes it look, he is just grandstanding and trying to create a case for himself against the school, which I suspect was his goal all along). If the kid did not violently resist being led out of the room, none of this would have occurred. People need to begin understanding that they cannot disregard the reasonable orders of a police officer simply because they do not feel as though they have done anything wrong. I too am very glad that this whole incident was caught on video as it clearly shows, to any level-minded person, that Mr. Meyer broke the law and the campus officials responded according to approved procedures. I sincerely hope that this kid is successfully prosecuted.
“DON’T TAZE ME BRO.”
If they were “real” cops rather than out of shape/out of practice/hit on chicks all day campus cops he would have been cuffed and taken out without being zapped.
Those “cops” should be fired.
Matt, you are apparently unaware of the law, the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights, I suggest you read them. Guess what, Matt, Americans do under the law have a right to free speech, and “resisting arrest” when no crime has been committed is not a crime! In fact, he had every right to resist arrest when he had done nothing wrong except to ask some questions in an obnoxious way. There was no reason to arrest Meyer, he was not physically or verbally threatening anyone and did offer to leave, he just seemed to want his questions answered and Kerry agreed to answer his questions. The officers never charged him with anything while he was in the auditorium, nor did they make any effort to read him his rights before assaulting him, handcuffing and then Tasering him.
If you view the video of what happened after they left the auditorium (also available on YouTube) you will see that the officers had no charge against him and when he repeatedly asked them a female officer said he was being charged with “inciting a riot.” Come on, there’s no way he could ever be charged with that. In fact, the speaker, Kerry, agreed to answer the questions. Yes, it’s all there on tape if you take the time to view it.
And guess what, Matt, if you or one of your friends tried to speak your point of view at a public meeting you could be the next one arrested and Tasered for little or no reason, did you ever think of that? You may disagree with what Meyer said or the way in which he said it, but the police had no right to threaten him when he was not threatening anyone and volunteered to leave under his own recognizance.
John, MEYER WAS DISTURBING THE PEACE – THAT IS A MISDEMEANOR AND IS NOT WITHIN ONE’S RIGHT TO FREEDOM OF SPEECH! Read up on the law, there are definite limits on one’s freedom of speech in this country as demonstrated in many examples from the history of the judicial system. One cannot insight a riot. One cannot yell fire in a crowded theater. One cannot run down the street yelling obscenities at random people. THIS CASE HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH ONE’S FREEDOM OF SPEECH! Meyer was disturbing the peace by disrupting a public event. He could have demonstrated outside if he was upset with Kerry. He could have said his peace then left quietly when instructed to do so. If the police allowed this sort of thing, it could escalate into a riot; and sense Meyer was shouting for people to rise up against the officials, he could have been charged with inciting a riot without question. If the police didn’t protect public gatherings from people disturbing the peace, then every event would inevitably be quashed by hecklers. Note that the police draw lines when there is a public demonstration so as to protect the rights of various groups wishing to make their voice heard. Both parties have the right to voice their opinion, but once a demonstrator crosses the line and tries to break up the opposing side’s gathering, they are arrested so as to prevent violence and protect the right of the opposing group to demonstrate. Meyer crossed the line when he attempted to disrupt Kerry’s event, and therein he was in clear breach of statutory law. At that point, he no longer had the right to ‘demonstrate his free speech’ in that forum because of the nature of his actions. Thus, he could be arrested because he was in breach of the law, and struggling with the officers thereafter was resisting arrest without any doubt. He was under arrest, and regardless of what his view on that fact was he needed to cooperate with authorities at that point. He put up a fight, which put the officers in danger, which resulted in him being tased to bring him under control. Since he resisted being lawfully arrested, Meyer is now being charged with a FELONY CRIME that will leave him with a criminal record if convicted. ARRESTING SOMEONE IS NOT AND CANNOT BE CONSIDERED ASSAULT! Furthermore, since when do the police read one his or her rights BEFORE subduing, handcuffing, and bringing the individual under control? The police must read one his or her rights, but they firstly need to diffuse the situation. Meyer was read his rights and told what charges where being brought against him after he was under control – standard procedure in every police department I know of in this country. Additionally, do note that Meyer only offered to leave AFTER he was under arrest; leaving was no longer an option after he was under arrest and had resisted being taken into custody. I have viewed the video many times, from different perspectives, and I do not see how people think that Meyer’s actions were acceptable. Please, read up on the law surrounding the issues related to this case, and I think that it will become apparent that not only did Meyer break the law, but the police acted as they should have and indeed needed to under standard procedure.
