Okay. What the Fuck is this about?

Shocking Q&A: Student Tasered

Don’t get me wrong, resisting arrest is usually not a wise thing to do. That said I’m not quite sure the student was resisting arrest, and considering that he was already in handcuffs it seems a little excessive to tase the kid.

Here’s what I suspect happened. The officers, having been assigned to keep the order at a political event with a very big-name speaker, were nervous, because they were made aware of how important it is to make sure nothing goes wrong and reflects badly on the school or the community. Well, failure on that count.

I’ve read some mixed opinions on the subject, and sadly there seems to be no conclusive information about all the events leading up to the arrest, or the reaction of Kerry to the arrest.

I found a more complete version of the story here. Kerry is clearly distressed, although as a politician he is probably concerned about his public image as much as anything else. The officers have been placed on administrative leave. The states attorney hasn’t yet decided if they’re going to prosecute him.

I’m going to follow up on the story and I’ll try to update this post with the results.

What does it say about our officers that they responded this way? Shouldn’t there have been an amiable solution to what seems to be a relatively simple solution. Granted Andrew probably shouldn’t have struggled or gone into hysterics, but I don’t think the situation was undeserving of them. The article doesn’t give details about the exchange between Andrew and the officers before they physically accosted him, but did they warn him they would use force to remove him? How long did this conversation take? Did the officers resort to force for the sake of expediency? It seems likely to me.

This brings up something that I’ve noticed often. Now before I say this let me be clear. I have a great respect for men and women who put their lives on the line in service to the public. Police officers deserve our admiration and respect. Still, why is it that so many police officers are dicks? When I say so many, what I’m really saying is ‘any.’ Police officers should theoretically have the weight of the law to back their actions, so why are we always hearing stories about how they strong-armed somebody, or threatened them? Why is it that officers turn their sirens on just long enough to get through a red light and then immediately turn them off? Or more infuriating still, why do they just run the light without any warning, ignoring the safety of the people around them? (I live in Chicago. I see this constantly)

I don’t know, but I have some suspicions. We of course need to acknowledge that the assholes we hear about and run-into are very likely the extreme minority. The one time I was arrested the Officer and I talked about our families and our plans for Thanksgiving. Great guy. Anyway, I suspect that for some officers one of two things (or a combination thereof) causes them to be dicks.

A) They were attracted to the job because they’re bullies who enjoy having the authority to be abusive.
B) They’re genuinely people with a good intent, that get hung up on their authority because nobody ever taught them how not to do so.

So how do we discourage our officers from being this way? My answer, give them respect, and hold them to a higher standard. We have granted these men and women a great authority and responsibility. I understand how heavily that must weigh on them. With that responsibility comes a standard of behavior. When you interact with an officer be polite, honest, and straightforward. Don’t dodge the questions or mouth off. See if the officer returns the courtesy. If he does, sweet! If not, note his badge number. If you feel he’s treating you inappropriately first let him know, politely, that you feel in that manner.

“Officer, I am cooperating fully with you and have been polite and direct. I would appreciate it if you did not (Condescend to) (Verbally Abuse) (Speak harshly) (Touch) (etc) me in that way.”

Note the officers badge number. If he or she doesn’t improve his or her behavior, report the officer at your next opportunity. I would recommend (unless their behavior was clearly illegal or damaging) that you not attempt to report his or her behavior from your holding cell.

All in all, Cops are good people. A few months ago I accidentally ran a red light. I pulled over immediately (Actually pulled over before I even knew there was a cop there, I scared myself). I explained what happened to the officer, sheepishly, and gave him my License, Registration, and Insurance information. I expected a ticket. Instead he teased me about it and told me to get home safe.

So the moral of the story? Don’t fight the cops, file a complaint later. Be upfront and honest, and understand that they’ve got a tough job. If they’re doing something wrong, pay attention to it, let them know, and then let their superiors know.