Teenager Dies After Police In Charlotte Use Taser

[Lerkfish]

Source: wsoctv.com


Fontenot said her son and the manager have had problems in the past but she does not believe he became violent.
"When he gets upset, he is hard to talk to but violent, no. Act stupid, yes. Mouth off, yes. But violent, no," she said.
Once homicide detectives finish their investigation, they will turn their findings over to the Mecklenburg County district attorney. A council of review made up of the officer's supervisor, internal affairs and a citizen will examine the findings of the internal investigation to see if all departmental policies were followed.

Read more: http://www.wsoctv.com/news/15660114/detail.html

---

before I even looked at the picture, I knew the teen was black.

so now, mouthing off to a supervisor is a capital offense?

[BlueFireAnt]

1. When are we gonna put a stop to this bullshit

Police in this "great nation" have a license to kill (especially blacks. I saw on the news last night where the cops in S.C. are using their vehicles to run over suspects on foot. THIS SHIT MUST STOP!!!!!!!!!!

[OKthatsIT]

19. When we tell Congress to outlaw them...

...Congress has never said a word over this supossed non-lethal. Laws should be created to restrict their use unless there's an obvious threat, such as a gun drawn and aimed at the police. Or shots had been fired.

There are 'net guns' or 'gummy guns' which could stabilize the situation without unnecessary harm to anybody. The US tax payers paid a lot of money to make those devices which harm none.

ESPECIALLY TEENS with hot tempers...come on people.

[Occulus]

25. I would prefer to just see them banned completely.

There is not a legitimate argument to be made in favor of these devices when using them on any given person is a roll of the dice on whether they live or die. Even with a bullet from a gun, there's a chance the bullet wound will be off target and be nonlethal; with a taser, it matters not one bit where you hit them, as long as you do.

A hit in the leg from a taser can be just as deadly as a bullet ripping an artery. However, getting shot in the hand probably won't kill you- but with a taser, it's just as big a crapshoot.

These things need to go and stay gone. I don't want to be tased because a cop doesn't like my mouth.

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

36. Cops don't aim at hands.

They aim center of mass, because that is the place where the bullets are most likely to hit vital organs doing the most damage while also providing the largest target. You are far more likely to die from a single 9mm or 40 S & W, the 2 most common police rounds, gunshot wound to the center of your chest than you are from being tased. Actually you are probably far more likely to die from any gunshot wound to anywhere except your hands or your feet than you are from being tased. I have treated a lot of both.

David

[bahrbearian]

2. Officers said the teen assaulted a store manager by throwing an object

O.K what was the object? If it was a can of food, they would have said so.
I think it may have been a Roll of paper towels, or a wad of paper. Otherwise there would have been a discription.

[DCKit]

9. Probably more like a bag of chips.

Regardless, the cops are taking their cues from the top and becoming a danger to every one of us. I'm a recent beneficiary of their hospitality and, while I knew the system was bad, I no longer have any illusions about why the "Don't Snitch" campaign exists. People are simply afraid for their lives, and any contact with the police is an unacceptable risk.

[superkia]

13. You are dead on in this sentence here:

"the cops are taking their cues from the top and becoming a danger to every one of us."

They are preparing the average citizen to accept the police state when it comes. They can win if they keep us divided and this is just another way, allow these things to take place, let people see it enough and it becomes the norm to those who haven't experienced it but just see it all of the time.

[struggle4progress]

23. "According to a CMPD statement, an officer deployed the Taser when Turner refused verbal commands ..

.. and moved toward police"

http://news14.com/content/headlines/594088/food-lion-reopens-after-taser-incident/Default.aspx

So maybe he didn't throw anything at all

[CoffeeCat]

3. People have died from these tasers....

...why oh why do we use them? It's a form of torture.

I'll tell you exactly what I'd do if threatened with a taser, I'd yell, "I might be pregnant, don't taser me!"

I think every one threatened with one of these torture devices needs to come up with some phrase like that, to
protect themselves against these torture devices.

No one deserves this kind of treatment.

[Pavulon]

16. The alternative is

a physical fight. Where a billy club can be used. More will die from skull fractures and choke holds.

In some cases the alternative is gunfire. Obviously more deadly than a tazer.

[LiberalFighter]

20. The alternative is the "command precense" that cops are suppose to know.

There should be steps police should follow before they start using lethal force. It appears that more and more are by-stepping those steps going directly to taser because to them it is not lethal. When lethal force consisted of using a gun/rifle the police had criteria they had to follow to use deadly force and then there would be an investigation to determine if it was justified.

Are police communicating with suspects?

[Pavulon]

22. Refusal to comply

when a person refuses to comply they police can not just walk off. They either have a fight or use less than lethal force.

Are the suspects complying with their orders?

[LiberalFighter]

28. Should law enforcement use force in all situations involving "failure to follow orders"

[Pavulon]

29. Only when forced to.

they do not have the option to walk away. If they have to make an arrest they don't get to give up because a person says no.

I am sure many here have dealt with the police, been arrested, and not been beaten.

I stand by the tazer when a fight is required. It is less damaging to the person on the other side than a baton or fist fight.

A fight heightens the chance for injury to both the police and the other party.

