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Editorial See other Editorial Articles Title: Op-Ed: Why I don't trust the police (Stanford University concerning the Taser incident) Op-Ed: Why I don't trust the police November 17, 2006 By Jason Kerwin I’m writing in response to a YouTube video of police officers tasering a UCLA student being passed around on campus email lists. As with all such videos, it’s impossible to know all the facts. What I do know is that there is no way you can watch this video without becoming angry and horrified. A student confronted by police for not having his student ID card in the library is grabbed and tasered as he attempts to leave the building. The police repeatedly order him to stand up. He tells them that he can’t. They taser him again. He screams. This goes on several times, as the police appear to drag him down the hall. Not once do I see the student offer any resistance beyond failing to stand. A crowd of other students gathers, begging the police to stop using the taser. The student says he has a medical condition, and the cops taser him repeatedly after he makes that statement. This process continues, with the student shouting about “abuse of power.” Other students from the crowd demand the police officers’ badge numbers, but are refused. After one student asks for badge numbers, an officer threatens the student will “get tased too.” This story has all of the worst elements of an abuse of authority and should disturb anyone who is concerned with civil rights. The student, Mostafa Tabatabainejad, was singled out for a violation of a rule that bans students from the library after 11 p.m. unless they have a university ID card — a rule that has very little public safety merit. Even if you believe he was resisting arrest — something that’s hard to justify based on the video — there is no doubt that more harm and disorder were caused by taking him into custody than could have been caused by this violation. Moreover, it’s obvious from his name and appearance that Mostafa is a minority. My assumption on learning his name was that he was a Muslim, and the police officers probably thought so as well. The force used was incredibly disproportionate to the threat and situation, and is inappropriate on every level. Why use a taser, which involves a highly audible electrical shock and induces screaming, in a silent library? Finally, and most disturbingly, the officers ignored the requests for mercy by the surrounding students and even threatened them with violence. I have to admit that I didn’t know too much about tasers before tonight, but I know a little more now. I know that a 2001 study in the Lancet Medical Journal showed that tasering can leave the victim immobilized for five to 15 minutes, so in all likelihood Mostafa really couldn’t stand up. I know that Amnesty International wants tasers banned except in deadly force situations because 148 people have been killed by tasering in the United States and Canada since 1999. I have seen the way tasering turned what should have been a calm and even friendly confrontation over a student who did almost nothing wrong into a full scale civil disturbance. The relevant authorities have promised to perform an inquiry, and I hope that the officers responsible get exactly the punishment they deserve. I would find it hard to believe that what they did was necessary. Here at Stanford, we’re pretty lucky. I like our campus police. But what I saw tonight has left me extremely disturbed and fearful that something like that could happen on our campus. The rule that Mostafa broke was trivial and meaningless — it’s the kind of rule Stanford students break as a matter of course, whether we’re biking in the Quad or skateboarding anywhere on campus (both punishable by fine). I have seen altercations with the police over similarly trivial rules escalate before, and I thought things were generally handled quite well. All I want is a simple assurance: I want a pledge from the Stanford University Department of Public Safety that they will not use tasers unless the suspect is a violent threat. I trust you guys. We all trust you. Please validate that trust when you’re enforcing the rules. Jason Kerwin is a coterminal student in international policy studies. He can be reached at jkerwin@stanford.edu. Comments on this article: Report as: spam offensive Wrong - 11/17/06 "student confronted by police for not having his student ID card in the library is grabbed and tasered as he attempts to leave the building. The police repeatedly order him to stand up. He tells them that he can’t." Wrong. He was first confronted by library staff. When he could not produce his card, they asked him to leave. He refused. They then got the police to remove him. When he saw them coming, he started to leave. When they asked him to stop so that they could question this suspicious individual, he did not, and resisted them. He started yelling about the patriot act. He obviously was being an ass to the police. Report as: spam offensive aofguy - 11/17/06 The guy deserved to get tased. Why not just produce your ID? I think all you rich and sheltered UCLA students should be asking yourselves "Why is it that he wouldn't give his ID? Why did he resist? Is he even a student?". Wake up! Grow up! Report as: spam offensive Anthony Ha - 11/17/06 "Being an ass to the police." Wow. If being an ass to the police results in me getting nothing less than irrational amounts of torture, then I guess that's a great way of kicking everyone into shape, eh? As Mr. Kerwin said, the amount of force used was completely disproportionate to the actual threat. Not having an ID card? Oops. He left it at home, but he needed to finish his work. Suspicious for trying to leave after seeing police? Man, I'd be worried too if police were coming down on me because some jerk at the library wanted to cause me trouble, especially considering the fact that I'm a #1 target for