Under New York State Penal Law, it looks like the charge would be disorderly conduct as opposed to disturbing the peace:
PL 240.20 Disorderly conduct: A person is guilty of disorderly conduct when with intent to cause public inconvenience, annoyance or alarm, or recklessly creating a risk thereof: 1. He engages in fighting or in violent, tumultuous or threatening behavior; or 2. He makes unreasonable noise; or 3. In a public place, he uses abusive or obscene language or makes an obscene gesture; or 4. Without lawful authority, he disturbs any lawful assembly or meeting of persons; or 5. He obstructs vehicular or pedestrian traffic; or
6. He congregates with other persons in a public place and refuses to comply with a lawful order of the police to disperse; or 7. He creates a hazardous or physically offensive condition by any act which serves no legitimate purpose.
It is obvious that Meyer’s actions fulfill the description of disorderly conduct under section 5 of the description of the law.
I dunno, but it seems the term “drama queen” comes to mind when viewing this tape.
I agree with YoYo that the
mini me campus cops need to
get their stuff together!
Their performance was abysmal. I wouldn’t
go as far as firing people just yet.
… but that little sh_t escalated
the situation at every turn…
He WAS harrassing the Speaker, a United States
Senator, at a public campus event, and it very well could have started a riot!
The kid took his freedom of speech privileges, and abused them by rudely not moving on when
his time was up. It was time for someone else
to have a turn.
If the cops wanted to give
him a nurple, and drop kick his sorry a$$
through the football field uprights,
they can and will do it in order to
keep the peace. Screw him, who does
he think he is?
All he had to do was chill for a minute,
and shut his trap. Everything would have
been okay, they probably would have shown
him the exit door.
We need to give him
the nickname ‘SPAZ!’
Heck, I’ve known Girl Scouts
who’ve discovered snakes in their tents whilst
camping out that made less freakin’ racket than
that li’l candy a$$, wuss-ket yesterday!
#33 Nurterer
ROFL
We need to get that on a t-shirt!
That was hysterical when he said
that!!! That dude will be hearing
that line over and over from his
buddies for the next DECADE.
Well said John Smith!
It should be kept in mind that these days, the perceived risk of assassination or other violence directed at a public figure, especially one in politics, is very high.
In other words, I’m not saying that this kid intended anything. But I’m sure that the college and the police were on tenterhooks about something happening … and anyone who was showing signs of erratic behavior would raise these fears.
#19-I totally agree. What what I understand, the kid gave HIS video camera to someone else and asked to be filmed. He’s out to make a buck on all the talk shows, claiming total and surprised innocence, and everyone around the country gets pulled into it, taking sides. Meanwhile, this JackAss rides off into the sunset, content with his success.
And, believe it or not, I agree with many who have said here that there didn’t need to be 4-5 police handling this mutton-head…1-2 skilled police that know how to diffuse and/or efficiently and professionally remove a jerk should have been enough…and a taser never should have been needed for this egomaniac.
SO are you saying he KNEW that the police were going to treat him with an unnecessary amount of brutality for speaking his mind at a political Q and A?????
He was tasered AFTER being handcuffed…OUTRAGEOUS…Based off a few highly biased news article written about the incident some of you have already deciphered his intentions and motives…WOW you guys are good! I flunked mind reading class years ago…
How was he supposed to know that he would be assaulted for not breaking any laws? HE is the victim in this crime, not John Kerry, Not the School, Not the police.
Yes he was over zealous, but he was speaking of the most devastating incident to humanity in his lifetime (Iraq War). Hundreds of thousands of innocent people have died, millions have turned to refugees, soldiers and their families have been devastated…yea, he was emotional, but no one in the room, especially John Kerry was ever in any danger.
