Trooper Caught On Tape Tasering Motorist

Officials Speed Investigation Into Trooper's Behavior After Clip Appeared On YouTube

(CBS/AP)  Authorities are expediting an investigation of a state trooper who zapped a motorist with a Taser after video of the incident was posted on YouTube, the Utah Highway Patrol said Wednesday.

"It definitely put a little bit of conflict out there. We definitely have received a lot of feedback on it, calls and e-mail," said Trooper Cameron Roden, a spokesman for the highway patrol.

The video, taken from Trooper John Gardner's patrol car, shows him using his Taser after Jared Massey refused to sign a speeding ticket Sept. 14 and walked away from the officer on U.S. 40 in eastern Utah.

Massey shrieked and fell after he was hit and then asked Gardner, "Officer, I really don't know what you're doing."

"Face down! Face down! Put your hands behind your back," Gardner said.

When a woman emerged from Massey's vehicle, the trooper ordered her to get back in - "or you're going to jail, too."

Moments later, when another officer arrived, one of them said, "Oh, he took a ride with the Taser."

In an interview with CBS Early Show Co-Anchor Harry Smith, Massey described the sensation of being zapped by the instrument.

"Fear, panic - it's the scariest moment of my life," he said. "I get tasered, and I hit the ground, and I really, to be honest with you, thought that my life was ending. It's the most horrific thing that's ever happened to me."

Utah Highway Patrol Spokesman Sergeant Jeff Nigbur told Smith that he could not comment on whether the trooper's conduct in the video was standard operating procedure.

"We have an internal review process happening right now," he said. "We are going to look into whether the officer's actions were appropriate or not."

Tasers use compressed nitrogen to fire two barbed darts that can penetrate clothing to deliver a 50,000-volt shock to immobilize people.

"I can't speculate on what was happening in the trooper's mind," Roden said. "We have an internal investigation going on. ... With it coming out on YouTube, we have expedited the investigation."

The 10-minute video landed on YouTube after it was released to Massey under a public-records request.

Signing a speeding ticket is not an admission of guilt, Roden said. He described it as a promise that a motorist "will take care of the citation."

Under UHP policy, a Taser can be used if someone is a threat to themselves or others and other means of control are unreasonable, the spokesman said.

Massey has filed a complaint with UHP, said Roden, who didn't know the status of the speeding ticket.

[feelfree1]

How much longer will we allow abusive pigs to torture people with these often deadly torture devices?

[tarmet1]

I watched the entire video and am shocked at the behavior of this patrolman. If this is how he handles conflict, he''s in the wrong profession. In my view, his attitude right from the beginning suggested to me that he is on a power trip and needs to be reigned in. Being a veteran police officer myself, I think he was completely out of line in using this level of force. The motorist was no threat to him and he did not need to be arrested for "not signing a ticket" What it came down to was a hot headed young police officer who was angry that the motorist "did not follow his instructions" Good lord, it was a traffic stop involving a level headed driver and his wife and child that quickly elevated to the use of a taser and arrest that could have been handled in a manner that most traffic stops are handled - professionally!

[feelfree1]

tarmet1,

Re: "What it came down to was a hot headed young police officer who was angry that the motorist "did not follow his instructions"

Agreed. Thanks for commenting.

[djarthur-2009]

I haven''t seen the video, but I think both were wrong in this case. The driver might have disagreed with being issued a ticket, but the place to resolve that is court. The officer on the other hand MAY have been way out of line by using his taser. From this article, the man posed no threat and violated no law (other than a minor traffic infraction which is not a criminal violation), and therefore the officer should not have used force. If the ticket had already been written, obviously the officer already had his information, should have run the proper ID checks and determined there were no warrants out on the driver and therefore not a known danger to the public. At that point the officer had no justification for the use of force in my opinion.

[djarthur-2009]

On a side note, I think it''s good that this video was posted on YouTube. I recently went to court over a road-raged officer who verbally threatened that he could shot me, never showed his ID, didn''t have traffic authority, wasn''t in uniform and recklessly endandered my life as well as his with his poor driving. He said he was going to cite me with reckless driving for not moving out of his way, even though I was travelling the legal posted speed limit and he was in an unmarked car without patrol lights on. He expected me to move while going around a curve when he flashed his highbeams and tailgated me on the highway.

