Utah Highway Patrol taser guy for speeding violation

News: Another law enforcement official resorts to tasering a person, almost as if it’s the first response to any encounter with a person. (More)

Analysis: This is getting out of hand.

This entry was posted on Thursday, November 22nd, 2007 at 1:13 am and is filed under taser, video everything. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

69 Responses to “Utah Highway Patrol taser guy for speeding violation”

Todd Pilgrim Says:
November 22, 2007 at 1:52 am | Reply
I could not believe the arrogance of the officer who tazared the driver. It was completely out of line. The officer in question should be reprimanded, suspended and possibly fired for his conduct.

The officer had no right to arrest nor tazer the driver just because he refused to sign the citation.
GREG ROSS Says:
November 22, 2007 at 1:15 pm | Reply
i FEEL MUCH BETTER KNOWING A MORON WITH A TASER IS KEEPING US SAFE.EVER WONDER WHY COPS GET SUCH A BAD RAP. NO SKILLS NO EDUCATION GEE I CAN CARRY A GUN AND FUCK WITH PEOPLE I WANNA BE A COP
Jim Says:
November 22, 2007 at 4:47 pm | Reply
I think the public will start buying tazers to protect themselves from the police. This is starting to get way out of hand. There is a reason that the public doesn’t like the police.
Letra Says:
November 22, 2007 at 6:06 pm | Reply
I’m From Brazil!!@
Very Good you Blog!
phil beach Says:
November 23, 2007 at 12:12 am | Reply
this is bull—t cops just have way to much power thats assault as far as i can tell .
frmad Says:
November 23, 2007 at 1:53 am | Reply
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Tom Says:
November 23, 2007 at 2:15 am | Reply
Let’s face it: 1) yes, a cop has the right to put you over… that is the law. 2) Yes, the officer has the right to write you a ticket… that is what we pay him to do. 3) Utah has a law that says that you will be arrested if you don’t sign the ticket… that is the law. 4) A tazer is safer than wrestling on the highway (yes, I have been tazed). 5) Tazing the fool is safer than testing/flexing your muscles and “Duking it out”. 6) no, an officer does not have to read you your rights before he is allowed to arrest you… but he cannot use anything you say against you until he does. 7) did the officer escalate the “Force continuum” too fast? Maybe… maybe not. It is possible that he did not escalate it fast enough… the only person that really knows that is the officer himself. Yes, the officer had the right to arrest the driver for failing to follow directions. 9) Yes, the driver was wrong for thinking that he was in charge of the officer. 10) The only thing I saw really wrong was that the officer had his back to the wife on several occasions where she could have shot and killed him.