A true American in ever aspect of the phrase. If you are not able to speak your mind at an open-mike question and answer, without being assaulted, where can you speak?
Those in the media that are spinning this so he looks like he deserved it or he was doing it as a prank are cowards, they don’t know him, and neither do you.
Stephen:
1) HE DID BREAK THE LAW (read the definition of disorderly conduct)!
2) Because he broke the law, police ARRESTED him, they DID NOT assault him.
3) The taser was used because he was out of control, regardless of whether or not he was handcuffed. Are the police just supposed to let someone flail about wildly as long as they are handcuffed? His erratic behavior could have injured an officer, himself, or a member of the public; he needed to be brought under control.
4) I would argue that he put people in danger, but even assuming that he did not, how does that mean that he did not commit a crime? I could put graffiti on a wall or vandalize property without necessarily putting someone in danger, but does that mean that my action are legal or that I should not be arrested for undertaking such action?
5) “If you are not able to speak your mind at an open-mike question and answer, without being assaulted, where can you speak?” I would suggest one should speak in a manner that does not violate the law; then one will be able to practice his or her free speech rights without any threat of punishment.
Suggested reading when making an argument:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Appeal_to_emotion
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_fallacies
Well, watching this video there is no question that Andrew Meyer didn’t have to behave the way he did, HOWEVER, I do not agree that the actions that took place were in any way necessary.
There were what? 3-5 police officers on the guy? So are we to understand that multiple police offers are not expected to have the ability to restrain one guy without resorting to using a taser? Maybe we just need to train our officers better. Sure Meyer was scrambling all over the place but they finally got him on the ground and they still felt it was necessary?
What’s the deal with tasers anyway? Seems like all you ever hear anymore is that a cop shows up and whips out a taser to resolve the situation. We did just fine without tasers for God knows how long. Are our police officers just lazy?
Anyway, I’m on Meyer’s side on this. Those that are against him are immediately referencing his reputation as a prankster and instigator of attention and believe he deserved what he got. Despite what he has done prior to this incident or what his intentions may have been at that Kerry forum it did not have to go that far.
To Stephen (aka Jim)#44. I agree that, despite Andrew’s less than conductive behavior, we must always defend our right to free speech, lets also reflect on this event in relation to Virginia Tech. While the officers may not have selecte the best possible solution to the situation, with the specter of VA Tech so fresh, security on campuses will be a little strained for a while. I feel that officers should not be punished beyond their suspension. Hell, Andrew even absolved the officers. Here is a quote from today’s Washington Post, take it for whatever you will:
“In the police report of the incident, officers state that Meyer calmed down once in the squad car, even joking with them and saying, ‘I am not mad at you guys; you didn’t do anything wrong.’”
It really bothers me that so many immediately critize police officers without really knowing what all occurred…for them it doesn’t matter..it had to the fault of the officer.
Sadly, when police officers were killed over the last couple of weeks, that same outcry did not come from anyone. In fact, it was barely reported on the television versus the 200 times a day this college boy’s video has been played. Before my husband was allowed to carry his tazer he had to be tazered himself so that he would know what it felt like. Unlike the dead officers, my husband experienced the pain and went about his day.
While I expect my police officer husband to be respectful of people, I also want him to come home safe to me and my two sons.
Regardless of what many think, most police officers really are good & caring people. They’re certainly not so bad when those same people need them…huh?
When attending the funeral of one of my husband’s collegues a few years ago, this was distributed to all that attended.
________________________________
“I am the Officer”
I have been where you fear to be, I have seen what you fear to see, I have done what you fear to do -
All these things I have done for you.
I am the person you lean upon, The one you cast your scorn upon, The one you bring your troubles to -
All these people I’ve been for you.
The one you ask to stand apart, The one you feel should have no heart, The one you call “The Officer in Blue,”
But I’m just a person, just like you.
And through the years I’ve come to see, That I am not always what you ask of me;
So, take this badge … take this gun …
Will you take it … will anyone?
And when you watch a person die and hear a battered baby cry, Then do you think that you can be all these things you ask of me?