Most people wouldn''t complain, especially since he didn''t issue me a ticket, however since he abused his authority and attempted to intimidate me, I did complain. His department took the case against him to court.

[rickstas]

Tasers should not be issued without thorough training on how and when to use them.

[moondancer01]

Get used to it folks...
Go down to your local police departments and take a
look at all the younger new officers.. thier the same
people who you see on tv kicking down the doors of
people in Iraq. Take a look.. the new shaved or
marine cut haircuts.. thier bull attitudes.. thier
lack of any real respect or connection to average
citizens. We got us a new sheriff in town boys..
and we got ourselves a patriot act. Just watch.

[ttrentp]

Watch closely. The civilian turns his back on the officer and starts to put his hand in his pocket. Does the officer suspect a concealed weapon? The civilian, when later interviewed, says he was doing 65MPH and hadn''t passed the 40MPH sign. But later in the interview he says he wanted to walk back and show the officer the sign. Huh? Best bet is to always do what the officer tells you to do. He didn''t and he got tazed.

[ttrentp]

Watch closely. The civilian turns his back on the officer and starts to put his hand in his pocket. Does the officer suspect a concealed weapon? The civilian, when later interviewed, says he was doing 65MPH and hadn''t passed the 40MPH sign. But later in the interview he says he wanted to walk back and show the officer the sign. Huh? Best bet is to always do what the officer tells you to do. He didn''t and he got tazed.

[jester188]

i got to say while i understand police have a difficult job.. the younger ones think they rule the world.. give a guy a gun who can have a job the requires nothing more than i high school education...

these are no longer single cases... every time i log onto this site there is another cop who is breaking the law and trying to get away with it... it is things like YouTube, My Space, cams. on the cel... that have started to bring the truth out about who the police really are...

it is pretty sad when all the good cops out there are now looked down on by the many many many other bad ones

[l-f-o]

American police are trained to Torture Terrorize, They Murder Many inocent People ! they are pure EVIL!.. I read black water %u201CSecurity group%u201D the executive branch of our gov''s, black shirt fascists Thugs, are the ones that get the contract run the terror camps that train our police to torture, and terrorize Us the People.

[mrcoffee101]

This officer had the common sense of a billygoat. When confronted with a person being both civil and respectful, he choose to taser him instead of explaining what law he was enforcing.

He needs to have his badge taken away and he should lose his job. He gives all law enforcement personal a bad name.

[ttrentp]

L-F-O

You obviously have not traveled abroad.

[logicanada]

When applying electric current for the purposes of torture, a twelve volt battery is usually sufficient.
Tasers can apply 50,000 volts.
This is torture before due process. For SPEEDING?
Pepper spray is a chemical weapon,again, applied before due process.
Both are under judicial review in Canada and some other western democracies.
Some of you say,''he should have listened to the cop''.
Isn''t that the same as saying what the police want to hear, or actually, responding to torture.
How long before teachers or parents can use this to maintain order? To keep you from disobeying?
The fact that this is more prevalent in society tells us where society is headed.

[cyberus-2009]

With the Constitution half suspended and the "we do what we want" attitude of the current executive branch why do these stories surprise anyone?
As to punishment ... IMHO they''ll put him on desk duty pending results of the "investigation" (chortle) until it blows over.

[burneb]

Clearly the officer violated the UHP policy, which is similar to most police agencies. Tasers are ONLY supposed to be used to stop an immediate threat of serious violence that cannot reasonably be stopped by other non-lethal force in time.
Not signing a ticket or not instantly jumping to a command like a trained Marine is not an excuse. These are not violent acts that endanger anyone. Yet time and time again we see officers tasering handcuffed suspects, elderly ladies surrounded by four cops, school kids half an officers size, etc. all unarmed.
I know police have a difficult job, and it is greatly tempting to act like an angry god and push people around when they do not do just as you wish, but we need to fire those who cannot handle it. Police who abuse their authority undermine public confidence in police, and may be more dangerous than the criminals.

[myidoncbs]

"Oh, he took a ride with the Taser."

This is the attitude of a bully, a ***, a power-mad lunatic with a gun and a badge.

It was interesting to see how thoroughly stu/pid that cop was, as he LIED about the chain of events, telling his supervisor that he said things that did not appear on the video.