My recommendations: use this as a training tape and discuss alternative ways for an officer to deal with this issue… and fine the driver for failing to follow instructions.
Jordan Says:
November 23, 2007 at 3:58 am | Reply
Tom you make a good point, but the fact that the man was 1)calm 2)not looking to brawl 3)Only wanted to see the speed limit sign and have his rights read does not qualify him for a good shock. What about, “sir please step onto this side of the road so we are not being passed by traffic” instead of “Sir, Sir, Sir ZAP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”
greggbucy Says:
November 23, 2007 at 7:50 am | Reply
When was the guy under arrest? Several things. The officer glanced away from the suspect as he was retrning to his vehicle. Would you turn away from a perceived threat if you were a cop? He pulled his tazer out right after he ordered him to put his hands behind his back. He had no time to follow or not follow direction before the tazer was pulled out. The guy was pretty calm after being tazed. His wifes reaction looked pretty normal to me. Hysterical and scared as her husband is being hurt. Cops recollection to fellow officer seemed off to me. Being fair I wouldn’t call it like that.
frmad Says:
November 23, 2007 at 8:00 am | Reply
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CHris Says:
November 23, 2007 at 10:06 am | Reply
Tom you are full of shit! Maybe you need to be tasered before you respond to your next blog. This cop was way the hell out of lone and should be fired immediately
Tom's a Goof Says:
November 23, 2007 at 12:21 pm | Reply
Taser not tazer and they kill
Saw Says:
November 23, 2007 at 2:06 pm | Reply
People need to protect themselfs from these cops. Fight back.
ac Says:
November 23, 2007 at 2:49 pm | Reply
I see this unfortunate incident very different than many of you.
Mr. Massey was given specific instructions to follow by the officer. All I heard from Mr. Massey was a constant argument. The side of the road is a dangerous place and not the place for Mr. Massey to refuse to sign a ticket and to disprove the officer‘s claim that he was speeding. Isn’t that what courts are for? It seemed to me Mr. Massey was trying to control the situation instead of allowing the officer to do his job. State troopers have a difficult time of it as it is and should not have to put up with a snooty boisterous individual who, in that situation was a danger to himself and the officer.
Utah has a law that states that you will be arrested if you don’t sign the ticket, as do most states. Massey was clearly uncooperative and refused to listen to the office. After the officer gave him specific instructions and advised him that he was being arrested for refusing to sign the ticket, Massey headed back toward the drivers door of his vehicle. Could there have been a gun there? Of course! Massey was doing whatever he wanted to and was not following instructions – he was clearly out of control.
Massey sounded like an intelligent person today, doing spin control on CNN, so why couldn’t he just sign the ticket and go to court and argue his case there? A defiant attitude, arrogance, pride, whatever – Mr. Massey needs to learn a little self-control – our laws are meant for everyone.
Josh Says:
November 23, 2007 at 4:49 pm | Reply
Why do we think we have a right to challenge an officer of the law?I hve no deep love for being pulled over. I think it is mostly a money making tool for the government. I have been pulled over, gotten tickets, fought tickets and won. Not one time was I a wiseass with the cop, turn my back to him and head towards my car, which is seen as an act of agression, because that person can go to the car and get a weapon. We can sit here and run this cop down all day, but we weren’t there, don’t know everything he perceived or sensed at the moment. This man was told 3 times to turn around and put his hands behind his back. HE DID NOT COMPLY. I am sick of dumbasses getting all of this sympathy because they didn’t listen. This guy probably thinks the “rules” don’t apply to him. This guy should have taken his ticket shut the hell up and gone on with his day and then asked for the video to use in court to prove his point. He could also have asked for a radar readout on his speed. The way to handle this is in court. I have seen too many videos on here where cops have been shot to death by people not listening to them with an ulterior motive to get to a gun so the could shoot. Stop coddling these stupid idiots who don’t follow directions. I wonder: was this a set up to begin with? How many times did this guy look back at the camera during the whole incident. Kinda making sure he was going to be seen and look good for the lawsuit. I know there is police brutality, but folks, this doesn’t qualify.
timought Says:
November 23, 2007 at 5:35 pm | Reply
What ever happened to the motto “To protect and to serve” as far as I know speeding is not a felony! This man had a right to expect better treatment than what was provided by the patrolman. Signing the ticket is just a formality and should have been explained properly before using deadly force. This type of incident is all to common, but not always documented and distributed for others to interpret. It’s no wonder folks have such a low opinion of law officers. OH! I know we can’t see what the officer see’s, as it is perceived by officials that the public can not interpret the video without prejudice.
Zimmerman Says:
November 23, 2007 at 5:48 pm | Reply
That guy thought he was above the law, he got what was coming to him as ugly as it was he was asking for it he was arrogant from the time the cop pulled him over.
Donna Says:
November 23, 2007 at 6:32 pm | Reply
I saw this on the TV and was horrified that an “officer” would react this way with such unnecessary force. The officer was way out of line and should be fired. It’s scary to me to think that I have to be afraid of an officer of the law because I didn’t respond exactly as he wished. This kind of behavior is uncalled for and this whole mess could have been handled differently.

We all need to take a step back and look at the “power” that has been placed in a law officer’s hands. Do you not see where all of this is headed? Do you not see a resemblance of history here?

Ok, so the guy shouldn’t have been speeding, etc. and all this would have never happened. But he was and we all have ….. but he was not putting that cop in danger …. you’ll never convince me of that.

