UCLA Tazing...

TurismoDreamin · Nov 16, 2006

UCLA Tazing...

New video of a recent incident. An Iranian-American UCLA student was unable to produce an ID and was tazed multiple times as a result by police officers. I kno there are a few UCLA people on this forum....just wondering if anyone was there and saw it or heard about it from other students or something....

Video:

Source: http://dailybruin.com/news/articles.asp?id=38960

Community responds to Taser use in Powell

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
By Sara Taylor
DAILY BRUIN SENIOR STAFF
staylor@media.ucla.edu

An incident late Tuesday night in which a UCLA student was stunned at least four times with a Taser has left the UCLA community questioning whether the university police officers' use of force was an appropriate response to the situation.

Mostafa Tabatabainejad, a UCLA student, was repeatedly stunned with a Taser and then taken into custody when he did not exit the CLICC Lab in Powell Library in a timely manner. Community Service Officers had asked Tabatabainejad to leave after he failed to produce his BruinCard during a random check at around 11:30 p.m. Tuesday.

UCPD Assistant Chief of Police Jeff Young said the checks are a standard procedure in the library after 11 p.m.

"Because of the safety of the students we limit the use after 11 to just students, staff and faculty," Young said.

Young said the CSOs on duty in the library at the time went to get UCPD officers when Tabatabainejad did not immediately leave, and UCPD officers resorted to use of the Taser when Tabatabainejad did not do as he was told.

A six-minute video showed Tabatabainejad audibly screaming in pain as he was stunned several times with a Taser, each time for three to five seconds. He was told repeatedly to stand up and stop fighting, and was told that if he did not do so he would "get Tased again."

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Tabatabainejad was also stunned with the Taser when he was already handcuffed, said Carlos Zaragoza, a third-year English and history student who witnessed the incident.

"(He was) no possible danger to any of the police," Zaragoza said. "(He was) getting shocked and Tasered as he was handcuffed."

But Young said at the time the police likely had no way of knowing whether the individual was armed or that he was a student.

As Tabatabainejad was being dragged through the room by two officers, he repeated in a strained scream, "I'm not fighting you" and "I said I would leave."

The officers used the "drive stun" setting in the Taser, which delivers a shock to a specific part of the body with the front of the Taser, Young said.

A Taser delivers volts of low-amperage energy to the body, causing a disruption of the body's electrical energy pulses and locking the muscles, according to a report by the American Civil Liberties Union.

"It's an electrical shock. ... It causes pain," Young said, adding that the drive stun would not likely demobilize a person or cause residual pain after the shock was administered. Young also said a Taser is less forceful than a baton, for example.

But according to a study published in the Lancet Medical Journal in 2001, a charge of three to five seconds can result in immobilization for five to 15 minutes, which would mean that Tabatabainejad could have been physically unable to stand when the officers demanded that he do so.

"It is a real mistake to treat a Taser as some benign thing that painlessly brings people under control," said Peter Eliasberg, managing attorney at the ACLU of Southern California.

"The Taser can be incredibly violent and result in death," Eliasberg said.

According to an ACLU report, 148 people in the United States and Canada have died as a result of the use of Tasers since 1999.

During the altercation between Tabatabainejad and the officers, bystanders can be heard in the video repeatedly asking the officers to stop and requesting their names and identification numbers. The video showed one officer responding to a student by threatening that the student would "get Tased too." At this point, the officer was still holding a Taser.

Such a threat of the use of force by a law enforcement officer in response to a request for a badge number is an "illegal assault," Eliasberg said.

"It is absolutely illegal to threaten anyone who asks for a badge Ã¢€" that's assault," he said.

Tabatabainejad was released from custody after being given a citation for obstruction/delay of a peace officer in the performance of duty.

Neither Tabatabainejad nor his family were giving interviews Wednesday.

Police officers said they determined the use of Tasers was necessary when Tabatabainejad did not do as they asked.

According to a UCPD press release, Tabatabainejad went limp and refused to exit as the officers attempted to escort him out. The release also stated Tabatabainejad "encouraged library patrons to join his resistance." At this point, the officers "deemed it necessary to use the Taser in a "drive stun' capacity."
"He wasn't cooperative; he wouldn't identify himself. He resisted the officers," Young said.

Neither the video footage nor eyewitness accounts of the events confirmed that Tabatabainejad encouraged resistance, and he repeatedly told the officers he was not fighting and would leave.

