Two North Braddock police officers won't face criminal charges for Tasering a man who was asleep at home. But the FBI will review the incident for possible civil rights violations.
Allegheny County District Attorney Stephen Zappala Jr. says county police determined Officers Gerard Kraly and Lukas Laeuricia (loo-REE'-see-uh) didn't commit a crime when they Tasered Shawn Hicks, who was sleeping on his couch.
Police came to Hicks home because they were alerted by a silent security alarm at his home about 2 a.m.
Hicks says the officers Tasered him again after he woke up and showed them ID to prove he lived at the home. Hicks' attorney says he will pursue civil action.
Saturday, November 03, 2007
By Deborah M. Todd, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Two North Braddock police officers will not face criminal charges for allegedly Tasering a resident in his home while he was asleep.
Allegheny County District Attorney Stephen A. Zappala Jr. said yesterday that the investigation by county police determined there was no criminal matter to be pursued from the July 28 incident in which police Officers Gerard Kraly and Lukas Laeuricia Tasered Shawn Hicks while he was asleep on his couch.
Mr. Zappala said the incident was referred to the FBI to review for possible civil rights violations.
According to North Braddock police, Officers Kraly and Laeuricia arrived at Mr. Hicks' Stokes Avenue home around 2 a.m., alerted by a silent security alarm at his home. Mr. Hicks said the officers used Tasers on him after he showed them identification proving he lived in the home.
Mr. Hicks' attorney, Joseph Williams, said his client will pursue civil action.
It's pretty fucking blatant the Taser was used as a first option in this obvious terrorist attack by the cops; the man was fucking sleeping when they fried his ass awake! Then the fucking PIGS Taser him again after he proves his lawful status to them! This shit's getting out of hand; I suspect a law making civil-rights violations by police punishable by five years hard labor would be met with cheers if passed.
What the hell!? How was using a taser even remotely appropriate in this situation? He was sleeping, for fucks sake, and then when he proves that he's the resident of the home in question, they... taser him again!?
The fact the police in this incident aren't facing any criminal charges is sickening.
Einhander Sn0m4n wrote:This shit's getting out of hand
It's sad, but there are always idiots. I don't know that there's any type of escalation of stupidity in recent times, but this is certainly bad. Fuckheads like these make all cops look bad.
Isn't it obvious? The sleeping man constituted an immediate threat to police due to his aggressive snoring.
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Einhander Sn0m4n wrote:This shit's getting out of hand
It's sad, but there are always idiots. I don't know that there's any type of escalation of stupidity in recent times, but this is certainly bad. Fuckheads like these make all cops look bad.
Hopefully, they'll lose in civil court.
There are always idiots, but a good system will catch said idiots and remove them from positions of power!
Are these two fuckheads losing their jobs, at least? I would think that'd be a mandatory minimum.
Oh come on, a taser never hurt anyone. If they'd woken him up he might have pulled out a gun from his mattress gun locker and shot back, so the only safe way to wake anyone up is with a taser.
I'm shocked...completely shocked that it didn't happen in Florida.
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Say, do you want it to be a threesome with your wife? Or a foursome with your wife and sister-in-law? I'm up for either.
Molyneux wrote:There are always idiots, but a good system will catch said idiots and remove them from positions of power!
Are these two fuckheads losing their jobs, at least? I would think that'd be a mandatory minimum.
Yeah, true.
I wonder if we're at a point where the shortage of police officers means keeping the seemingly crooked ones.
Well, clearly they tasered him the second time because he became agitated! Not their fault!
In all seriousness, sickening. Though it wouldn't surprise me if they did claim that in court.
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Ghetto edit:
When he sues. Which he probably will.
"Doctors keep their scalpels and other instruments handy, for emergencies. Keep your philosophy ready too—ready to understand heaven and earth. In everything you do, even the smallest thing, remember the chain that links them. Nothing earthly succeeds by ignoring heaven, nothing heavenly by ignoring the earth." M.A.A.A
Durandal wrote:I love this. He was already, by definition, subdued. But cuffing a man who was sleeping wouldn't have involved enough electricity, I suppose.
But if they touch him, he could bruise! It's always better to shock someone with painful electricity than to put your hands on them!
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Zablorg wrote:My sick and twisted mind finds the prospect of poking someone with an bzzt-stick very amusing. *poke poke*
Then maybe somebody should poke you with a bzzt-stick so you could find out just how fucking amusing it is? Asshole.
I've received an electric shock from a 240V wall outlet once and that was NOT a fun experience. I certainly would not care to get tasered. But I actually have no objection at all to vindictively tasering idiots like Zablorg here without any cause other than "He needed tasering" if they advocate doing it to others just for kicks.
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Worse than a 110 or 220 household-current hit, in the sense of being more disabling for much longer.
Funny side note - last week had to go and attend the Motion Picture Industry Safety Passport "G" class, which among other things is training on how to avoid shocks, falls, crush-injuries, etc...and the instructor (cataloging his fused vetebrae, perforated heart-muscle, etc, etc, etc) described having been on the receiving end of virtually every injury he was teaching us, to avoid.
Nothing like the voice of experience.
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Officers get a silent alarm from the house.
They respond, get into the house, find a man sleeping on the couch.
While he presented no immediate threat and could not resist due to being unconscious, they taser him.
They ask him for ID.
He complies, showing them ID proving that he lives in the house.
They taser him again, for some reason.
Talk about excessive force.
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Einhander Snoman wrote:FBI reviewing tasering of sleeping man; no charges filed
Unsurprising given their outright assassination of a couple of Black Panthers back in the 70s.
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If true, this goes well beyond excessive force. The exact law is called "assault under color of authority." Not quite sure how these guys weren't brought up on charges...
If true, this goes well beyond excessive force. The exact law is called "assault under color of authority." Not quite sure how these guys weren't brought up on charges...
Because they're cops, and cops can do no wrong. Though more likely, the DA simply doesn't want to piss off the department and make working with them harder.
We pissing our pants yet?
-Negan
You got your shittin' pants on? Because you’re about to Shit. Your. Pants!
-Negan
He who can, does; he who cannot, teaches.
-George Bernard Shaw
If true, this goes well beyond excessive force. The exact law is called "assault under color of authority." Not quite sure how these guys weren't brought up on charges...
Because they're cops, and cops can do no wrong. Though more likely, the DA simply doesn't want to piss off the department and make working with them harder.
Which is kind of odd, because I would have thought that assault charges at least would have been brought. Maybe the DA should be worried about their job, as well?
