Don't Taser Me Bro

Ah, I have returned, my most glorious of readers! Hello to all three of you. LOL

I have tried to think of what I should enter for a new post and keep getting twisted. Should I attack Nanny Laws, or try to exemplify the lack of interpersonal respect I see growing in the US, add commentary on the lousy candidates for president, or do something random?

Here is what I came up with:

The situation with Taser Boy at UF, has had me in stitches all day. The idea it looked like a Monty Python Skit made me laugh. The plain fact that no one is coming out of the situation looking good is a side bar. I know I should be concerned, but the guy got what he wanted.

Now here are two talking points I have been following on the subject.

The first is freedom of Speech.

How did anything, that the Security People did, remove his freedom of speech? No one gaged him, he screamed freely. He even has a greater audience through the coverage of the event. I mean, does anyone know what the guy right before him was talking about? Unlike the speaker/questioner directly before him, everyone who has heard a report on the incident, has an idea of what taser boy was talking about.

His actions, such as cutting in line, trying to control the mic, and trying to use more time than allotted, infringed on the other peoples freedom of Speech and assemble. He stole the show and ensured his was the only speech that was well known.

My first "Here's what Mid-Knight Thinks" of the day:

Chaos does not promote freedom of speech, it promotes freedom to be loud. A thousand voices speaking at the same time has the same effect that silencing them does. You need order to ensure an Idea is heard. A thousand voices speaking as one, or one voice speaking for a thousand, or 999 silences listening to one voice, is more clear and effective.

The Second Talking-Point I have seen today is Police Brutality.

I do not believe that the "Taser" incident was a good example of police brutality, nor do I believe it was a good example of the proper use of force by the police. The situation was to overtly manipulated at the scene for anyone not there to make a good judgement.

Do I think Police Brutality exist? Hell yes. Do I think it is prevalent? Hell no.

The fact is "tasers" and pain compliance techniques were developed to be less brutal. The "hero" here could have been shot or beaten into submission, but he wasn't. Had either party been just a little bit more polite things would have been done better.

Here is the issue I am having here. Myself (a corrections officer), or your average law enforcement officer, or a Judo/Jujitsu practitioner's, or your average high school wrestler, could have planted Taser Boy with a couple of different maneuvers. It would have been brutal, it would have been sudden, it would have been spectacular looking, and it would have been final. The UF security guys were, in my eyes, to nice when he started resisting. If he had hurt someone or was a true threat the security guys would have been less concerned with his safety. He should have been warned then tased. The actual tasing came to late in the event, almost like an after thought or "gee, it would have been easier if I Tased him". But, in the end, it is impossible to painlessly cuff any non-compliant person.

My second "Here's what Mid-Knight Thinks":

I am no expert, but here is how I would have handled it.

3 Officers, 1 -TL (Team Leader) and 2 Responders

Upon request the TL would have had his Taser on the guy ready to shoot.
The 2 responders would have approached him on the left and right.
The TL would have asked him to leave.
If he declined, the TL would increase the rate, tone, pitch, and volume for his second request.
If he refused again, the TL would repeat his request adding that he will use the taser if necessary; while the responders took the perp by the arms to escort him out.
If he pulled away or became agressive the TL would play tag with him using the taser.
If he just resisted by playing dead or dragging his feet, the 2 responders would have brought him to a controlling surface (I.E. Floor or Wall) and proceeded to cuff him.

Again it is impossible to painlessly cuff a non-compliant person.

In my scenario, the taser would only be deployed if the perp had either gotten loose and tried to flee, gotten loose and took up an offensive stance, or had managed to gain control of one of the officers.