Tabatabainejad was walking with his backpack toward the door when he was approached by two UCPD officers, one of whom grabbed the student's arm. In response, Tabatabainejad yelled at the officers to "get off me." Following this demand, Tabatabainejad was stunned with a Taser.

UCPD and the UCLA administration would not comment on the specifics of the incident as it is still under investigation.

In a statement released Wednesday, Interim Chancellor Norman Abrams said investigators were reviewing the situation and the officers' actions.

"I can assure you that these reviews will be thorough, vigorous and fair," Abrams said.

The incident, which Zaragoza described as an example of "police brutality," left many students disturbed.

"I realize when looking at these kind of arrest tapes that they don't always show the full picture. ... But that six minutes that we can watch just seems like it's a ridiculous amount of force for someone being escorted because they forgot their BruinCard," said Ali Ghandour, a fourth-year anthropology student.

"It certainly makes you wonder if something as small as forgetting your BruinCard can eventually lead to getting Tased several times in front of the library," he added.

Edouard Tchertchian, a third-year mathematics student, said he was concerned that the student was not offered any other means of showing that he was a UCLA student.

Fgca_rolla · Nov 16, 2006

Saw the video on break.com earlier. Thats twisted and morbid.

e_andree · Nov 16, 2006

From the audio at the beginning, and without video, it seems that he wasnt complying with the police officers. Its standard procedure to use a tazer to subdue a suspect or to immobilize them. After the 1st tazer, he refused to comply with their demands. A 2nd or 3rd tazer or 4th, if needed is justifed in my mind.

To anyone that disagrees with this, are you also against riot police using rubber bullets to disperse a crowd? Tear gas to disperse a crowd?

Im all for peaceful protests, but this wasnt a peaceful protest. He refused to comply with the officers demands, and at that point, you dont just let the guy walk away from the situation. You take him into custody.

Tazers have replaced having to draw your gun and using deadly force.

Fgca_rolla · Nov 16, 2006

e_andree said: ↑

From the audio at the beginning, and without video, it seems that he wasnt complying with the police officers. Its standard procedure to use a tazer to subdue a suspect or to immobilize them. After the 1st tazer, he refused to comply with their demands. A 2nd or 3rd tazer or 4th, if needed is justifed in my mind.
To anyone that disagrees with this, are you also against riot police using rubber bullets to disperse a crowd? Tear gas to disperse a crowd?
Im all for peaceful protests, but this wasnt a peaceful protest. He refused to comply with the officers demands, and at that point, you dont just let the guy walk away from the situation. You take him into custody.
Tazers have replaced having to draw your gun and using deadly force.

No problem with using less than lethal force when warranted, but I'm not sure if it was warranted at all for this. I agree that at the beginning of the video it sounded like he was resisting, but as the video went on judging by what the victim and the crowd was saying and how they were reacting I'm pretty sure he wasn't resisting at that point. The article even pointed out eye witness reports claimed there was no resistance.

Barnacules · Nov 16, 2006

Another great example of COPS abusing thier power because they don't realize they are on video. I hope those officers fry for this, yeah the guy was an idiot and should have listened to the cops but the cops have a duity to try and peacefully disarm the situation and they went straight for tasters in the first 30 seconds and without the guy even being a danger to them. I'm not against tasers, however I am against the use of them in the first heated 30 seconds of an argument The cops should have talked with him for 20 or 30 minutes to give him a chance to tire out or something before they decided to light him up.

Oh almost forgot... To anyone that disagree's with this you love hitler and worship satan! J/K

BangRolla · Nov 16, 2006

a cop can use a tazer after the first non-compliant demand.
with this being said, if the student disagreed with the cop in the first 30 secs.
out comes a tazer.

TurismoDreamin · Nov 16, 2006

I dont think it was necessary to use it that many times....two times wouldve been enough IMO....ive seen cases handled much better....example being one time i saw on tv that they had tazed a guy for being uncompliant but after tazing him again, they hand cuffed his feet and handcuffed both of the handcuffs together and carried him away...

Fgca_rolla · Nov 16, 2006

Purely speculation, but maybe the campus police just got the tasers. I know the campus police at my school, when they got their tasers, had a bet going for who would be the first to use it. Everyone was really jumpy and waiting for the oppurtunity to use them...maybe a similar situation there...all though I would hate to see that as the case.

jtweezy · Nov 16, 2006

so how was he a threat when he was in handcuffs??? Eric have you ever gotten tazed?? you can't move after getting tazed repeatedly...

JLee · Nov 16, 2006

Notice how many times he was told to get up? Stating he was tazed for no reason (incorrect)..

