Report Deems Student Tasering Justified

Investigation Of Incident At Univ. Of Florida Kerry Event Finds Police Acted Appropriately

(AP)  University of Florida police were justified in using a Taser against a student who refused to stop questioning Sen. John Kerry on campus last month, according to a state investigation released Wednesday.

Some had questioned the use of force in using the stun gun against student Andrew Meyer, leading to the investigation by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. A summary of the agency's report was released Wednesday.

"In short, the FDLE determined that our officers acted well within state guidelines," university President Bernie Machen said in a letter to students, faculty and staff.

Two officers who were placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation were reinstated Wednesday, Machen said.

Rob Griscti, Meyer's attorney, said he had not yet reviewed the report and had no immediate comment. The journalism major is known for posting practical jokes online on his Web site.

The scuffle between Meyer and police started during the Sept. 17 speech by Kerry when Meyer refused to leave the microphone after his allotted time was up, police said. The videotaped altercation and Meyer's cries of "Don't Tase me bro!" were played frequently on the Internet.

The report says the officers' intent was to escort Meyer from the auditorium, but he broke away and refused to follow the officers' instructions.

"Officers decide not to escalate to hard empty hand strikes, kicks, knees or baton ... (it) would have looked like the officers were beating Meyer into submission," the report said.

The report, which has Meyer's name and that of other students blacked out, said the officers did what was necessary to control the student.

"Our purpose is, and has always been, to ensure a civil and safe environment where the many types of campus activities and open discourse can occur," said Police Chief Linda Stump.

Meyer has been charged by police for resisting an officer and disturbing the peace, but the State Attorney's Office has not yet decided whether to file formal charges.

Spencer Mann, a spokesman for the State Attorney's Office, said the decision may be made some time next week.

[Krazcarl]

Like anyone thought they would say it was unwarrented get real.

[feelfree1]

In a country where dissenters are routinely attacked, infiltrated, and repressed, and where illegal spying, secret prisons, torture, and illegal war of aggression are acceptable, why would it be a surprise that the authorities would clear themselves for attacking and electrocuting this man for asking difficult questions of one of the ruling class elite?

[name_verify]

John Kerry, radical student activist in his own youth, is now getting students tazerd. The irony is rich.

[badmofojim]

I would have told Kerry to tase his nuts and see how it feels.

[dowjones20k]

This is a dead story ... no one cares about this little troublemaker who was certainly antagonaizing the situation and deserved getting zapped !!

CHILDREN .. rememeber ...... DON''T follow the officers commands ... and then scream ...

DONT TASE ME BRO

IDIOT !!!

[jacksteen1]

Asking questions of a political lecturer and being TASERED by rent-a-cops ill-trained on the deadly weapon they are wielding is decided to be completely allright in the view of officials in FLORIDA, the state that gave us the flawed Presidential Selection of 2000, the home of Jebby Bush Sr. and Jr. and the Winter Home of Poppy and Pop-Eye Babs, Grandma and Grandpa Pack-O-Lies.

TASERS are NOT acceptable as tools for ''law enforcement;'' they are cruel and unusual punishment inflicted upon citizens before they have had a chance to plead their case in a court of law. And TASERS KILL.

BAN TASERS IN EVERY STATE OF THE UNION!

[bb19631]

Isn''t it everyone''s right to be able to ask questions and get some answers? Why, didn''t Sen. Kerry just answer his question to shut the kid up? Being tazed was the wrong answer. Dumb *****!! Not acceptable.

[rudy654-2009]

Did anyone expect them to determine anything different? Of course not. As for those of you who get a certain high off of this kind of abuse of authority, the day will come when you will have wished that you hadn''t been so quick to defend this krapp. But there probably will be no one left who will care what you think one way or the other. You will get what you wish for, you just won''t like it when it''s your turn.

[feelfree1]

Re: "In short, the FDLE determined that our officers acted well within state guidelines."- University of Florida President Bernie Machen

If these "guidelines" deem it appropriate to torture someone who is not a threat, by way of electrocution with a less-lethal 50,000 volt device, then I suggest that these "guidelines" are in need of a review, and that this man has no business acting as an administrator in a higher learning facility.

[dmhphils]

In my day the football coach would have got up and grabbed the guy by the collar and dragged him out....no taser, no incident, no big deal, and no story! Nothing sensational....just common sense.

[bb19631]

My husband wants to know, why, the cops always have it their way?

[dmhphils]

Posted by bb19631 at 06:40 PM : Oct 24, 2007
---------------------------------------

CORRECTIMUNDO!

[smirk5]

That student should have known. No asks about Skull and Bones and gets an answer. Be persistent and you get the taser. This is America. You don''t have the right to ask about skull and bones and actually hold your ground.