I hope this “officer” is fired. Tasers can KILL … it’s been proven! If his life wasn’t in DANGER, why in the world did he have to put another person’s life in danger. The officer did not know what that man’s medical conditions were, etc. THIS IS WRONG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
zekeman Says:
November 23, 2007 at 6:41 pm | Reply
the cops a big pussy. take his badge , uniform, taser, and gun he would run like a scared chicken
D F Holland Says:
November 23, 2007 at 6:48 pm | Reply
Gung Ho US Cop, not very nice and certainly not worthy to be called an Officer.
com007 Says:
November 23, 2007 at 7:29 pm | Reply
OK. Is this driver serious?! You can’t contest a ticket with an officer on the freeway! DUH! You sign the ticket which does is not an admission of guilt then you take it to court to contest it. Did notbody else see the 40 MPH sign in the picture and then hear the drive state he was going 68 or whatever. I think he just admitted he was speeding didn’t he? Now, did the cop escalate, maybe, but one he asked the drive to get out of the car and place his hands behind his back why exactly didn’t the drive do it? I agree that tazers are being see by law enforcement as non-lethal and an easy fix to talking to suspects rather than the better safe than sorry routine. I also believe the the tazer manufacturing industry is a little to dismissinve about death by tazer. A taxer may kill you if you are suffering from something nobody knows about. An officer or two wresteling you to the ground would probably not kill you. In the end I think there is guilt on both the officer for jumping the gun and the drive for being a dofus and not just signing the ticket and contesting it.
mike Says:
November 23, 2007 at 7:42 pm | Reply
Tom is or was a law enforcement officer. The “Escalation of force” is right out of the training manual. What he fails to discuss is the lack of any effort by the officer to de-escalate. A simple POLITE explaination about why the ticket must be signed and when the driver will have the opportunity to dispute the ticket may well have sucessfully ended the incident. This officer provoked the incident. His actions were inappropriate.
- Jonny Says:
  June 28, 2009 at 12:26 am | Reply
  Ditto….As most people who are pulled over and felt they did not do what said, they react as if the cop has judged them. To argue your point with some cops does work if you can prove your point in a short moment. Example: standing under a Speed limit sign, that shows your facts. Rarely do you have such a chance. The point is the arguments belong in court where you are given a more even handed chance to make your case. I think this cop knows that law and did not take time to explain to this guy: both why he had to sign the ticket and that signing does not prove you are guilty at all. And second why the cop needs to arrest someone who doesnt sign a ticket as they have no other way to make sure this individual does go to court to prove his case or lose it and pay a fine.
  It is about laws we have to follow to have a civil society. But good cops take time to explain that signing the ticket is merely to promise to take your case to court to win or lose, not in any way saying you are guilty. I think that is what cops who view this should learn. This cop should have given the guy one more chance to sign when he got out of the car.
Vaughn Anthony Says:
November 23, 2007 at 10:36 pm | Reply
Kudos to Tom and Josh–The driver(also known as jackass) at no time complied with what the officer was asking him to do–when the driver was outside the vehicle and walking away the cop had no way of knowing what was going on behind him in the vehicle he had stopped–frankly I’m surprised the cop didn’t arrest the wife –I believe the cop is employed to do a job (enforce the law) by the Utah State Highway Patrol NOT as some of you clowns must think the Utah State Debate Patrol the cop is not a judge– he is a law enforcement officer—sign the damn ticket –go to court–and argue/debate your case there–some of you people may need a cop one day in the right circumstance and hopefully you aren’t so brain dead that you won’t appreciate
it if they pull your butt out of a jam or GOD FORBID SAVE YOUR LIFE—I’ve seen enough videos of real police brutality and this does not qualify—It’s a shame some of you people didn’t live in Nazi Germany or the USSR years back you’d probably have a lot better grip on what REAL police brutality is…that’s all I have to say except to all who think they know me —No I’m not a cop and YES I’ve had traffic tickets before–signed everyone of them–and if I felt I’d been wronged I went to court and argued it there –NOT ALONG THE SIDE OF A ROAD!!!
Gator Says:
November 24, 2007 at 4:37 am | Reply
This is what happens when an idiot challenges a cop with an ego, who was probably picked on as a child, and that is why he became a cop.
Any normal driver with an average IQ, and who is not intoxicated, knows not to be defiant to a Barnie Fife prototype , or bad things can happen.
Welcome to the real world tough guy.
I have a feeling he and many viewers will listen closely to the police, after this reality
check. Remember, he who holds the gun usually wins, right or wrong.
This is just a reminder that we do live in a police state, and this was nothing. He didn’t handcuff the driver and his wife in the sun for a few hours in the back of his squad car, then search the vehicle to find some contraband or a gun. Lets face it, if he was black this would have happend, and we would not know anything about this incident.
Charles Says:
November 24, 2007 at 4:47 am | Reply
To those bashing the cop, you need to watch the video again.

