Man dies after police use Taser at Universal Studios

[Viva_La_Revolution]

Source: BBC

A man who was causing a disturbance outside Universal Studios in Florida died after being shocked with a Taser stun gun by off-duty police, US authorities have said.

Adam Spencer Johnson, 33, was said to have been acting irrationally when the five officers approached, police said.

The officers used a stun gun because Johnson was "violently" resisting arrest, said Sgt Barb Jones.

Mr Johnson became unresponsive on the ground and was later pronounced dead.

Read more: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-13170696

[muriel_volestrangler]

1. Why do off-duty officers carry tasers?

And why do they consider it their right to arrest someone grabbing his own beard and hair?

Ah, I see, 'off-duty officers' were moonlighting as park security:

Five off-duty Orlando police officers, who were working security at the park, tried to restrain Johnson and called for backup from an on-duty officer.

They said when Johnson resisted violently one of them deployed his taser. Police cuffed Johnson, but while he was down he became unresponsive.
...
Police said his behavior led them to believe he had some type of mental or substance abuse problem, and officers were looking to have him baker-acted.

http://www.wftv.com/news/27634047/detail.html

[KansDem]

2. It seems tasering is becoming as common as the request "Please take it out of your wallet"...

...in referring to your driver's license.

I don't know why five officers couldn't subdue Mr. Johnson without resorting to tasering...

[muriel_volestrangler]

3. I don't see why they had to touch him at all

Wait until some paramedics get there, if they think he needs mental help. He didn't sound like a danger to anyone, even himself.

[No DUplicitous DUpe]

11. Re: I don't know why five officers couldn't subdue Mr. Johnson without resorting to tasering...

That was my thought, as well.

[SkyDaddy7]

15. Cops love their tasers! I would not doubt it if...

some of them slept with their tasers! And I am here to tell you I have personally witness two different people get tasersed & one had it coming but the other one was simply talking & asking questions & got tasered fell busted his head open bad!!

Cops are scary things these days!!

I know a couple cops & they are utterly arrogant & honestly know there is not much they can't do to anyone they want at anytime! They fill out the police reports & it is almost always your word against theirs & the judge is not going to hear a word you say! Scary!!

[sasquuatch55]

16. Yep, tasers make them more trigger happy! nt

nt

[Kurmudgeon]

4. It's became zap now, ask questions later. n/m

[Hissyspit]

5. I'm sure something else besides the Taser killed him.

He probably got struck by lightning at the exact same time they zapped him and it was actually the lightning that killed him. Or else he was a spy and bit down on a cyanide capsule just as they zapped him. Or he laughed himself to death because he was thinking "I should say 'Don't Taze me bro!" and it will be on YouTube and everyone on the Internet will think I'm hilarious" at the exact time they zapped him. No way a Tazer could kill him. They never kill anyone.



---> :sarcasm:

[L0oniX]

6. If they had shot him in the leg with a gun he would have lived.

[liberation]

9. Wow. America f*ck yeah!

where shooting one person who is simply having a mental breakdown is now seen as the better alternative!

[Chipster]

10. Too much

You said too much common sense, there, L0ooniX.

Killed for mental illness? Think about that...

[Paradoxical]

13. And you know that how? A gunshot wound to the leg can shatter bone and rip apart blood vessels

[L0oniX]

21. I'm open to better ideas ...got any? How about the cops carry nets?

[ReggieVeggie]

20. nahh, they would shot him in the head or heart

you know, he looked kinda dangerous

[ManiacJoe]

23. Shooting him would have been very illegal.

Do you seriously think that is a good idea?!?!?!

[proReality]

7. Anurism? Beginning of a stroke?

Sounds like he needed paramedics more than police tackling him. I think police need to be trained more fully to be aware of medical problems, not just assume that someone is a mental case or druggie.

[IDemo]

19. My first thought was insulin reaction

Along with mental confusion, the body releases a massive amount of adrenaline which can cause highly agitated behavior. Speaking as someone with a lot of experience with that..

[Evoman]

8. What the fuck,,,,aren't people taught to fucking NOT escalate situations?!!

"He was kind of pacing around, grabbing his beard, grabbing his head and hair, and they were trying to get a hold of him. He was being disorderly,"

Oh no, he is being "disorderly". You know what we need to do....put hands on him, upset him, and arrest him.

Oh no, he is violently resisting arrest for our bullshit arresting reason. Back off and wait for him to calm down? Hold him down until we can get an idea what's wrong? No. TASER HIM.

Oh no, he is dead. Well, we had a good reason at least. He was grabbing his beard and...like....kind of pacing around. You just can't do that!

[Heywood J]

12. Sounds like the family should consider suing.

They were off-duty moonlighting and therefore not acting as police officers. As private citizens, they are bound by the same rules as the rest of us - we can't stun-gun people because we think they don't act rationally (otherwise the Teabaggers would be in trouble). There were numerous alternatives available (e.g. calling a real, on-duty cop) and due to their actions, a man died. Sounds like something where a jury might be convinced to do the right thing.

[w4rma]

14. Manslaughter. (nt)

[Dont call me Shirley]

17. Police have been taught to fear the public

intentionally. It started in the late 80's, upper level officers were required to attend a series of seminars outlaying the "new" ways the police were to veiw and treat the public. It gave them a sense of not belonging to the common people anymore, that they were of a class separate from regular folk. It's easeir to harm those with whom you don't identify and connect. Demonize your opponent. Divide and conquer is all authoritarians know how to be.

[freshwest]

18. And some of the cops have PTSD, too. Welcome to DU.

[mysterysoup]

22. Cops also get that attitude from experience.

Most of the people they deal with are scumbags, unless they are traffic cops or paper pushers at a desk job. After a while, they make the inductive leap to "all people are scumbags."