Student Arrested, Tasered at Kerry Event

Tanasinn · Post by **Tanasinn** » 2007-09-19 12:52am

Agent Fisher wrote:Of course he wasn't asking for it. Didn't you hear him? "Don't tase me man!"

I'm referring to his attempts to squirm free from a handcuffing while yelling hysterically, after having already been warned of the taser.

Knife · Post by **Knife** » 2007-09-19 01:34am

Though there's no way to prove it, I have a sneaky suspicion it's exactly what he wanted. What a fucknut. Now those cops are going to be put through the ringer cause of a wannabe protester fuck.

White Cat · Post by **White Cat** » 2007-09-19 01:58am

Some 9/11 conspiracy nutbar is trying to get people to publically post the officers' home addresses:

+http://www.911blogger.com/node/11461

According to Screw Loose Change, the screaming guy was himself a Truther.

Crossroads Inc. · Post by **Crossroads Inc.** » 2007-09-19 02:53am

White Cat wrote:Some 9/11 conspiracy nutbar is trying to get people to publically post the officers' home addresses:

+http://www.911blogger.com/node/11461

According to Screw Loose Change, the screaming guy was himself a Truther.

A friend today bet that he was a plant of some sort.. although he actually thought he was from so Republican group to make Kerry look bad.

Still, you know this guy is a total and complete Douche.

mr friendly guy · Post by **mr friendly guy** » 2007-09-19 07:49am

The article made him sound better than what actually happened. Watching the youtube videos, the douchebag broke free from police repeatedly when they tried to escort him out. Fucking wanker. However, if he was willing to sit back down and let Kerry answer the question, he should have been given the option. I doubt he would just sat back down since it looked like he was trying to get attention, but I guess we will never know now.

Illuminatus Primus · Post by **Illuminatus Primus** » 2007-09-19 12:44pm

He's definitely a truther. I saw him last week with a "Bush Orchestrated 9/11" sign on September 11th. This guy is a total moron and fucknut. And then there's the hysterical know-nothings who "protested." I swear, this group of idiots makes it really difficult for genuine reform and progressivism to be credible. Fuck them.

Anguirus · Post by **Anguirus** » 2007-09-19 01:02pm

This guy's actually a friend or a friend, though I have never met him myself. Sure, he was acting like a jerk (and if he's a truther he's a moron to boot), but the police were the ones who escalated the situation. Especially since Kerry was trying to answer the question. If I were Kerry, I would have told those officers to sit the fuck down; now for better or for worse, Andrew Meyer has become a mini-martyr.

Stuart · Post by **Stuart** » 2007-09-19 01:07pm

mr friendly guy wrote:The article made him sound better than what actually happened. Watching the youtube videos, the douchebag broke free from police repeatedly when they tried to escort him out. Fucking wanker. However, if he was willing to sit back down and let Kerry answer the question, he should have been given the option. I doubt he would just sat back down since it looked like he was trying to get attention, but I guess we will never know now.

Apparently the whole sequence of events is a bit different from the version usually presented. One account I read goes like this.

Senator Kerry took the podium and began delivering a speech about the Middle East, Iraq, dimplomacy, etc. Anyway, after he was done, a university ambassador asked Kerry a few premade questions. Once that was over, Senator Kerry announced he would take questions from the students. There were two microphones placed on each side of the aisle. One on my side and the other on Andrew Meyer's side. Senator Kerry began answering the student's questions from each aisle. Eventually it was announced that there would only be a few more questions answered. Since Meyer and I were both in the back of each line, it did not seem likely that our questions would be answered.

However, while Senator Kerry was responding to a student's question, all of a sudden Meyer rushed to the microphone with cops in pursuit. At that point no one knew what was going on. Could he have a gun, a bomb? Immediately, Meyer began yelling into the microphone that he had been waiting in line forever and that Senator Kerry should "spend time to answer everyone's questions!" Senator Kerry tried to calm the student down by telling him that he would "stay here as long as it takes to get the questions answered." The police approached Meyer who began taunting them by saying "what! are you going to taser me? are you going to arrest me?!" The police grabbed Meyer, but Senator Kerry asked the police to let him go and that he would answer his question. Senator Kerry finished answering the other student's question and then proceeded with Meyer.

(*This entire scene is not in any video I can find so far. This is why 2 cops are seen right behind Meyer at the start of some videos*).

Meyer approached the microphone and began to talk about a book he had which stated that Kerry won the 2004 election because disenfranchisement of black voters and faulty voter machines that produced "Bush" as the winner. He then posed another question about why President Bush had not been impeached. "President Clinton was impeached because of a blowjob, why not Bush?". The third and strangest question he posed to Senator Kerry was asking him if he was part of the skull and bones society with Bush at Yale.

Meyer's mic cut off after that, probably because he had mentioned the word "blowjob". The cops grabbed him, but Meyer was able to get away several times. Eventually more cops were brought in to help subdue Meyer. Meyer continued to resist arrest, scream, curse; however he was enventually subdued by about six cops up around the entrance. As he is on the ground, he is told several times to put his hands around his back. He is also warned that he will be tasered if he does not comply. Eventually he is tasered twice. The video does not show whether he complied or not.

