Peter Cox, 49, is seeking possible legal action after an officer shot him in the groin with a 50,000 volt taser. The officer from the police department in Bridgwater, Somerset insists that it was an accidental discharge.
Cox was stopped on suspicion of driving a BMW without insurance. The officer pointed his taser at Cox for the first few minutes before lowering it. It then discharged and just missed Cox’s genitals. Cox suffers from Guillain Barri syndrome and insists that there was no aggressive conduct to justify the use of the taser. It turns out he had valid insurance.
Even if the taser discharge was accidental, the question remains why an officer would be pointing the taser at the driver. Cox clearly had nothing to hide. There is also the question of simple negligence in the handling of the weapon.
Source: Independent
Well at least it wasn’t “mistaken for his pistol” and then shoot the guy in the back killing him like the BART officer did.
And in that instance there was also NO REASON to even be pulling a taser…PERIOD!
When will something be done? Get on Google & search, there is a LOT out there….
i hope andy is there to make sure barney fife isn’t given a real gun with real bullets.
Some of us pay good money for the treatment Mr. Cox received for free.
“Cox clearly had nothing to hide.”
“…it was an accidental discharge.”
Bru-ha-HA-ha-ha!
“Whether they “could take him” isn’t the issue. If (and I’m not familiar with the facts of the case, so I don’t know) they believed the man was going to attack them, use of the taser makes perfect sense regardless of the age or condition of the attacker.”
The “if they could take him” remark was meant to be tongue-in-cheek.
But your “regardless of age or condition” remark is interesting. Are you saying that no matter the size, age, or condition of a presumed threat to an LEO, that threat should be tasered to protect the officers “right to not be attacked”?
Do I have that same right to taser any presumed threat without ever having to consider if that is a severe enough threat to me to be justified or the potential harm my tasering could do to that perceived threat even if my job is to protect people and that other person hasn’t actually broken the law or been put under arrest?
When do officers stop “protecting and serving” and start protecting their right to not get attacked? We probably both agree that if someone draws a weapon the officer should defend himself.
But what if someone is having a seizure and the officer is struck by a foot or a child kicks him while throwing a tantrum? Should he go ahead and taser? Same for the mentally ill, right?
Listen, we all make mistakes and i don’t think these cops meant to or would again taser this gentleman. But your comment seems pretty strong. If thats your true feeling, I hope you’d take the time to reconsider your stance on taser policy.
Ouch!
can’t help you yissil, i’m still laughing at the guys name
Someone please stop me before I make a joke about the phrase “accidental discharge”!
I’m not usually one to defend police, but the issue with the 70 year old got to me. Like any citizen, police have the right not to be attacked. Whether they “could take him” isn’t the issue. If (and I’m not familiar with the facts of the case, so I don’t know) they believed the man was going to attack them, use of the taser makes perfect sense regardless of the age or condition of the attacker.
“Even if the taser discharge was accidental, the question remains why an officer would be pointing the taser at the driver.”
Because in the UK most police firearms are locked away somewhere, so when you are someone who may be unfit for duty as a police officer, your only recourse for playing out your fantasies is a taser.
Cops and their toys … it’s time to man up guys and learn how and when to use your weapons properly.
That is a ReVolting situation you have gotten us into…..
The paper in the Asheville NC today ran the story of a 70 year old, mentally handicapped man that was tasered and tackled before being arrested.
The cops interviewed in the story are pretty apologetic but still, come on. Two cops tasering a 70 year old? Mentally handicapped? Why? Unless he had a weapon I hope they could take him.
Anyway, charges have been dropped. Go figure.