[stezzer]

They should have tasered his mouth. It may have stopped him making a fool of himself the world over. I live in the UK, and even I know about this fool.

Apparently he thinks he''s a comedian. Well watching the video certainly made me laugh.

[toolmangler-2009]

BAN TASERS IN EVERY STATE OF THE UNION!

Posted by JackSteen1 at 06:29 PM : Oct 24, 2007


Lets see..... No Tasers = shoot to kill if the club doesn''t stop you... Hhhhmmmmmm "shoot the ''juice'' to me Bruce" the odds of living improve dramatically.

[Krazcarl]

rudy654...There is intelligence on the blog Thanks.

[toolmangler-2009]

My husband wants to know, why, the cops always have it their way?
Posted by bb19631 at 06:45 PM : Oct 24, 2007


Most of the time because the law is on their side. Ya'' rekon?

[Krazcarl]

Tool..you''re getting a little harsh

[rushlimpdrug]

My husband wants to know, why, the cops always have it their way?
Posted by bb19631

Because of the video recorder.
Without the video recorder they would just shoot the guy and plant a gun on him or tell a hero story.
It happens all the time.
Don''t get me wrong, most cops are good (they keep their mouths shut for the bad ones).
Most reports are great for bird cages.
Have a nice day.

[toldyouso21]

Then again, this is the same state where a video of guards beating a 14 year old and dragging and kicking his unconscious body before jamming ammonia up his nose and covering his mouth so that he could not breathe--resulted in an acquittal even though the boy died. Makes you wonder, exactly what is put in the water of places Bush and his siblings inhabit.....

[likeitis5050]

No surprise. The cops know it wasn''t ''necessary'' and that they could have taken him outside and slammed the door on him and the same would have been accomplished as far as getting him away from everyone else. They wouldn''t have, however, been able to play with their new ''toy'' and watch someone, unarmed and of no risk, writhe and contort in pain...that has to be so amusing to cops who have so little opportunity to laugh on the job. Everyone knows all he11 would break loose if one their family members was tasered while being at zero threat to any other group of cops. They finally have a toy that can''t get them in trouble for using...ever. 80 year old people have been tasered for talking back, with witness testimony that the cops moved in without warning, and the cops were totally supported for doing it. What else is new? However, knowing how taser happy they are, you have to be stupid to push the envelope when they are around. Accept the fact that they have little *icks and big tasers now and no amount of abuse on their part warrants disciplinary actions against them.

[j0hnwi11iams]

So is the authority that gestured for the kid to be removed been put on probation? The officers are acquitted because they were simply following orders? Who gave the orders?

[toolmangler-2009]

Tool..you''''re getting a little harsh

Posted by crzmeat at 07:16 PM : Oct 24, 2007


Sorry my friend, a little carry over from another post earlier.

bb19631, My apology for Inappropriate behavior.

[Auzzie2006]

Punk deserves more; that''s not how a civilized person gets their point across...as far as I''m concerned, the dude is far from ''creative'' or in any way ''artistic''; instead he displays a very immature picture.

"The journalism major is known for posting practical jokes online on his Web site"

[hawksprings]

The kid is a known practical joker who WANTED attention.
He got it. 50,000 volts of attention.
Hahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!!

[hissteps4u]

He deserves what he got and should have been treated a bit more harshly he got off easy. He knew the rules and what was expected and to blatantly ignore police when ordered was a violation and he deserves the Jolt he received. Jerks like him abound in todays society.

[hissteps4u]

I am sure he got exactly what he wanted which was attention and Hopefully be taken to court and forced to pay legally for the disruption he caused as well.

[notso9]

K sounds good. Get rid of the tasers and just let em beat the troublemaker into submission just like the old days. Right or wrong I always respect the authority of the police because they don''t get paid enough to put up with what they do. Take your argument to the judge in a rational manner.

[ukclh33]

Posted by notso9

Yeah a good old fashioned beating would probably have done this attention seeking butt head more good than being tased.

[skalpakian]

"The constution grants that student the right to ask ?s"

What part of the Constitution are you talking about?

[trenticus-2009]

Answer the QUESTIONS!!!! "Don''t tase me bro!"

[tiredofthebs]

I saw the video on my local channel. The State Investigator probably would have felt differently if it were one of his own relatives. Here''s yet another example of police crossing the line, and politicians justifying it. Ask me why I rejoice EVERYTIME a cop is killed .....

[cfin5]

I''m no fan of Senator Kerry or any other flip''flopper in office. However, I watched the video from start to finish and the dude''s pining for it was so obvious I couldn''t stop laughing clear up to when "BRO" let him have it. Senator Kerry is a United States senator and in a public audience like that his title should be respected even if you disagree with the person.

[michellem99-2009]

Read the bill of rights in the US constution.

