Question Mr. Kerry... ZZZZaaaaapppp

[cannon_fodder]

A student asked a question at the University of Florida John Kerry town hall meeting today.  It was not a flattering question.  While he was waiting for an answer the campus police took him into custody.  He threw his hands in the air and asked what he had done wrong.

Instead of telling him he was being disruptive and needed to leave they instantly attempted to over power him.  He did not struggle until they tried to put hand cuffs on him.  At which point they tackled him and tazed him as he BEGGED not be be tazed.

He was subsequently arrested for inciting a riot.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=6bVa6jn4rpE&mode=related&search=
http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=3ec_1190097717&p=1
- - -

I do not know the forum policy.  Perhaps you were not allowed to ask tough questions or maybe his time was up.  But this was handled about as poorly as one could imagine.  While the kid has some fault for acting up in the situation, it seems he had some right to question why he was being detained and upon not receiving an answer to question their authority.  

He never posed a physical threat to anyone nor did he commit any crime, so why respond instantly with violence?  If they cut his mic and then told him he had to leave and he had further outburst that point would come.  Maybe its just the video, but it seems they really jumped the gun (then the kid went into freak out mode, understandably I guess). Certainly some harassment should be expected by public figures in open forums on college campuses.  

Sucks for Kerry, clearly he had no part in this but it will be fodder for a long while.

[edit] CORRECTIONS:
http://www.local10.com/news/14138122/detail.html?rss=mia&psp=news

They were Orlando police, not campus.

He was charged with Disorderly conduct and resisting.  [/edit]

[Breadburner]

That's what he gets for wasting his time with that imbicile John Kerry......


PS...I just watched the video....He deserved everything he got....He should have followed instructions......

[cannon_fodder]

I'm just surprised they tazed him at a Kerry event.  Again, I dont understand why they threw him out to start with - probably had a reason.  But the police should go out of their way to take the high road.  Simply stopping and saying:

"You have been deemed belligerent and are disruptive at this time.  You have to leave the premises."  

Then the kid looks like the over reacting jerk if he freaks out.  Instead, they start pushing on a college kid, seemingly for asking an uncomfortable question.  Especially when the kid says "OK, I'll leave" just let him up, take him into the hallway and arrest him.  It was handled very poorly, especially given the national media in attendance and the high profile nature of such events.

PS.  I'm not a big fan of having to follow instructions for no other reason than having to follow instructions.  I tell my 7 year old why he is in trouble or has to do something.  You'd think the police would extend the same courtesy.  

There was another group of people that demanded everyone blindly following their instructions, they were called nazis.  (couldnt resist [])

[MH2010]

He didn't follow the rules from the beginning. What makes you think he would have followed the officers instructions if they let him up?

[grahambino]

found this link on another forum

http://michellemalkin.com/2007/09/17/student-tasered-at-john-kerry-forum/

quote:
   So I went to the John Kerry town hall forum this morning trying to get students registered to vote. I run a student government organization called Chomp the Vote. Anyway I went inside to watch the event. Senator Kerry took the podium and began delivering a speech about the Middle East, Iraq, dimplomacy, etc. Anyway, after he was done, a university ambassador asked Kerry a few premade questions. Once that was over, Senator Kerry announced he would take questions from the students. There were two
   microphones placed on each side of the aisle. One on my side and the other on Andrew Meyer's side. Senator Kerry began answering the student's questions from each aisle. Eventually it was announced that there would only be a few more questions answered. Since Meyer and I were both in the back of each line, it did not seem likely that our questions would be answered.

   However, while Senator Kerry was responding to a student's question, all of a sudden Meyer rushed to the microphone with cops in pursuit. At that point no one knew what was going on. Could he have a gun, a bomb? Immediately, Meyer began yelling into the microphone that he had been waiting in line forever and that Senator Kerry should "spend time to answer everyone's questions!" Senator Kerry tried to calm the student down by telling him that he would "stay here as long as it takes to get the questions answered." The police approached Meyer who began taunting them by saying "what! are you going to taser me? are you going to arrest me?!" The police grabbed Meyer, but Senator Kerry asked the
   police to let him go and that he would answer his question. Senator Kerry finished answering the other student's question and then proceeded with Meyer. (*This entire scene is not in any video I can find so far. This is why 2 cops are seen right behind Meyer at the start of some videos*).