Taken in sequence, this makes the whole situation much more understandable. It seems to me as if Meyer was determined to provoke a confrontation with the police and got his wish. By the way, Kerry won a lot of praise for his handling of the situation.

Knife · Post by **Knife** » 2007-09-19 01:18pm

Anguirus wrote:This guy's actually a friend or a friend, though I have never met him myself. Sure, he was acting like a jerk (and if he's a truther he's a moron to boot), but the police were the ones who escalated the situation. Especially since Kerry was trying to answer the question. If I were Kerry, I would have told those officers to sit the fuck down; now for better or for worse, Andrew Meyer has become a mini-martyr.

Well, since Kerry wasn't really the authority there, the campus admin would have been, the cops there should have and as far as I can see, followed the laws and rules of the university, not what Kerry says.

Granted, from a PR angle, it would have been better. Defuse the attension whore a bit.

fgalkin2 · Post by **fgalkin2** » 2007-09-19 01:28pm

Stuart wrote:
Taken in sequence, this makes the whole situation much more understandable. It seems to me as if Meyer was determined to provoke a confrontation with the police and got his wish. By the way, Kerry won a lot of praise for his handling of the situation.

I have seen enough event disrupted by college socialists to know what a confronatational asshole looks like, and this guy looked exactly like that. He wasn't there to ask a debate, he was there to provoke a confronation, and he got exactly what he deserved. My sympathy meter reads zero.

Have a very nice day.
-fgalkin

Death from the Sea · Post by **Death from the Sea** » 2007-09-19 01:31pm

Anguirus wrote:This guy's actually a friend or a friend, though I have never met him myself. Sure, he was acting like a jerk (and if he's a truther he's a moron to boot), but the police were the ones who escalated the situation. Especially since Kerry was trying to answer the question. If I were Kerry, I would have told those officers to sit the fuck down; now for better or for worse, Andrew Meyer has become a mini-martyr.

actually Meyer escalated the situation. If he had not been yelling and screaming and pulling away from the police, he probably would have been let go outside the building. His resisting and swinging at the officers (who showed ALOT of restraint and handled him with kid gloves) is what forced the officers to take action.

Big Phil · Post by **Big Phil** » 2007-09-19 01:33pm

Anguirus wrote:This guy's actually a friend or a friend, though I have never met him myself. Sure, he was acting like a jerk (and if he's a truther he's a moron to boot), but the police were the ones who escalated the situation. Especially since Kerry was trying to answer the question. If I were Kerry, I would have told those officers to sit the fuck down; now for better or for worse, Andrew Meyer has become a mini-martyr.

Did you watch the same video the rest of us did? The only way you can claim the cops escalated this is if you're a douchebag as well.

His time was up, he wasn't even really asking questions, he was really just badgering Kerry, and as a result the cops cut off his microphone and were going to escort him out for acting like a douchebag (the audience cheered when this happened, in case you didn't notice). Andrew Meyer starts flailing around and screeching, and when a couple of cops grab him and begin escorting him out, he starts screaming "Help! Help!" and struggling with the cops. HE escalated the situation from being escorted out of the room to something else, not the cops. And his comments about not wanting the cops to kill him and people knowing where he is... he's either full of shit or so batshit loony that he honestly believes he's important enough to be killed. The tasering may have been unnecessary, but if it's policy that cops taser a resisting suspect (and that's what he was at that point) then it's his own damned fault for getting himself arrested and tasered.

Lancer · Post by **Lancer** » 2007-09-19 02:08pm

Anyone else enjoy how the audience in the video started clapping when the police started to drag him away?

Knife · Post by **Knife** » 2007-09-19 02:46pm

Matt Huang wrote:Anyone else enjoy how the audience in the video started clapping when the police started to drag him away?

I actually noticed quite a few people get up and start to leave when numbnuts started his rant.

Post by **Edi** » 2007-09-19 02:49pm

If he really acted that, then good riddance to the idiot. The OP article gave a much different view of it.

fgalkin2 · Post by **fgalkin2** » 2007-09-19 02:50pm

Which really tells a lot about the accuracy of some media outlets, doesn't it?

Have a very nice day.
-fgalkin

Adrian Laguna · Post by **Adrian Laguna** » 2007-09-19 03:28pm

Stuart wrote:Apparently the whole sequence of events is a bit different from the version usually presented. One account I read goes like this.

The cops grabbed him, but Meyer was able to get away several times. Eventually more cops were brought in to help subdue Meyer. Meyer continued to resist arrest, scream, curse; however he was enventually subdued by about six cops up around the entrance. As he is on the ground, he is told several times to put his hands around his back. He is also warned that he will be tasered if he does not comply. Eventually he is tasered twice. The video does not show whether he complied or not.

Oh, six cops. I take back any comments I made about unnecessary tasering. Needing six police officers to subdue one man is definitely grounds for a little shock therapy. The OP suggested two or three guys successfully subduing him, if it took more than that then the police acted correctly.

Anguirus · Post by **Anguirus** » 2007-09-19 03:29pm

The only way you can claim the cops escalated this is if you're a douchebag as well.