Not only did the cop beligerantly refuse to reveal to the kid what speed he was supposedly going, he also failed to read him his rights, even after the kid mentioned the need to do so. If the kid was "under arrest", the cop should have said, "You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you. You have the right to an attorney. If you desire an attorney and cannot afford it, one will be appointed for you..." Failure to do so is a violation of that kid''s rights.

This cop is bad. Maybe not as bad as those cops that shot and killed a 92 year old woman after scaring her nearly to death by busting down her door searching for "drugs", but he is bad, and he should be fired immediately.

Tasers are deadly weapons. There is never a need to taser someone just because he exceeded the speed limit or didn''t turn around fast enough to please a cop.

This cop should "take a ride with the Taser" himself, repeatedly, until he understands just how far he has strayed from his oath to "protect and serve".

[to36441]

As a police officer in Alabama, let me say this in Alabama if you fail to sign a ticket you go to jail period. I can''t speak for other states, I havent seen the video, and I can''t comment. But I do take exception to the what logicanada, and LFO have to say. And I have one question, what would you have police do, get shot first, be dying and bleeding before we acted. You try to group us into one category, I for one do not wear black shirts, nor have I ever heard of them (mine are brown), I make $13.50 an hour and work 12 hours shifts, sometimes more, and pray that I will make it through the night to see my family; or have you forgoten that police have families to, and if it take me tazing someone so that I can be with them then oh well. I just wonder how many of you posting these anti-police messeges are aware of how many police officers are killed a day on traffic stop such as this, or domestic violence calls. I suggest you so some research, and instead of arbiteraly bashing the police take time and speak to one about his job, you might just get a better understanding.

[logicanada]

When we were young if the cops caught us doing something they would verbally reprimand us and take us home. Then my dad would cuff me one.
I learned right from wrong, respect for the police and that they respectedme, and respect for my parents for the behavioral lines they drew for us, their children.
Today parents seldom discipline their children (beyond taking away an hour of video games) and few children, rightly so, have respect for police.
Does society really require pre-emtive torture to function on a normal daily level of compliance with our laws.
And as for lawmakers, have they all been exposed to tasers and pepper spray in order to judge if it is a suitable means of maintaining order?
How about judges and juries?

[to36441]

To myIdonCBS,

first it called the Miranda Warning, and second you don''t read someone their Miranda for a traffic violation, only if you suspect them of committing a criminal act. And we we as police officers do take a ride with the tazer before we carry it, just like the pepper spray.

[l-f-o]

I travel alot just traveled to Prague took the trains around and flew out of Kiev, how much do you travel?

The police I encountered where Nice Respectful, didn%u2019t carry tazers never threatened me with Torture if I didn%u2019t sign a paper, Heck They wanted me to fill out a paper at the Moldavian border all (Written in Russian) they laughed and indicated it was no problem and smiled, they didn%u2019t shoot me or drag me out of the train for a Torture session for "NOT SIGNING THE PAPER", , heck I never even got my bags looked thru in any country except here, The Evil Empire run by Corporate thugs, and mass-murdering terrorists like bush.

[logicanada]

to36441...these are anti-tasing messages not anti-police messages.
You seem very frustrated with your job, and I hope you don''t spread that frustration with your weapons. Perhaps a change of career?
I see the time coming soon when part of a routine traffic stop will include the driver putting on the handcuffs that he is require to carry at all times in his vehicle just so the police don''t taser or shoot him.
And by the way, Officer, I am a retired member myself...Toronto 55 division. Never shot a suspect. never tasered one.

[logicanada]

vbnvbn...suv driving yuppies? I guess that says it all about your idea of justice.
Or is it envy?

[rudy654-2009]

Posted by vbnvbn at 05:51 PM

LOLOLOL! It is incredible that some freak like yourself gets a high of this! Oh "he deserved it." You freak! May it happen to you and soon! You people never fail to disappoint. You bootlicker you!

[zeezedzee]

I don''t think the officer was wrong at all. First off the guy ignored the officers orders and kept walking back towards his car, the officer was giving him orders to stop and the guy just kept walking back to his car ignoring the officers orders. I''m not a police officer, but I''m also not so naive to realize that police officer didn''t know why the guy wasn''t obeying his orders, or what he was refusing to stop or if he was headed back towards his car for a weapon or not. I think the officer did the right thing! Maybe the next time this dimwit speeder will pay attention to the police when they order him to do something. For anyone to suggest that speeder was being civil and respectful obviously didn''t pay attention to the video. The officer ordered the guy to turn around and put his hands behind his back, the speeder said, "no", then started walking towards his car looking back over his shoulder asking the police officer what was wrong with him. He brought this on himself .. how can anyone watch this video and not see this?

