In yet another alleged case of taser abuse, Florida Yoga instructor Elizabeth Beeland was tasered by Daytona Beach Officer Claudia Wright for being loud and profane. She was later charged with the highly enigmatic crime of resisting a police officer without violence as well as disorderly conduct.
Office Wright does not allege that Beeland was violent. Rather, she reported that she used her Taser because Beeland was “verbally profane, abusive, loud and irate” and pointed her finger “towards my face” and was waving her arms. Here is what reportedly occurred:
It was Nov. 26 when 35-year-old Elizabeth Beeland of Ormond Beach stopped at the store to purchase a CD player for her father, she told The Daytona Beach News-Journal before refusing to speak more about the incident.
. . .
Police Chief Mike Chitwood said if a Taser had not been available, his officer likely would have used other weapons to subdue Beeland.. . .
The chief said Wright initially approached Beeland under the assumption a credit card had been stolen. In the end, it was determined Beeland was using her own card and had committed no crime.
But according to Wright’s report — the officer declined comment for this story — Beeland yelled to the point of disrupting business at the Best Buy and she would not comply with the officer’s commands. Wright warned Beeland she could be arrested and ultimately, could be shot with the Taser, unless she calmed down, the report shows.
Wright, at the store investigating another matter, was called over by a Best Buy cashier that afternoon after Beeland — who was about to pay for her item with a credit card — suddenly left her transaction unfinished and walked outside.
The cashier apparently thought the card was stolen because of Beeland’s sudden exit, the report indicates. When Wright caught up with Beeland just outside the glass doors, Wright said, Beeland began yelling at her, even at one point using the “F” word.
The officer said she asked Beeland to calm down. She then asked Beeland to step inside the store so it could be determined whether the credit card left with the cashier was hers.
Once inside, Wright states Beeland kept yelling at her and causing a disruption. She says Beeland’s screaming drew a crowd of patrons. Wright said she told Beeland if she didn’t calm down, she would be arrested.
Finally, Wright warned Beeland if she didn’t quit the commotion, she would have to deploy her Taser.
A tape from the store’s surveillance camera shows Beeland motioning with her hands and talking to Wright. She is seen slowly backing away from Wright as the officer advances.
Then, in one fell swoop, the tape shows Wright reaching for the Taser gun and shooting Beeland in the abdomen. She crumpled to the floor.
What is incredible is the response of Chief Chitwood who stated that his officer acted appropriately. “The fact that she (Beeland) was resisting and not following commands being given by a uniformed officer, that means that officer eventually was going to get hurt.” Wow. So anytime a citizen does not follow a command, an officer will eventually be hurt unless they act to subdue the individual with a Taser shot? It is little surprising that Taser abuse occurs under Chitwood who seems to believe that noncompliance with an order is the same as a threat against an officer.
For the video, click here
For the story, click here
Why should cops in NA use Taser on a generally law-abiding public who, finding themselves encountering the Police for whatever reasons, do not expect to be so harshly treated just because they fail to be immediately kowtowing and compliant.
It is excessive force people are worried about and the law needs to be firmed up as to what truly construes ‘resistant behaviour’ and justification for the use of Taser.
If for example ‘don’t Tase me Bro’ UF student Andrew Meyer’s ‘resisting behaviour’ had been met with punches, baton blows or pepper spray it would have been more obviously excessive force – but still in my opinion excessive force was used since the man was pinned to the floor and was obviously going to be going nowhere before he was shocked. He was ‘resisting’ but the threat of harm, to both the arresting officers and himself, was so minimal as to be insignificant.
This is the ‘linchpin case’ if only because it was carried out in the presence of such a significant (or shall we say prominent) politician. Had Kerry stood-up any-time since to decry the conduct of the campus police or even if Meyer had contested the legitimacy of the police’s conduct, the correct measure of Taser use would be set.
But as Franklin D. Roosevelt said; “In politics, nothing happens by accident. If it happens, you can bet it was planned that way”.
Beeland had just received a cell phone call from her husband, who gave her some bad news about their son; preoccupied, Beeland left the store to speak with her husband with more privacy, and intended to return and complete her transaction.