[notso9]

Ask me why I rejoice EVERYTIME a cop is killed .....

TiredoftheBS you are a sick individual. You should never rejoice at the death of another individual. SICKO!

[rudy654-2009]

TiredoftheBS you are a sick individual. You should never rejoice at the death of another individual. SICKO! Posted by notso9 at 01:49 AM

True. No one should rejoice over the death of anyone. However, notice all the individuals here who get turned on because someone who was of no threat at all got tazed? Is that not sickening to you as well? I would never rejoice over someone''s death, but when I hear this krapp that officers pull, just because, well they can get away with it, then they do lose a little sympathy from me as not much more than thugs with a license to abuse authority. I used to contribute to police officer causes all the time. Since two years ago I stopped after seeing just a little too much of the abuses of authority. They are working themselves into a position of losing respect just because they can get away with it, and just because more than a few people on this blog would be more than happy to have lived under the black boots of the Nazis.

[magoo2u1]

The constitution protects us from being prosecuted by the government for ideas it wants to supress. It does not allow disturbing a movie theater or disrupting a public forum. civility is still required.

[magoo2u1]

AS for the cops, they are all bullies. Want to know what happened to the kid down the street that pulled the legs off of frogs? Beat up the smallest kid in school? He''s a cop now.
They taze 6 year olds for christs sake. Some of the meanest SOB s in my school became cops. Most of them were fired for drugs and / or abusing their power. None went to jail though because the system wants to protect them. Just like they pretended the loud mouth needed tazing. He needed a swift smack and an escort out to the street.

[squidly8]

I don''t think many of you have followed this story at all, you are just spouting off whatever rant of the day. He had the whole thing planned out at least a week in advance. It was totally a publicity stunt. He threw a tantrum when the forum ended before he could ask his question. Actually, he didn''t have a question, all he wanted to do was create a scene. It was all planned - get over it.

Just a dumb college student with his own selfish wants and then being surprised when it didn''t exactly work out the way he planned it. End of story

[Krazcarl]

magoo2u1...Odd but true one of the class bullies turned into a cop and beat a guy half to death another second string football player has repeated problems with domestic violence the other few were the class weaklings, On the other hand I never rejoice in anothers misery because that brings me to a lower level that the subject of my bitterness I try not to give them any space in my head rent free period.

[Krazcarl]

squidly8...Were you in on it to have so much info????

[gunnerone2]

I am glad the police were cleared. They were just doing the job they were trained to do. If the student didn''t want to be arrested he should have followed the rules like everone else. When he resisted the police he put himself in the situation that caused his taseing. He got what he asked for. Good job Fla. police.

[jowand]

I don''''t know what the hell is going on with the police these days. Just last week I was on my way to a video arcade, on main street, at 9:45pm, heavy traffic. I forgot where the place is so I make a U turn. I then remembered where it was and made another U turn.
A police car gets behind me and stops me. He tells me I''''m driving suspiciously and that he needs to search my car. I wouldn''''t let him. So he calls K9.
They have the dog go around my car 4 or 5 times sniffing the outside and then sticking its head through the open windows to sniff some more. The dog kept quiet.
He then says, "Well, you were going 46 on 40" and gives me a $165 ticket.
Truly amazing. And I''''m getting ready to foreclose my condo.
The b.astards.

Posted by goodsamarata at 07:06 AM : Oct 25, 2007

Did you get tasered though?

[vet_sk]

One more nail in the coffin of the United States. Cripe! When you can watch that video and believe that tazering was necessary. ... My god ... what has happened to the country where governments purpose was to protect our rights, not take them away?
I wish I had the resources to move away.

[mike71067]

"A police car gets behind me and stops me. He tells me I''m driving suspiciously and that he needs to search my car. I wouldn''t let him."
-Posted by goodsamarata at 07:06 AM : Oct 25, 2007

Well, perhaps you should have let him. If you have nothing to hide, there''s nothing to worry about.

[Krazcarl]

mike7167,,,I have known cases of planted evedince it happens better be carefull but I let them search like you out of fear.

[bareemperor]

It''s a police state, dummy...

[likeitis5050]

Well, perhaps you should have let him. If you have nothing to hide, there''''s nothing to worry about.
--------------

Posted by mike71067

Bwhahahaaa!!! Are you high? You need to have your own show!!!

[myidoncbs]

"If you have nothing to hide, there''s nothing to worry about."

That is total ignorance!

[mcvett]

It was a liberal student at a liberal univeristy asking
a liberal question to a liberal politician at a liberal forum

And liberals want to blame Bush !?!?!?!

BwaHahahahahahahahaha
Oh God, Oh God, can''t breathe, can''t breathe.
BwaHahahahahahahahaha

Conservatives DID NOT create "political correctness"
that was you idiot liberals.

.