Since the Police Union have had their way and officers have been issued with what is effectively a cattle prod in a pistol, the Taser; Police haven't had so much exposure in the media for overzealous use of force since the Joh bejelke Peterson days in Queensland where police were reduced to almost a political goon squad.
The initial cry for the taser from the police union was as a safety precaution for the general public; the claim was that the taser would replace lethal force, the gun, for the majority of cases where police were confronted by an agitated and armed offender (alleged) who was resisting arrest and making threats to the public or police.
So far the Taser has been used on children and adults who appear to have done little more than question the validity of police instructions or not obeyed police instructions in a fast enough time frame.
This isn't a police bashing post by any means, however, it seems to me that if you give someone the power to, and the use, of a tool then they will find a reason to use it.
That being said, my concern is that the police have no way of ascertaining the health conditions of a person they are shocking with 50,000 volts or whether this kind of voltage could have serious consequences of a negative nature to the person they are shocking which could result in death even though both the government and the police claim there are no adverse health issues with the taser.
Recently reported in the media is the story of how police officers got involved in an incident which was occurring at a hotel across the road from a police station which resulted in about half a dozen police officers scuffeling with 3 members of a family with one officer targeting the older man who appeared in video footage to be pushing officers away from his younger relatives and who during the scuffle with this particular officer returned punches after several times evading the grasp of that officer who eventually tasered the older man and then grabbed him in a headlock. One of the younger relatives retaliated by running at the officer and (allegedly) head butting him which resulted in severe damage to the officer who was knocked out instantly and hit his head very hard on the ground when he went down.
The men were arrested by police later and charged but let off by a judge who saw the video evidence and called the police to task for excessive force, and released the charged men, to the ire of police.
The older man suffered a heart attack only minutes after the tasering by that officer, and most probably as a result of it, a point which police say has no basis despite overwhelming contradictory evidence from the USA where cases of heart attacks and other problems after Taser shocks are well documented.
The police want to continue to have appeals and have the men charged with something, since the officer has serious problems from his injuries, and it seems to me that it's about revenge rather than right and wrong.
The incident was a common one where a rowdy group were blueing after a skinfull at the pub, the question is this, if the taser is a replacement for lethal force as they say, then why was it used in this situation? was that officer in fear for his or a member of the public's life? or, . . was he frustrated at his inability to apprehend an old man who was trying to break up the fighting?
In the case at the gold coast the officer tasered a 15 year old girl who was being held by two security guards; was that officer in fear of his or a member of the public's life? I don't think so. He used the taser like a fist to punish the girl out of anger and rage, he issued summary justice. . . .no judge , no jury, just a cop and his taser and that girl will obey or by heaven she will pay.
So in reality do our police need to be using a replacement for lethal force as they have in these cases, look up you tube and see how they use them in the USA and you will see that if a person doesn't respond fast enough, obey quick enough or even treat the cop with enough respect they can be tasered, just normal people who have come to the attention of police and feel the wrath of those officers.
I think the officer who uses a tares should be forced to submit a public report as to why they felt that they were in fear for their life or fear for a member of the public's life and if they cannot substantiate a real and present danger, they should be stood down.
Well you can tell me that you think police don't get enough support from the general public, and that as a rule we are losing respect for them, and even that they are a necessary evil, but I guess we need the force, even though we probably fear them more than any criminal, or bikie gang, strange isn't it.
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1 comment:
I saw the story on 60 minutes where that family was let off by the judge and was amazed that all those police couldn't subdue three people or at least send them on their way without a physical brawl being their only solution. What happened to police training to mediate to a situation for the best outcome for the whole of the community, and i don't think that filling out court system and jails is good for anyone unless they actually deserve it. It seemed to me that the police had been bothered during their donut feast or something and were irritated and intent on making the remaining people pay for interrupting their peaceful shift.
I feel sorry for the officer who was injured so seriously, and for the older man who suffered a heart attack after being tasered by that officer in questionable circumstances, but lets not make this a generalisation that continues the imbalance of power that the police now have and their us against them attitude to the public by allowing the police to seek revenge and retribution against this family.
If the police think this is rough justice I say tell it to Mr. Doomagee, the officer in that incident got a promotion and an award for bravery, at least this family just didn't get charged.
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