racial profiling. In the end, simply "being an ass" does not merit the use of an incapacitating weapon and then using it AGAIN because the person was incapacitated. Report as: spam offensive Concerned student form VT - 11/17/06 aofguy, you are wrong. Do some more reading before coming to ill-informed conclusions. The student felt he was being singled out due to his race and that is why he did not present his ID card. Perhaps he should have complied, but I can understand why he chose not to. If you watched the video you would have seen for yourself that all he did was yell "get off me" repeatedly. There was no struggle and no resistance. The only "resistance" was his inability to stand up after being tasered. Let's see you stand up after being tasered; oh wait you can't, too bad because now you're going to get tasered again. If anyone needs to grow up I suggest taking a long look in the mirror. The entire point is that there was no need to taser this individual. There was also no need to do it again four more times. I'm not one for civil suits, but I personally hope he bankrupts whatever police force those officers are a part of. Additionally, those officers should lose their jobs and be barred from any civil servant position in the future; it's obvious that they can't handle themselves responsibly. Report as: spam offensive aofguy - 11/17/06 Concerned student (from) VT, I am right. If YOU knew anything about the application of force and the use of tasers in LE you would know that they use the taser to avoid physical contact with the officers. So instead of tackling the guy and possibly getting hurt or getting aids or hurting the guy they tase him. And by the way I have been tased. It does hurt but it is not fatal. When the voltage is not being applied you can easily get up and comply. As to the race thing, that is life in post 9/11 world, accept it. If he had such an issue with it then he should have politely complied, gotten the names of the officers and then filed a formal complaint. And by the way, everyone yells "get off me" when they are getting arrested. Now, what I would suggest is that they put in turnstiles to scan students IDs at the door. A very simple solution. So why don't you "take a long look in the mirror" and "Do some more reading before coming to ill-informed conclusions". Put that in your pipe and smoke it. Report as: spam offensive reno - 11/17/06 It's amazing how many idiots come out of the woodwork when something like this occurs. aofguy, I really have no desire to go back and forth with you since I think it's fairly obvious that you're stubborn and opinionated enough to be incapable of changing your mind, let alone giving the guy a fair shake. First off,"The guy deserved to get tased." Let's put you in that situation and see how you react. The question is not "Why not just produce your ID?" The question is why should we have to produce an ID in the first place? The questions we should be asking are why they were allowed to use such force, whether they'll be punished, and most importantly, the larger implications of this. This scene looks right at home in Maoist China or an Orwellian setting, but not here. You'd rather have us just take it lying down, wouldn't you? It sounds like a full-blown police state is your wet dream! And furthermore, buddy, if YOU knew anything about the application of force and the use of tasers, you would be aware that some 150 people have died from the use of tasers since 1999. So much for "not fatal," right? Put that in your pipe and smoke it. The kid was right. Here's your patriot act. Here's the answer to what Bush, the neocons, the republicans, some democrats, and the media's talking heads have been naysaying since it was adopted. Here's your abuse of power. Report as: spam offensive aofguy - 11/17/06 I am far from an idiot, we just disagree. I love how people like you like to make this personal. I would have reacted the same way the kid acted, would have got tased and would have deserved it. So I'm an idiot because I don't see things your way? I am open to changing my mind if I were convinced and so far non of you have shown me anything convincing. I am not for a police state. But I do believe in rules and the rule of law. To answer your question, we should have to produce an ID so the library is available for the students not for homeless people, drug addicts, or terrorist looking to score. 150 people out of how many? Lefties like you are ruining our country. Not really sure how this situation involves the patriot act, but I know you and Mustafa like to spin it that way. The guy did get a fair shake, from the Librarian who orignally asked him for ID and then asked him to leave. Let's se how you like it when some guy without ID blows your family into the next world. Report as: spam offensive katetbetrue - 11/17/06 "I am far from an idiot, (I just think that if I hit the post button three times, it makes my fallacious arguments turn true.)" 150 out of any is too many. Different people react to being shot with electrified torture devices in different ways, particularly multiple shockings. Research has shown (if you actually bother to read the original editorial) that tasers can and do immobilize. In fact, it seems the purpose of a taser is too immobilize, not merely to inflict pain. What would be the advantage if pain were the only goal? These aren't even real cops, they are rent-a-pigs. Who says a bunch of security guards are any less dangerous than (gasp) homeless people. Report as: spam offensive gridlock - 11/17/06 "The question is why should we have to produce an ID in the first place?" Just a guess but I'd say that late night campus concerns would include rapists and thieves. see: http://www.ucpd.ucla.edu/ and especially for this matter: http://www.ucpd.ucla.edu/ucpd/zippdf/2006/Taser%2011-15-06.pdf <<>> Report as: spam offensive aofguy - 11/17/06 katetbetrue, Ok, so if 150 is too many for you since 1999, then