[rudy654-2009]

And we we as police officers do take a ride with the tazer before we carry it, just like the pepper spray.
Posted by to36441 at 05:47 PM

But they make sure you are in good health before they taze you, right bro??? I mean, you don''t go out and taze it first on your kids or your mama do you, to see how they react??

[marke73]

Jared Massey should have kept his mouth shut, signed the ticket, and if he wanted fight in court. Jumping out of the car confronting the officer was the wrong move. Kids need to respect authorities and CBS News Harry Smith showed great disrespect to the police department. Our police officers have a hard job to do and the media is making it harder by attacking the police office instead of the person who initiated the confrontation, the law breaker.

[fibonacci_]

A PIG for sure. That was absolutely ridiculous. Too many cops seem to have sh-- for brains and an itchy trigger finger. I am not saying I think their job is easy...but it seems like this is happening too often. They need to take ethics test and maybe change some laws in some states. To taser someone who poses no physical threat...

[rudy654-2009]

"I don''''t think the officer was wrong at all."

Of course you don''t. May it happen to you, and soon.

[rudy654-2009]

Posted by MarkE73 at 05:59 PM

It will get a lot harder for the good police officers, if brutes like this go unpunished and bootlickers continue to defend them.

[logicanada]

Up until very recently, the police in Britain didn''t carry sidearms. They carried a night stick and usually this is all that was needed. Handguns are illegal in Britain, therefore they usually weren''t require by police.
If the police fear being shot on every traffic stop they make, perhaps they should collectively lobby the U.S. government against gun ownership and for gun registry.
Oh... the NRA...right!

[to36441]

to logicanada,
not frustrated with my job, been doing this over 23 year now, 4 yrs in airforce, 9 years in the Coast Guard, and 10 year on the civilian side, I have never tazed anyone, can count on my fingers how many times that I have drawn my weapon, and have only had to use my pepper spray twice. I in fact love my job, and the people I do help. But my frustration comes from when you have one bad cop or cops, then its all over the media, then all of the sudden all cops are bad. I guess what I''m trying say is that I would like the media to give the same attention to police officers when one is gunned down in cold blood. For example, the officer in Philadelphia, who just happened to walk into a store and was shot down. Or the deputies in south florida who have been getting shot, one never even had a chance to barely step out of his vehicle. Don''t get me wrong, I dont condone what this guy did, but there are good, hard-working cops, who enjoy their jobs like myself, that dont want to be branded because of one bad apple

[l-f-o]

Hello,
Wake up America you are living in a Fascist Evil, Lie based Police state..

ttrenep,
I understand why you don%u2019t think I would have traveled, heck its almost illegal in the u.s. now with all the %u2018no fly lists%u201D (like the one senator Kennedy was on) check points and threats of torture like the torture this man endured.

American national policy is to train police, air marshals etc to Terrorize, Torture, and murder. This is a national problem.

I read black water %u201CSecurity group%u201D the executive branch of our gov''s, black shirt fascists Thugs, are the ones that get the contract run the terror camps that train our police to torture, and terrorize Us the People.

[marke73]

ruby654''s name calling (bootlicker) shows that he is a liberal. That he believes the Government is the problem and anyone who states a truth, he bashes with idiotic hate filled comments.

[logicanada]

to36441...i hear you bro.
We had a sort of Kangaroo court on Toronto pd to hear cases of brutality. It was in house and informal. Most officers involved in cases of brutality were fired to protect the reputation and integrity of the force.
You sound sincere enough, now that you''ve vented.

[to36441]

logicanada;
appreciate the sentiment. Being a cop was a calling for me I knew what I wanted to do before I graduated.
Dont regret a bit of it. (though i complain from time to time)

[rudy654-2009]

ruby654''''s name calling (bootlicker) shows that he is a liberal. That he believes the Government is the problem and anyone who states a truth, he bashes with idiotic hate filled comments. Posted by MarkE73 at 06:08 PM

Yeah, I bet you call every Jew who dared to question the authority of nazis liberals too. Oh, I like the "hate filled comments" krap, which you are full of.