Instead of complying with the officer, the driver is reaching for something in his pocket. The officer faced a potentially life threatening situation and was more than justified in using the taser under the circumstances.

If you were the officer, perhaps you would have waited to see if the driver pulled out a box of mints or a deadly weapon – I sure wouldn’t, especially considering the driver’s combative and argumentative demeanor from first encounter.
MJ Says:
November 24, 2007 at 9:38 am | Reply
This cop is an idiot. Tasering a motorist for not signing a ticket was surely a major threat on this pig’s life lmao. I hope he gets fired. John Gardner is an idiot.
Jeff Says:
November 24, 2007 at 2:02 pm | Reply
All of you, please tell me what this tasered guy did correct from every aspect. If you can tell me one thing, he isn’t the idiot that I think. He argues from the first second, which gets a cop in a bad mood, that is before he doesn’t sign a lawful document, required. Then it goes downhill from there. But please tell me what 1 thing he did correctly. He sped, first, so that is cause and effect. Everyone always blames the cop. It was his fault this guy was speeding. It was his fault bla bla bla. look who should be blamed for every point of this situation. Just think about it. Who should have blame for every thing that happened.
Nell Moore Says:
November 24, 2007 at 5:48 pm | Reply
The guy was not tased because he was speeding, he was tased because he was not cooperating with the officer. Come on! Law enforcement must have some control and when the guy started to walk away instead of complying with the officer’s instructions, he was resisting. The jerk got what he deserved.
glenn boucher Says:
November 25, 2007 at 2:41 am | Reply
you people need to know what your talking about,like the laws,rules,and policies even that apply to a public safety officer.UHP policy states(as does most depts.)the deployment of a taser can be used but only if other means of controlhave proved insufficient.Which means you have to try to phsically try to apprehend and cuff a subject and if he fights/resist you then now can escalate the use of force.
glenn boucher Says:
November 25, 2007 at 2:47 am | Reply
for those of you who run your mouth in support of a common criminal with a badge i cant wait til he or someone like him does this to your wife,daughter,mother or grandmother.and we know how ornery our grandparents can get.oohhh and if he forgets his electric playtoy one day guess he’ll have to use his trusty service revolver!!!!!!!!!!!!
glenn Says:
November 25, 2007 at 3:47 am | Reply
This guy was probably patrolman Mark Topham’s partner who retired from the UHP in 2003 and was convicted in july 2007 of using his old jacket and gun to stop and rob motorist.God only knows how long this piece of shit was out there doing his dirty deeds!!!!!!!!!!!!!
logan Says:
November 25, 2007 at 6:47 pm | Reply
The man was actually tased twice. The second time was when he was already on the ground.
As per the Utah Highway Patrol spokeman, officiers also have the option to write “refuse to sign” on the citation.
logan Says:
November 25, 2007 at 6:55 pm | Reply
CBS Harry Smith exclusive interview of Massey
http://www.breitbart.tv/?p=8433
KEN Says:
November 26, 2007 at 4:57 am | Reply
RE: DRIVER TASERED BY HIGHWAY PATROL OFFICER

LET’S BE REAL… WHEN STOPPED BY UHP OR ANY OTHER LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY ACROSS THE COUNTRY, THE PERSON STOPPED THEN FALLS UNDER THE CONTROL OF THE OFFICER.

IF YOU OBEY THE INSTRUCTIONS OF THE OFFICER, 9 TIMES OUT OF 10, EVERYTHING WORKS OUT THE WAY IT IS SUPPOSED TO.

IF YOU ARE AN IDIOT AND TRY TO INSTILL YOUR EGO UPON THE OFFICER, YOU ARE THE FOOL, NOT THE OFFICER.

OFFICERS PUT THEIR LIFE ON THE LINE EVERY DAY, 24/7. AND, BECAUSE OFFICERS HAVE A BUILT IN DELAY TO PULLING THE TRIGGER, THEY ARE MORE AT RISK TO BODILY HARM AND DEATH. THE CRIMINAL NEVER HESITATES. HOW DOES AN OFFICER TELL THE DIFFERENCE?