   Meyer approached the microphone and began to talk about a book he had which stated that Kerry won the 2004 election because of disenfranchisement of black voters and faulty voter machines that produced "Bush" as the winner. He then posed another question about why President Bush had not been impeached. "President Clinton was impeached because of a blowjob, why not Bush?". The third and strangest question he posed to Senator Kerry was asking him if he was part of the skull and bones society with Bush at
   Yale. Meyer's mic cut off after that, probably because he had mentioned the word "blowjob". The cops grabbed him, but Meyer was able to get away several times. Eventually more cops were brought in to help subdue Meyer. Meyer continued to resist arrest, scream, curse; however he was enventually subdued by about six cops up around the entrance. As he is on the ground, he is told several times to put his hands around his back. He is also warned that he will be tasered if he does not comply. Eventually he is tasered twice. The video does not show whether he complied or not.

   Senator Kerry was trying to answer his question to the audience, mostly the one about faulty voter machines. I am a die hard conservative Republican but I do respect Senator Kerry for trying to soothe the situation as best he could and trying not to escalate the situation. He DID intervene by letting the student at least present his question. I never received an opportunity to ask my question, but when Senator Kerry ended the show after the Meyer incident, he did come off stage to shake hands and give autographs. At that point, I was able to ask him my question, shake his hand, and get a autograph at the same time. Now why couldn't Andrew Meyer do that?

   I don't know if this is relevant or not, but Andrew Meyer is a former sports writer for the school newspaper The Alligator. In his columns, he has been known to make ridiculous statements in order to gain attention for himself. Was today a publicity stunt?

[Conan71]

Alt ought to feel lucky he didn't get cuffed, stuffed, and tazed at the Rudy appearance.  That would have been hillarious to see all that on camera, then a "bzzzzt" right before the camera went blank.

[cannon_fodder]

quote:Originally posted by MH2010

He didn't follow the rules from the beginning. What makes you think he would have followed the officers instructions if they let him up?

The rules he didn't follow were failure to stay within his allotted time.  Then they started getting violent with him.  Am I the only one that thinks police and other authority figures should be held to a higher standard?

[Breadburner]

Did you read that complete story up there.......?

[Conan71]

Sorry, this just made me roll:

"...He then posed another question about why President Bush had not been impeached. "President Clinton was impeached because of a blowjob, why not Bush?". The third and strangest question he posed to Senator Kerry was asking him if he was part of the skull and bones society with Bush at
Yale. Meyer's mic cut off after that, probably because he had mentioned the word "blowjob"...."

[}:)]

[MH2010]

www.break.com has another video from a different angle.  You see alot more of his resisting.  Especially up by the door.

[TheArtist]

Who is Mr. Kerry?

[cannon_fodder]

quote:Originally posted by MH2010

www.break.com has another video from a different angle.  You see alot more of his resisting.  Especially up by the door.

That's where I'm mixed.  He did start really resisting, but he did so AFTER they started pushing him around.  I don't think I would argue against bringing charges on him, but they handled this VERY poorly.

This case does not really apply, but at what point can you fight back against the police?

Again, I do not think the student handled himself well at all.  He clearly made an donkey of himself.  I just expect the authorities to be above such antics and they fell directly into his trap.

[TheArtist]

Just watched the video. Cant really tell how long he had been up there and what the question and answer policy was to really know whether it was right for the police to start to take him away. But once they did it was wrong for him to resist like that. By the time they got to the point of tasering him, I would have shot him frankly lol.

[Breadburner]

quote:Originally posted by TheArtist

Just watched the video. Cant really tell how long he had been up there and what the question and answer policy was to really know whether it was right for the police to start to take him away. But once they did it was wrong for him to resist like that. By the time they got to the point of tasering him, I would have shot him frankly lol.

Lmao...

[MH2010]

If michelle malkin is correct, the student broke the rules when he cut in line and jumped on the mic.

Watching the video, imho, the two cops that first approached him and tried to control him were physically outmatched. He was controlling the situation. It wasn't until the Sgt. came down and started ushering/carrying him up the aisle that some control was acheived.  However, the second video clearly shows he broke away from the Sgt. in an attempt to stay in the room or go back down the aisle. They had to take him to the ground to get him back under control.  At that point, it took 4 or 6 officers and a taser to get him handcuffed and under control. That guy was lucky he just got tased.  I'm suprised he didn't get pepper sprayed. I think that hurts worse.  The effects last for about 45 minutes, where the taser doesn't hurt anymore after the "ride".