[rudy654-2009]

Posted by to36441 at 06:06 PM

Believe it or not, I actually work with the police because I am an interpreter and other reasons. There are very good officers, I agree. But I get so tired of this shoot first mentality where the individual was clearly unarmed and not a threat to anyone. However, the officers I know often talk about those among them who resort to force when it is uncalled for. They also know about the racism among them. I have overheard them talking about targeting mixed race couples, especially if the man is black and the woman is white. This case isn''t about racism, it is about an officer who isn''t going to use anything but deadly force to get what he wants. He was itching to use that tazer which is why he pulled it out from the beginning and THEN told the guy to turn around. Extreme??? YOU BETCHA!

[creeper00]

I once refused to sign a speeding ticket. The trooper had read the digital readout wrong and told me he clocked me at 85, when my cruise control was set at 65.

It''s chilling to think they could''ve done the same to me and even worse when I think of the baby who was with me.

Welcome to the police state, friends.

[dmhphils]

Jumping out of the car confronting the officer was the wrong move.
Harry Smith showed great disrespect to the police department.
Posted by MarkE73 at 05:59 PM : Nov 22, 2007
----------------------------------------------------

First of all, if you even look at the video, Massey didn''t "jump" out of the car and "confront" anyone. He was pointing at the sign and made no confrontation.

As far Harry Smith''s interview.....he was very courteous and respectful of the officer.....only somewhat in shock over the implications of what this proof of police brutality means to all of us.

Of course, most cops are not like this idiot and most are courteous and caring in my opionion.

[ej072]

Jared Massey created the situation and was out of control. All he needed to do was shut his mouth and sign the sitation. He''ll have his day in court. He needes to understand the rules of road and not just his interpretation of when the rules may apply to him.

[mju7nhy6]

The police officer didn''t didn''t do his duty, and cater to their self esteem. Police officers are supposed to debate with people, and get their approval before tasing them. The police officer shouldn''t expect his orders to be obeyed...who does he think he is?

[rudy654-2009]

Posted by mju7nhy6 at 06:55 PM

No doubt he thinks he''s the cat meow like you.

[marke73]

noseonurface at 06:41 PM
Jared got out of the vehicle. He should not exit a vehicle unless they are asked to by the officier. By exiting the vehicle he was provoking the officer. Jared is at fault and should be the one apoligizing for his actions.

[robjk1-2009]

Up until very recently, the police in Britain didn''''t carry sidearms. They carried a night stick and usually this is all that was needed. Handguns are illegal in Britain, therefore they usually weren''''t require by police.
If the police fear being shot on every traffic stop they make, perhaps they should collectively lobby the U.S. government against gun ownership and for gun registry.
Oh... the NRA...right!


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Posted by logicanada at 06:05 PM : Nov 22, 2007




Well, here in good old USA we have something called the right to bear arms.

[ssm9451]

UNBELIEVABLE!! Go to ''tridellutah.com'', to post your concerns. There are telephone numbers there, we all need to call on this incident.

[rudy654-2009]

Jared got out of the vehicle. He should not exit a vehicle unless they are asked to by the officier. By exiting the vehicle he was provoking the officer. Jared is at fault and should be the one apoligizing for his actions. Posted by MarkE73 at 07:04 PM

You have not watched the video. He was most clearly told to exit the vehicle when he refused to sign the ticket.

[rudy654-2009]

For those of you who did not watch the video:

1) The officer returns with the ticket and tells Jared to sign it.
2) Jared says ''I''m not signing anything because I didn''t do anything wrong.''
3) Officer tells Jared to "hop out" of the vehicle.
4) Officer walks to the back of the car and Jared follows.
5) Jared continues walking and points to the sign and said let''s see what it says.
6) Officer pulls tazer and orders Jared to turn around and put his hands behind his back.
7) Startled, Jared says what''s wrong with you and starts to head back to the vehicle.
8) Officer tazers Jared.

[boogied]

Hmmm.... Don''t do what a law officer says to do. Get put down. Hmmm..... I would be glad I didn''t get shot with a bullet, but that is me.

Please put something out here worth watching. This guy is nothing but a cry baby.


SIG

[shanev137]

One more reason never to go to Utah.