[Divine Discontent]

17. great line! I will say I have a heart condition.

https://www.cafepress.com/donttasemebro08

[barbtries]

4. and they call it a non-lethal weapon

if that's true why is this young man dead?

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

31. They call it a less lethal weapon.

Just to be accurate.


David

[go west young man]

5. Heartbreaking to watch.

If we are not a police state already we are well on our way.

[Serial Mom]

6. Tasers were originally ONLY to be used in situation where gun would be used

and since that original idea, cops use them in any situation and most of those situations are NOT the point where they would have used a gun instead!

[LiberalFighter]

21. Tasers should be used as the next to last alternative to guns. Exactly!

It appears that police are skipping some of the steps they usually are required to follow.

[BearSquirrel2]

27. Back to Billy Clubs then ...

Well then it's back to billy clubs. Activists look at single incidents in isolation and talk about the alternatives. Cops face potentially violent people every day and they know damn well they'd better protect themselves or eventually the numbers will get them and they will be seriously injured.

When the police show up to your house to nab an intruder, do you want them to just ask nicely and wait for a violent criminal to beat up the cop? That's not a good expectation for someone who is protecting you.

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

32. I'll take a taser over a billy club or black jack any day.

Electric shock with a taser is a lot less lethal than a subdural hematoma.

David

[BR_Parkway]

7. When I saw the headline, I automatically filled in "black" in front of

teenager

how sad that more people aren't aware of how dangerous these "non lethal" weapons are

[Divine Discontent]

18. I did also... and then I would assume it was a white male or female manager

a white kid I worked with (I'm white) got reallllly loud mouthy to a manager and was scary, and he didn't call the cops on him, but one must wonder, why not just tell him to go home, or, why wouldn't an adult's cooler head prevail over a hormone enraged teenager, and say, 'look, I know you don't like what I'm asking you to do, but you work here, if you don't like it, I'm not forcing you to stay, go ahead and go home'. If he was truly threatening the manager before they called, sure, call the cops, but otherwise, like you, I get too accustomed to inserting "black" in the story threads and being right way often.

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

35. I agree it makes no sense to learn the facts,

before jumping to preconceived conclusions. :sarcasm:


David

[Judi Lynn]

8. Resorting to such profoundly vicious ways to handle non-lethal situations

these people are creating and sustaining a climate of fear and alienation in a world which has needed urgent help for ages.

It would be very interesting to see what the outcome of their "investigation" will be.

[Divine Discontent]

10. another murder by cops

they need to lose their job at the least, and in my opinion, serve a 2 year sentence for improper force with a potential deadly weapon, as they know people have died from tasers - COPS SHOULD ONLY USE TASERS WHEN GUNS ARE BEING SHOWN. If they point guns directly at cops they're given the green light to shoot, but if they are throwing a can of food or whatever lighter object might have been thrown, and the person is just angry, and they come towards the officer, they need to have two or more officers tackle the culprit. Simple and yes, it's messy, but it's their job. ENOUGH WITH THESE TASER DEATHS!!!

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

34. Are you serious?

You wrote, "COPS SHOULD ONLY USE TASERS WHEN GUNS ARE BEING SHOWN."

When guns are being shown cops should use guns. You cannot respond to deadly force with less force. If those guns are even remotely pointed in the direction of the police, victims or innocent bystanders, then DEADLY force should be employed immediately. To me that would mean at least a double tap to center of mass or to the head if center of mass was concealed. Mind you I'm not saying the police were correct in this circumstance, I wasn't there, so I don't know. To characterize this as murder is simply ridiculous.


David

[pleah]

11. "so now, mouthing off to a supervisor is a capital offense?"

Apparently it is a death sentence!

[Divine Discontent]

14. yep, I'm sure they'll show it for a week as a reminder to the black youth

apparently the blacks need to be shown how to behave themselves and fill every shelf quickly and without hesitation so the white shoppers can get the goods they need quickly and without mouthy youth making them feel uncomfortable. the manager was just doing his job, instead of sending the guy home, he called the police on him, and when the unruly youth went robustly at the cop, he had to be taken down... accidents happen, but at least we won't have to worry about finding a prison spot for him later on in life.

:sarcasm:


TAKE THE TASERS AWAY!

[Pavulon]

15. Note to self

stepping up to the police an refusing an order is justification for the police to taze you. Back in the day you got a spiral fracture, from the billy club. If you were really stubborn a skill fracture.

Will it make a difference if the officer is black. Many cmpd officers are.

[struggle4progress]

24. It's the Ownership Society: "we own yass"

[arundhatiroyfan]

12. N/T

Good riddance.Another thug down :sarcasm:

[Occulus]

26. I think you should explain that post. n/t

[arundhatiroyfan]

30. I don't agree with that sentiment.

But I have seen statements like that posted, even here on DU, when hearing about death related to tazers. In my opinion, "thug" is code for a black person.

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

33. Self portrayal

What did Tupacs tattoo say? I know a lot of non-black thugs. Of course I've worked in a lot of black and white low income housing. The jailhouse tats are usually the first clue, the predator like eyes is another. I would hope most people are unfamiliar with these things. In general people who cause that extra sense to trigger that says I'm in danger are presumed thugs till proven otherwise. Just another perspective.

David

[uppityperson]

37. Another article on Darryl (teen) and his picture...

http://www.charlotte.com/171/story/547593.html