I don’t think anyone here is criticizing our brave United States police force in its entirety. Sure, there are a large number of ex police officers behind bars, but that doesn’t mean that they are all criminals, and it also doesn’t mean that they are all infallible. Police officers cross the line all the time and they are held to the same letter of the law as the rest of us. Two studies have found that at least 40% of police officer families experience domestic violence, (1, 2) in contrast to 10% of families in the general population.(3) A third study of older and more experienced officers found a rate of 24% (4), indicating that domestic violence is 2-4 times more common among police families than American families in general. Unfortunately, the personality type that draws an individual to becoming a police officer also makes them prone to being physically abusive…
To Pam:
No disrespect to the good men and women police officers out there, this really has nothing to do with cops in general and really would be a completely different topic altogether if we did go into the whole good cop/bad cop arguement because in the end both kinds exist in high numbers.
The news did cover the recent killings of police officers from what I saw and I actually had only the internet to inform me of this particular incident and the University of Florida. For the most part the only thing the news seems to be covering as of late is O.J. Simpson.
Anyway, I do get what you’re saying and I definetly appreciate the police officers out there who serve us
any news on Natalee Holloway ? i thought we were never supposed to go away.now it seems that she is all but forgotten. there has got to be a better story than this one !
I agree that not all officers are good and all ar not bad. My point is that many have immediately critized these police officers. Those people were not there and do not know everything that was said between the officers and/or the college student. Many witnesses state that the officers told the student, while attempting to subdue him on the ground, that if he did not stop resisting he would be tazered (he was warned). Just before the boy was tazered he is seen in the video continuing to raise up and argue with the officers. He should have been smart enough to lay still on the ground and listen to what he was told to do. Instead I guess he thought that if he continued to resist and hollar that he did not want to be tazered they would just get off of him and leave him alone. Unfortunately, it does not work that way and it was too late at that point. He was only sorry for causing a problem when he was getting in trouble.
whatever happened to the good old “choke hold” i’d like to have seen it applied to this fool, lol, 30 or so minutes would have been sufficient.
dennisintn
After reading so much on this, it seems that a lot of people do not agree with the action of the security team. However, no one ever question how the security team should act.
It is very clear from the video that this guy starts to get hostile with the security officers present. Not only was he not intimedated, he even provoked them to take action. It is clear that he ochestrated what’s going to happen.
May be instead of tasing him, the officers should wrestle with him and in the process break one or 2 of his arms and legs to get him sub-due. But then there will be more reason for someone to fuel hatred against law and order.
John Kerry showed that he was scumbag. I hope that Andrew Meyer stop his advocacy for this spineless guy. Officer Nicole Lynn Mallo was very agressive and she did not need to use the taser. There were four giant police officers right on the student back and they could have handcuffed Andrew left hand in little more time. This officer shpuld be fired. Poor guy this happened two days after his birth day.
Andrew Meyer being physically assaulted for excercising his civil right to speak and/or to protest particularly in a town hall forum at a state university with a democratic leader on stage is extremely disturbing. The only thing more disturbing are the personal attacks against him that have followed as some sort of perverted justification. Equally as disturbing is the lack of clarity folks have about how wrong, illegal, and against the very foundation of American ideals and principals what happened to him is. FREEDOM, since it seems so many have forgotten or have never had the need to learn it, means no heavy hand of the state/government/police/military when one opens ones mouth to speak whether you like what comes out or not. This man was physically assaulted and wrecklessly and needlessly put in physical danger and they have clearly violated his rights and abused their uniform and position. It doesn’t matter if you wear a uniform/badge or not you still have to abide by the laws of the land and make sure you are upholding the constitution. These cops should be fired, period. The school and or the police department should be sued for not employing better trained personnel. Senator Kerry and all who watched and did nothing to intervene on Andrew’s behalf should apologize to him and ask themselves why they were not conscienscious and courageous enough to act. (To all those who feel this was staged somehow as a “stunt”…so what that is completely irrelevant if it was).
CONGRATULATIONS, ANDREW MEYER….
He wanted to make a video and achieve fame,
Make the news, get his name out there.
MISSION ACCOMPLISHED….
even coined catch phrase “dont taze me bro”
seems he got exactly what he wanted, perhaps not exactly how hed planned it…lol
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