"Stand up"
"Stand up"

"F*** off"

"Stand up. Stand up. Stand up or you'll get tazed again. Stand up. Get up. Stand up. Stand up. Get up or you'll get tazed again. Get up! Stand up! Get up! Get up! Up! Stand up! Get up! (zap - only a 3 second ride, too).

He then starts saying "I said I will leave" -- but still refuses to stand.

"Stand up. Stand up. Stand up. Stand up. Stand up. Stand up. Stand up."

Then some jackass interrupting "officers, we want your information." How about STFU and wait.

"Stand up. Stand up. Stand up. Stand up. Get up."

*whiny voice* "This is an abuse of authority"

Now..this is less than 2:30 into the video..and we're up to what, about thirty commands -- every one of which was ignored. Non-compliant? Taser.

Three minutes in, it appears as officers are attempting to help him stand, but he still refuses...again, multiple warnings before the taser is deployed.

You don't like it? Try listening the first time..or second..or third...or seventh...or fifteenth...or twenty-third...

For the anti-taser crowd -- would you rather have seen the officers forcibly remove him, risking a physical struggle with a much higher likelyhood of officers and the non-compliant individual getting injured? You get hit with a taser and you may be sore for a day...it's not that big of a deal.

jtweezy said: ↑

so how was he a threat when he was in handcuffs??? Eric have you ever gotten tazed?? you can't move after getting tazed repeatedly...

You very well can move after being tazed -- full muscle control is regained. He refused to get up after the first hit, despite 30 commands to do so. What in all hell makes you think that he had the right to ignore officers and expect nothing to happen?

Barnacules · Nov 17, 2006

I smell bacon burning We'll watch the story unfold.

e_andree · Nov 17, 2006

Fgca_rolla said: ↑

No problem with using less than lethal force when warranted, but I'm not sure if it was warranted at all for this. I agree that at the beginning of the video it sounded like he was resisting, but as the video went on judging by what the victim and the crowd was saying and how they were reacting I'm pretty sure he wasn't resisting at that point. The article even pointed out eye witness reports claimed there was no resistance.

The fact that he wasnt standing up and getting out of the building is resistance.

jtweezy said: ↑

so how was he a threat when he was in handcuffs??? Eric have you ever gotten tazed?? you can't move after getting tazed repeatedly...

Yes, Ive been tazed before. I also went through the tear gas training. When you get tazed, your body tenses up....in MOST instances, it takes the fight right out of you. The second that the tazer is turned off, your body returns to its normal state. Very rarely are there any side effects. (Other than injuries from falling down after getting tazed) In this case, the dude continued to act beligerantly.He was non compliant.....that is not an arguable point here.

Ares · Nov 17, 2006

CadetLee said: ↑

You very well can move after being tazed -- full muscle control is regained.

e_andree said: ↑

Yes, Ive been tazed before. I also went through the tear gas training. When you get tazed, your body tenses up....in MOST instances, it takes the fight right out of you. The second that the tazer is turned off, your body returns to its normal state. Very rarely are there any side effects. (Other than injuries from falling down after getting tazed) In this case, the dude continued to act beligerantly.He was non compliant.....that is not an arguable point here.

Yes, both of them are entirely right. Add me to the list of being tazed. The only injury there is to being tazed is maybe minor burns to the points of contact. Being tazed is like an unforgetable, shocking experience.

@story:
since im too lazy to read the article and to finish the whole clip, I can only say that the dude probably lost some weight from being tazed multiple times. hehe

Barnacules · Nov 17, 2006

Damn, we got a lot of people here that have been tased I'm scared

vortex · Nov 17, 2006

I agree and disagree here.

1) i agree with the use of a taser in this instance, it was justified
2) i disagree with the amount of times it was used, if he was handcuffed and tased a couple of times, he was technically in custody and therefore they should have just dragged him out of there if he refused to walk. if he fought when them, then further force should have been used, but to continually order him to move and keep tasing him over and over is a bit over the top imho.

JLee · Nov 17, 2006

vortex said: ↑

I agree and disagree here.
1) i agree with the use of a taser in this instance, it was justified
2) i disagree with the amount of times it was used, if he was handcuffed and tased a couple of times, he was technically in custody and therefore they should have just dragged him out of there if he refused to walk. if he fought when them, then further force should have been used, but to continually order him to move and keep tasing him over and over is a bit over the top imho.

Possibly -- but I can't help but wonder if they had attempted to physically remove him from the building...would a riot have ensued?

vortex · Nov 17, 2006

good point

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