Asked by slick

2 years ago

QUESTION:

Was it okay for the police to taser the Philly Fan?

news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100504/ap_on_sp_ot/us_phillies_tasered_fan_3

Click to vote and we'll show you the results.

YES

This question was: Great Confusing Inappropriate

158 votes

Comments (13)

beachiolli

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2 years ago

If this guy is too fat to run down a teenager, that in no way makes it OK to taser him! These guys are just too trigger happy--I've seen videos of cops tasering women because they won't put down their cell phones during a traffic stop--stupid woman, yes--but write her a ticket, or take the phone away from her...no need to inflict that type of pain!

(1)

karentown

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2 years ago

I want to see that video for some reason.

(0)

F171615

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2 years ago

"If this guy is too fat to run down a teenager, that in no way makes it OK to taser him!"
I don't see why the cop should even have to run him down. The kid saw the cop chasing after him, and that's all the warning the kid needs to stop running away. I don't know why the cop should have to bust his ass unnecessarily, just to chase this guy down? The guy was warned, so then he should expect the cop to taser him. In fact, disobeying the cop in this manner is essentially asking to be tasered.
Of course I'm no expert on how dangerous it is to be tasered. But it did kinda look funny to watch the kid suddenly take a nose dive while running away.

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beachiolli

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2 years ago

disagree, that's like being shot for running a red light. The punishment should fit the crime--he jumps on the field, his potential consequences should be a fine, banned from the stadium, tackled, etc...I think tasers should only, if ever, be used if the cop feels he is in danger and shouldn't use his firearm. This guy, not a threat.

(2)

F171615

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2 years ago

"that's like being shot for running a red light."
You're assuming that the person running on the field poses no threat to anyone. That's a ridiculous assumption, b/c history certainly shows us that people who do run on the field (and other similar types of behavior) certainly intend violence at times. It's wrong for the police to allow the person to commit some sort of violence before they take necessary steps to stop him when he's already knowingly breaking the law multiple times.

(0)

crimson

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2 years ago

I'm no expert either but I don't see how being tackled to the ground and a knee pressed up against your ribs any more dangerous. But I could be wrong.

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crimson

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2 years ago

Good point, but I felt that the likely scenario, without using a taser, it would take at least 3 more police officers to trap him. I think it sends the crowd a bad message that if you run into the field like that, you won't get punished.

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karentown

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2 years ago

I felt the tasering seemed excessive. The weirdos who run on the field are just people looking for attention. MLB should raise the fine to deter more people.

(1)

crimson

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2 years ago

I agree, they should keep increasing the harshness of the punishment until no one does this anymore. (I'm totally for guillotine execution!)

(0)

Ziggitz

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2 years ago

I'm pretty sure the five people in camera shot of the teenager who were chasing him down could have caught him. As for him being a threat? He was 17 years old and clearly running around like a moron to get attention. I'm sure if a bomber or someone else intended to do harm they wouldn't meander around the field first in an elaborate attempt to lull the officials into a false sense of security first. Tasering him and letting him face plant into the ground was not an appropriate way to deal with him and we've never had to do anything like it before.

Is this the proud nation that landed on the moon? America you need to grow a new set of balls. Get some police officers and guards who can run for more than 30 seconds without running out of breath and stop treating anything out of the ordinary like a potential terrorist attack.

(4)

F171615

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2 years ago

Thanks for all the helpful profiling that you’ve done regarding the situation (sorry, but I hate when people profile). What I mean is, you look at the person – you see white, teen: and assume harmless moron trying to get attention. Well thanks for making all those assumptions (which as the saying goes, just makes an ass of you). But I’ve seen a white teen enter on the baseball field before and become violent.
Plus, we’re talking about someone who’s clearly thoughtless enough to knowingly break the law already, and then act without remorse by desperately trying to resist arrest. And to assume you know what’s going through a person’s mind, particularly when he becomes desperate is ridiculous. Because I happen to know that people’s behavior can certainly change when they become desperate (and change in not such a safe cooperative way).

(2)

crimson

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2 years ago

It's easy to call out that Americans need better officers, but in reality, how do you do this when the police officers get criticized for every action they take?

The police acted with too much force - they get blamed. The police didn't use enough force to stop the criminal - they get blamed.

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