IN THIS STOP, THE DRIVER LOOKED HARMLESS, BUT THE WAY HE CHARGED THE OFFICERS POSITION, ONE HAND IN HIS POCKET, THE OTHER POINTING BACK FROM WHERE HE CAME AND THEN WALKING PAST THE OFFICERS POSITION… THIS COULD HAVE BEEN A TACTIC OF DISTRACTING THE OFFICER AND WOULD HAVE FORCED THIS OFFICER TO KEEP HIS BACK EXPOSED TO THE CAR AND ANY OCCUPANTS… GOOD OR BAD… AND A BULLET IN THE BACK CAN NOT BE UNDONE.

THIS OFFICER WAS JUSTIFIED. ALMOST ANY IDIOT CAN TELL THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A GUN AND A TASER BY ITS SHAPE PLUS THE YELLOW AND BLACK STRIPES ON A TAZER. WE HAVE VIEWED THIS ITEM ON TELEVISION SINCE ITS INCEPTION.

ALL THE DRIVER HAD TO DO, IS LISTEN, REALLY HEAR THE VOICE OF THE OFFICER AND THEN OBEY… SIMPLE, EXCEPT FOR THE IDIOTS.

I AM NOT AN OFFICER, BUT HAVE HAD A CCW SINCE 1972 AND HAD TO GET INVOLVED IN STOPPING MUGGINGS AND BACKING UP A OFFICER ON A NIGHT STOP. THOSE ARE THE LONGEST MOMENTS IN MY LIFE. AS YOU KNOW, MORE GUN LAWS ON THE BOOKS, FOR LAW ABIDING CITIZENS, MAKE IT DIFFICULT ONLY FOR THESE CITIZENS. THE CRIMINAL NEVER HAS A PROBLEM GETTING GUNS AND SLEEPS VERY WELL NIGHTS, AFTER PULLING THE TRIGGER WITHOUT HESITATIION.

IF THIS OFFICER IS NOT CLEARED OF HIS ACTIONS, IT ADDS ANOTHER LAYER OF HESITATION ON THEIR PART THAT WILL ULTIMATELY END UP IN STATISTICS OF OFFICERS MORTALITY RATE ACROSS THE COUNTRY.

STAND UP AND BACK THIS GUY UP… DON’T MAKE HIM A SCAPEGOAT TO APPEASE THE MEDIA. THIS OFFICER DID THE RIGHT THING… DON’T SECOND GUESS HIM, YOU WEREN’T THERE, EXCEPT BY FILM AND THIS DOES NOT TELL OF THE MANY DECISIONS THAT WERE GOING ON IN THE MIND OF AN EXPERIENCED OFFICER.
itobo Says:
November 26, 2007 at 12:49 pm | Reply
What did this guy do right? He questioned, politely, whether he had passed the 40 mph speed limit sign. A sign he didn’t see because, as you can see from the video, the police car pulled in front of and blocked. He cooperated up to the point that the officer demanded he sign the document without ever deigning to answer his question. His actions after that were stupid, but the officer was arrogant, and his arrogance escalated a polite exchange to the use of deadly force. I don’t want him fired, but he clearly needs to be transferred to a job that doesn’t involve daily contact with the public.
logan Says:
November 26, 2007 at 11:07 pm | Reply
This officer was a liar. See how he lied to the other officer about the incident at the end of the tape. Why did he have to lie to the other officer?
Why did he have to tase the man when he was already down? Just to satisfy his big ego and inflict pain, I guess.
logan Says:
November 26, 2007 at 11:26 pm | Reply
When relating the incident to the second cop, this officer never ever said that he acted in self defense or out of fear for his life. He never ever said that he thought the driver might be dangerous or anything. He utilized the taser as a convenient tool to compel obedience. Inflicting pain needlessly just to force obedience, especially in a situation where there is no threat to human life, is close to torture.
logan Says:
November 26, 2007 at 11:29 pm | Reply
Why did he have to tased the driver a SECOND TIME when he was already on the ground?
Tony Kettle Says:
November 27, 2007 at 1:17 am | Reply
Sirs,

After watching this video clip I can only say that the anti tazer lobby won’t have to work very hard to get these diabolical instruments banned. The police themselves, by their own incompetence and stupidity, will do the job for them. The policeman in this particular exercise lost control of the situation almost immediately. This particular video could be used at police academy as a classic example of how things should not be done. The officer needs to go back to school to be properly programmed.
rdv Says:
November 27, 2007 at 7:40 pm | Reply
go back to school? they go to school? oh yeah..that month or so of training. Please! Don’t they have to pass a physical? Why bother with physicals when they can just sit back on their lazy asses and taze people from a distance. Much easier and a whole lot less messier than shooting. They’re tazing and peppr spraying away anyone who might not give them exactly what they want when they want. This video is sad, despite the victims actions, which per the video can only suggest words, does this justify being tazed. So all and all, cops can reply to words with deadly force.

