Miami-Dade police officers are being accused of excessive force in the death of Kenneth Oliver, 45, who was repeatedly hit with taser shocks. Witnesses called police to report a drunken Oliver knocking on doors and asking for help. The police arrived and, reportedly over the objections of onlookers, shoot him four times with tasers — killing him. The case is similar to another recent case, below.
Paul Severence insists that when the police arrived, he told police “He’s under the influence, so you guys should be careful.” He and others state that the police overacted when Severence did not put his hands behind his back fast enough. “They Tased him three different times. They just kept Tasing him. I told the police, ‘You’re going to kill that man,’ so after they did it a third time, I just walked away,” said Severence. He says that he saw an officer then hit him a fourth time.
It turns out that Oliver may have pins in his shoulders that restricts his movement and makes it difficult to put his arms behind him. He also had a heart condition. Oliver had a criminal record, though he recently graduated from Small Engine Mechanic School and had a child on the way.
We obviously have to wait for the results of the police investigation. However, the steady stream of deaths as a result of multiple tasers is a very disturbing trend. Despite the witness accounts, the officers may be able to establish that he was threatening them. Yet, the use of three or four tasers seems on its face pretty excessive.
The story is similar to another case where a man was frantically pounding on doors saying that someone was trying to kill him and was tasered and beaten, here.
For the full story, click here. He also died.
Mojo said it right.
Case in point, Pelosi was elected to get the US out of Iraq, but because the likes of AIPAC and other Zionist lobby groups, she turned her back on her Constituents, her Position, her Party and her Country to help Israel and keep the Zionists happy. I wouldn’t wager any money that she’ll NOT be re-elected.
mnoble; I’m afraid you hold your elected representatives in higher esteem than they deserve. Your representative could get enough petitions to choke the engines of his corporate jets; it won’t matter if the PACs that fund their campaigns don’t want it. Do you think there are actually that many gun nut or Zionist whackjob Reps out there? Granted there are a few, but the rest are falling all over themselves trying to get NRA or AIPAC (kickbacks) funding. The Republicans constantly walked all over the poor, minorities, unions, children, but most of those victims elected them because the rich, whites, corporations, and health insurance companies gave money, which paid for ads that convinced these victims that the Republicans would help them.
The fact that over 80% of the US is unhappy with Bush and the direction of the country, yet McBush is almost tied with Obama, demonstrates with enough money and especially media control, people can be convinced/frightened that Obama’s the bad guy and to give Bush yet another try. This is PRECISELY why I maintain so much media control in the hands of so few is dangerous and the Democrats have to pass legislation to limit these monopolies.
But keep up the good work; something has got to be done.
On rafflaw’s comment:
“I would prefer a civilian investigation outside of the police force when an officer is involved in a shooting or a tasering incident.”
I’m always amused when law enforcement agencies that are accused of something like corruption announce they intend to “complete a full investigation” …
Wow, I wonder if they will uncover anything? If I’m accused of a crime can I prosecute myself on behalf of the state?
I’d likely drop the charges or ‘accept’ a lenient plea arrangement, but only if I showed myself a sense of remorse …
You are correct that neither Republicans nor Democrats, (with rare exception) care, (they are too busy being out for themselves), and that is because significantly less than 1% (3 million) of the people bother to pick up the phone and tell their representatives anything. Telling your friends and family and like minded people doesn’t count, calling your representatives does.
If even 1% of the people called their representatives and demanded that Bush be impeached they would be falling all over themselves to do so. But most people do not even know who their state and federal representative are.
Before you load up your AK to fight the man you might sign the impeachment petition and then call your representatives and tell them you just did so. And feel free to call Nancy Pelosi and express yourself to her minions as well.
The only reason that Congress has had any hearings related to impeachment, feckless as they were, was because 100,000 of us have already signed the petition in support of Dennis Kucinich. If 30x that number would sign the petition and then call their representatives then we would see some real action.
The American People gave the Democrats control of both houses of Congress to do something, it is high time the American People held them to doing something other than helping Bush create the ultimate police state.
SS; You’re just trying to confuse these people with the facts.
Yea, great idea. Just ban the tasers.
After all it’s the tasers that are at fault here, right? Not the cops operating them.
Just ban the tasers. Then all they can do is shoot us in the head with 9MM Semi Automatics handguns, blow us apart with 12 gauge pump action riot guns and bludgeon us to death with nylon nightsticks.
That’ll sure show em.
The summary execution of Mr. Oliver is yet another atrocity perpetrated by government under the guise of law enforcement.
JT: I’d also welcome a discussion of the use of tasers within jails and prisons, where these devices are surely deployed and abused with near total impunity. Is there any prospect that a court could find the torture of prisoners by taser to be cruel and unusual punishment? What would the ramifications be in civilian law enforcement? I see almost no hope that the use of tasers as instruments of torture and execution gets resolved through the legislature, particularly when these devices masquerade as clean, defensive tools to protecting so-called public servants.
My previous statement:
“I am really upset with Speaker Nancy Pelosi for finding one “reason” (ie excuse) for not being strong about pushing impeachment proceedings forward.”
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Oops. I meant to say “one ‘reason’ (ie excuse) after another for not being strong…” My apologies for the error.
I have to say I am very disappointed in this particular Congress for the way they have dragged their feet on this matter. I am really upset with Speaker Nancy Pelosi for finding one “reason” (ie excuse) for not being strong about pushing impeachment proceedings forward. I thought by tossing the do-nothing Republicans out we’d begin to see a return toward checks and balances in government. The present state of affairs is no improvement at all.
Rafflaw wrote:
What is it going to take for the misuse of these dangerous weapons to be banned? The police seem to think that the Taser is a fun toy that won’t hurt anyone. Instead of waiting for a police investigation, I would prefer a civilian investigation outside of the police force when an officer is involved in a shooting or a tasering incident. The truth sometimes does not get out when one police official investigates one of their own.
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I concur with Rafflaw’s view. These taser killings are reaching an alarming level, and too many police officers are using them on people without regard for what they can do to a person’s health and life.
There was a significant number of Americans that were against the war in Iraq to begin with. Many would later regret their backing when they found out that the Bush regime had lied about WMD’s. Now congress is a different matter.
I recall significantly more than 1% of Americans demanding that there be no invasion of Iraq, neither Republicans nor Democrats seemed to care. AND then Bush was re-elected.
By minority I assume you mean people that care that the government regularly kills people for little or no reason while the vast majority of the people of every color and background do not seem to care.
A violent response will be eagerly be used as a justification by those in government to further the police state.
Our only chance to turn the tide back toward justice is to somehow wake our fellow man and woman up out of their moral coma. If even one percent of the people demanded from their representatives that President Bush be impeached he would be. And that would be the single easiest and effective way to send shock waves throughout the growing police state. Please visit http://kucinich.us/index.php and sign the impeachment petition and ask your friends, family, everyone else to do so. I know from experience it is not easy but we must keep trying.
If minorities don’t get together to vote, take legal action, riot or do SOMETHING, it won’t be too long before they are put on Reservations too. Maybe it’s already happened but they’re just called Ghettoes.
I thought most Americans carry guns. It’s getting to the point where Black men should assume they’ll be murdered by Cops, so they should at least try to squeeze of a few rounds and take one or two of these murdering racists with them.
What is it going to take for the misuse of these dangerous weapons to be banned? The police seem to think that the Taser is a fun toy that won’t hurt anyone. Instead of waiting for a police investigation, I would prefer a civilian investigation outside of the police force when an officer is involved in a shooting or a tasering incident. The truth sometimes does not get out when one police official investigates one of their own.