is 39000 civilians killed by terrorists since 1990 too many? As far as my reference to homeless people is concerned, I am only quoting the UCLA offical who was explaining why they have the 11pm ID check policy. Tasers do immobilize while voltage is being applied, if you knew anything about the taser. See I have been tased before, so I know a little about it. You can move inbetween the electricity. So you can go read all the articles you want. Umm... and they are actual cops. And the point of pain would be to get compliance. Sorry I hit the button three times, but that does not make me an idiot. and you are apparently saying that cops are more dangerous than (gasp) homeless people. Report as: spam offensive Dani - 11/17/06 I am thankful for outlets such as youtube. I am amazed at how are rights as American's are being taken away. The sad part is that, unknowingly, we are voting our own rights away. People need to get involved, look into issues, and have it stopped. Report as: spam offensive LazyShikamaru - 11/17/06 I think the ID fiasco has to due with the 4th amendment rights. As far as the tasing, way too far. Tasing him for not standing up, after they tase him and immobilize him? Noncompliance? pfft. Other articles qutoe witnesses saying that he was ready to leave when the officers came to him, and that's not at all suspicious. The rule there I believe, is that if you dont have your ID you're out. And he didnt have his ID, he tried to stay in (as any persistent student has to the night before an assignment's due), but when he saw the officers, he knew he had to leave, so he tried. The witnesses say he was completely harmless anyways, and he didnt yell that Abuse or Patriot stuff until they tased him. Doesnt matter because it's true anyways. It involves the patriot act because the Act takes away some constitutional rights of the people, such as the right against unreasonable search. aofguy, 150 throughout six years is much too many for anything to be considered "not fatal". As for an ID, if a terrorist really wanted to, he could fake a student one. They never check twice, so it would be all too easy to stay anyways. IDs hardly guard against much, except maybe the occasional forgetful student not being able to finish his work. Report as: spam offensive aofguy - 11/17/06 LazyShikamaru, I don't think the patriot act has anything in it that speaks to student IDs. While him leaving when he sees the cops are consistent with a student, those actions are also consistent with a criminal. Who are the witnesses to determine that he was harmless? The video does not show when he started yelling. Report as: spam offensive reno - 11/17/06 "Just a guess but I'd say that late night campus concerns would include rapists and thieves." Your point is taken, but I doubt any police officers are going to bother asking for an ID when they catch someone in the act of rape or robbery. Harassing the general public to try weeding out a few criminals is not the right way to go about it. An increased security presence on campus, or the obvious placement of surveillance equipment would be a sufficient and highly visible deterrent. But roughing up some kids over something like civil disobedience? That's going too far. They've put policy over principle and abused their power over a trivial security measure that does more in the name of appearances than in the name of security; and look where it led. aofguy, we're done here. You're just another spammer. Here's another recent example of your brilliance: http://www.sepiamutiny.com/sepia/archives/003248.html#comment77078 Report as: spam offensive Aaron - 11/17/06 First off I would like to say when I watched this video I too was horrified beyond words, half disbelieving this could be footage from an occurrence on a university campus right here in "liberal, leftist America". aofguy is spewing disinformation because in taser operational videos it is explained that someone can be incapacitated for up to 30 minutes by hitting them in a sensitive area such as the kidneys and I concur he must have some stake in defending their reputation. Pick your term, they are all perfectly fitting: Orwellian, Draconian, Tyrannical - ID cards along with Biometrics and Surveillance Cameras are all of these things AND wholly ineffective. The way I see it, if someone is determined to commit a violent crime such as theft or terrorism involving the injury or death of a group of people including themselves, a turnstyle, metal-detector, or authority figure demanding identification will be incapable of preventing them from reaching their goal. Additionally, strong-arm tactics, profiling and suspension of civil liberties (as endorsed in the Patriot Act) foster an environment where the law enforcement officials end up inciting more terror in the citizenry than the criminals they are after. "Is life so dear or peace so sweet as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery?.. I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!!!" "The man who would choose security over freedom deserves neither."
Post Comment Private Reply Ignore Thread Top • Page Up • Full Thread • Page Down • Bottom/Latest Begin Trace Mode for Comment # 1.
#1. To: tom007 (#0)
I hope he sues. That's all the city understands.
#2. To: All, tom007, Eoghan, bluegrass, Jethro Tull, Cynicom, RickyJ (#1)
Regarding the Iranian senior at UCLA being selected from a library full of students to show his school ID: UCLA is in Westwood, an upscale well-known Jewish neighborhood. If this had been Cal or another UC, this Iranian would not have felt discriminated against; which according to his lawyer was his reason for not immediately showing his student ID. IOW, NOT ALL the students were being demanded to show their ID. The reporter says the school rule is to keep the homeless out. Well the Iranians in the area are anything but homeless; some are very wealthy indeed.
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