Too much power, to the lowest educated and this is what you got. You want to see this disappear, make them get an undergrad before becoming a cop. With those kind of pre-reqs i’m ready to bet they’ll be less of these situations
Ravi Says:
November 28, 2007 at 1:56 am | Reply
The average IQ of America is 98…. we are sheep being manipulated by wolves… America was the land of the large middle class…. that’s what made America great… the homes in my town that are selling are below $200k and above $500k… the middle class doesn’t exist anymore! I’d say wake up!… but I say it’s too late… not our fault… we’ve sold out to the multinationals and central bankers…. they own us through our debt… we are all slaves to our debt… freedom is a myth, like a fairytale that we all believe in because we keep saying it…. but we do not have the freedom that our forefathers believed in. We think that freedom is a credit card and a big flat screen tv to keep us programmed to consume and be dull… but hey let’s just go to Starbucks and buy a mocha vanilla latte and be happy. For the folks that think it was alright to taser this all American kid, you are hopeless… they have already gotten to you.. you have been programmed… “Resistance is futile, you will be assimulated.” — The Borg
Graeloch Says:
November 28, 2007 at 4:02 am | Reply
This is really simple. A LEO has rights which are not terribly differnt from Anyone else’s. Like a soldier or a citizen they have the right to defend themselves and others. Having been a soldier and being licensed to carry a concealled firearm myself I am very much aware of when I can or cannot use force, lethal, less lethal, or otherwise against someone. the Criterion is simply this. If you have a perceived threat you may defend against that threat. A Taser is a great alternative to a Firearm however in either case if you shoot someone who is facing you and is an imminent threat to you you are justified in self defense. However, as soon as that person turns his back on you and retreats he is not an imminent threat. There is NEVER a justification fro shooting someone in the back regardless of whether the weapon is a Taser or a Gun. Ask yourself this question if you remove the uniform and the badge. If you were a citizen armed witha Taser and someone was threatening you do you have the right to taser him? the answer is YES. But having brandished the Taser when that threat turns its back on you and steps away it is no longer self defense it is ASSAULT!!! A Hypothetical for you. imagine that you are a large man like myself. you get into and argument with a smaller woman and in the midst of a heated exchange she feels threatend by you and pulls a taser from her purse? is she justified? Yes it is self defense I am a perceived threat. If ia continue to threaten her can she taser me? YES same reason. If I take the hint that she is scared and decide to drop it and turn my back can she then taser me in the back because I was a jerk to her? NO!!! that is not self defense it is assault. Police have added rights as far as what tools they may possess to uphold the law but they have no right to assault or use those tools outside of any persons right to defend themselves or others. This Cop was not defending himself, he used extremely painful and cruel force to subdue a man that was not a threat. A Taser is a tool that exists to provide a means to subdue a DANGEROUS threat withouthaving to shoot him with a firearm. not as means to coerce or to punish those that do not cooperate. This is police brutality plain and simple.
Daniel Says:
November 28, 2007 at 9:29 am | Reply
A. It is not against Utah law to refuse to sign a ticket.
B. The cop was not following policy on taser use.
C.”Tom” is a cop and a bully just like John Gardner and I hope he is killed in the line of duty by another criminal.
Utah Sucks Says:
November 28, 2007 at 9:16 pm | Reply
FUCK THE POLICE!!!!
LT Schuemacher Says:
November 29, 2007 at 11:56 am | Reply
This over zealous (cop) should not even be called a “Police Officer”

This is torture, Viet-NAM electrocuting our own people now?

Really police should be held to the same standard or rules of engagement our Military is.
This cop I am sure has had more than just this one incident and internal affairs should have his badge.
This is a blatant disregard for Utah state law and Federal. Here we are trying to set an example for the world to follow yet this is how we treat our own free citizens.
This give America another black eye this is so ridiculous and then what this cop scares that small girl what is he afraid of. Really he has no right to be a peace officer. Not now not ever.

