Report Deems Student Tasering Justified
Investigation Of Incident At Univ. Of Florida Kerry Event Finds Police Acted Appropriately
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Play CBS Video Video Student Tasered At Kerry Q&A
CBS News RAW: Police tasered a University of Florida student who has been accused of disturbing the peace and resisting arrest at a talk with Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass.
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Video Call For Inquiry Into Tasering
The president of the University of Florida is calling for an investigation into why campus police used a Taser gun on a student after a speech by Jon Kerry. Kelly Cobiella reports.
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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.
In short, the FDLE determined that our officers acted well within state guidelines.
University of Florida President Bernie MachenMeyer 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.
© MMVII The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.



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See all 100 CommentsIn 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?
CHILDREN .. rememeber ...... DON''T follow the officers commands ... and then scream ...
DONT TASE ME BRO
IDIOT !!!
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!
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.
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CORRECTIMUNDO!
Apparently he thinks he''s a comedian. Well watching the video certainly made me laugh.
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.
Posted by bb19631 at 06:45 PM : Oct 24, 2007
Most of the time because the law is on their side. Ya'' rekon?
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.
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.
"The journalism major is known for posting practical jokes online on his Web site"
He got it. 50,000 volts of attention.
Hahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!!
Yeah a good old fashioned beating would probably have done this attention seeking butt head more good than being tased.
What part of the Constitution are you talking about?
TiredoftheBS you are a sick individual. You should never rejoice at the death of another individual. SICKO!
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.
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.
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
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?
I wish I had the resources to move away.
-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.
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Posted by mike71067
Bwhahahaaa!!! Are you high? You need to have your own show!!!
That is total ignorance!
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.
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