The video I saw didn't include him rushing the microphone: that was indeed stupid as hell. So it looked like the cops were just grabbing him for asking a loaded question.

Also, I just watched a second video (different angle) that showed more of Meyer strugging: the NBC vid I watched had that totally obscured by cops so it looked they were just sitting on him, then tasered him.

With that added bit of context, I retract my statement.

Although I never argued that the guy wasn't nuts: rather, that the cops went too far.

Illuminatus Primus · Post by **Illuminatus Primus** » 2007-09-19 03:45pm

There was a ridiculous protest the other day. I don't know what happened to the cops because of this, but if they're off-duty without pay, I think I'm going to organize a counter protest to support the police and their duties.

Big Phil · Post by **Big Phil** » 2007-09-19 03:56pm

Adrian Laguna wrote:
Stuart wrote:Apparently the whole sequence of events is a bit different from the version usually presented. One account I read goes like this.

The cops grabbed him, but Meyer was able to get away several times. Eventually more cops were brought in to help subdue Meyer. Meyer continued to resist arrest, scream, curse; however he was enventually subdued by about six cops up around the entrance. As he is on the ground, he is told several times to put his hands around his back. He is also warned that he will be tasered if he does not comply. Eventually he is tasered twice. The video does not show whether he complied or not.
Oh, six cops. I take back any comments I made about unnecessary tasering. Needing six police officers to subdue one man is definitely grounds for a little shock therapy. The OP suggested two or three guys successfully subduing him, if it took more than that then the police acted correctly.

Police procedure is (generally, not sure what it is here specifically) to use the taser to subdue a struggling suspect rather than forcibly manhandling him/her, using chokeholds, arm locks, etc. The reason is that the taser is less likely to result in harm to the police officer(s) and the suspect than anything else.

If you'd prefer that police officers simply beat suspects into submission, well... that's what they did to Rodney King and look how that went over. Seems a little excessive, don't you think, when there are alternatives that don't require breaking bones and beating a suspect bloody?

salm · Post by **salm** » 2007-09-19 06:08pm

SancheztheWhaler wrote: If you'd prefer that police officers simply beat suspects into submission, well... that's what they did to Rodney King and look how that went over. Seems a little excessive, don't you think, when there are alternatives that don't require breaking bones and beating a suspect bloody?

I don´t know much about tasers so i don´t want to judge if the use of a taser was right or wrong in this case but you seem to be implying that the only way to handcuff a suspect besides tasering him is to use excessive force like in the Rodney King case.

Big Phil · Post by **Big Phil** » 2007-09-19 06:35pm

salm wrote:
SancheztheWhaler wrote: If you'd prefer that police officers simply beat suspects into submission, well... that's what they did to Rodney King and look how that went over. Seems a little excessive, don't you think, when there are alternatives that don't require breaking bones and beating a suspect bloody?
I don´t know much about tasers so i don´t want to judge if the use of a taser was right or wrong in this case but you seem to be implying that the only way to handcuff a suspect besides tasering him is to use excessive force like in the Rodney King case.

I'm not suggesting anything - I'm stating quite bluntly that the only alternative to something like a taser is physical force. Physical force, be it clubs, fists, chokeholds, etc., can easily get out of control and people can get badly hurt, intentionally or unintentionally. If cops are told they can't use tasers any longer and must use physical force only, it'll result in officers and suspects getting hurt unnecessarily.

Death from the Sea · Post by **Death from the Sea** » 2007-09-19 07:50pm

SancheztheWhaler wrote: I'm not suggesting anything - I'm stating quite bluntly that the only alternative to something like a taser is physical force. Physical force, be it clubs, fists, chokeholds, etc., can easily get out of control and people can get badly hurt, intentionally or unintentionally. If cops are told they can't use tasers any longer and must use physical force only, it'll result in officers and suspects getting hurt unnecessarily.

to back up his statement there has been a drastic reduction in officer and suspect injuries and deaths at departments that have adopted the taser. And also saves $$$ in medical costs if you think about it.

Kamakazie Sith · Post by **Kamakazie Sith** » 2007-09-19 07:56pm

Anguirus wrote:This guy's actually a friend or a friend, though I have never met him myself. Sure, he was acting like a jerk (and if he's a truther he's a moron to boot), but the police were the ones who escalated the situation. Especially since Kerry was trying to answer the question. If I were Kerry, I would have told those officers to sit the fuck down; now for better or for worse, Andrew Meyer has become a mini-martyr.

Too bad it's not up to Kerry to enforce campus rules. Who the fuck do you think Kerry is anyway? The guy was being disruptive. I wouldn't have listened to Kerry either.

Kamakazie Sith · Post by **Kamakazie Sith** » 2007-09-19 08:02pm

Adrian Laguna wrote:
Oh, six cops. I take back any comments I made about unnecessary tasering. Needing six police officers to subdue one man is definitely grounds for a little shock therapy. The OP suggested two or three guys successfully subduing him, if it took more than that then the police acted correctly.

Why does the number of police matter? If you only have two police, and he's still resisting, and you're unable to physically get his hands behind his back then what is the next step?