READ BELOW Electrocution is torture well defined

electrocuting a citizen for no reason other than this cop having a bad control trip day.

This is torture
http://www.amnestyusa.org/Summer_2004/Our_Heart_of_Darkness/page.do?id=1105473&n1=2&n2=19&n3=416

http://www.aclu.org/safefree/torture/B.pdf

http://media.www.nineronline.com/media/storage/paper971/news/2004/05
/05/StateNational/Abuse.Prohibited.By.Geneva.Conventions.International.Law-2007780.shtml
Lt Schuemacher Says:
November 29, 2007 at 12:18 pm | Reply
According to the law

this is torture

http://www.aclu.org/safefree/torture/B.pdf

Our Police should be held to the same standard our military is and this should not be allowed and then this (cop) should no longer be called a “Police Officer” this is torture~

http://media.www.nineronline.com/media/storage/paper971/news/2004/05/05/StateNational/Abuse.Prohibited.By.Geneva.Conventions.International.Law-2007780.shtml
Lt Schuemacher Says:
November 29, 2007 at 12:21 pm | Reply
http://www.aclu.org/safefree/torture/B.pdf

http://media.www.nineronline.com/media/storage/paper971/news/2004/05/05/StateNational/Abuse.Prohibited.By.Geneva.Conventions.International.Law-2007780.shtml

this shouldn’t stand
Jake Says:
November 29, 2007 at 5:15 pm | Reply
Lets all just admit something, Cops are NOT here to serve and protect American citizens (see: illegal immigrants), they will NOT come to your aid should you need someone to save you. Cops serve and protect themselves thats it, sorry I wish it wasn’t true. Does anyone really doubt that a cop would use excessive force, come on. Should the guy have listened to the cop, probably, should the cop have explained everything (ie. why he was arresting him), probably. Should the cop arrest someone when he was CLEARLY blocking the speed limit sign, you make the call. This is the biggest problem I have, the cop writes a ticket the guy has to PAY for a lawyer to defend him and get the ticket off his record when he should have received one. Not to mention after seeing this video do you respect the police more or less. And you wonder why the “stop snitching” is so popular. When I was 16 I hit a deer in my parents car, luckily the car had been totalled in a previous accident so it wasn’t worth anything. After hitting the deer and realizing the car was unfit to drive I pulled the car off the road into the grass per my father’s instruction (he and my mom where out of town). Whats amazing is two days later I receive a call from the Police, and a “respectable” police officer came out and wrote me two tickets totalling $300. Reason: I left the scene of an accident and did not report it as quickly means possible. I told her I didn’t hit anyone, she replies the deer is state property!!! It cost my father $1000 for a lawyer to defend me and get the tickets off my record. Serve and Protect.
chris Says:
November 29, 2007 at 7:57 pm | Reply
Ok first off the guy didnt listen to officer from start. he was an totally ass of himself.

next officer ask him to step out. the guy start poting down at sign when officer order him to put his hands behind is back. multitimes.

thrid is that he had his hand NEAR HIS POCKET AND WALKING BACK TO CAR.

when your under arrest you stay still you dont move or jump around.

officer taser is justifie in this case.
logan Says:
November 29, 2007 at 10:17 pm | Reply
Officer got spine fractures when tased during a taser demonstration. Taser is a dangerous weapon.

http://www.acep.org/pressroom.aspx?id=29862
'Brian Says:
December 1, 2007 at 1:55 am | Reply
If this cop followed the law the law should be changed. If he were a little more patient the guy would not have been tazered. There needs to be a review of the this tape for sure!
Everyone's wrong! Says:
December 1, 2007 at 4:48 pm | Reply
Everyone had a part in this. The company or state that setup the temp work zone needs training on better marking of the work zone. Officer should have had way more “people skills”, should have understood he was patrolling at temp speed zone. (Perhaps he was doing it all day and was “sick of it”) An officer by job description and public safety has to “put up with” verbal “BS” from everyone and anyone, he had no clue how to inform the person he pulled over as to what was going on. To me the officer was only looking to give the driver a ticket, not inform the driver of what was wrong, or get the drivers side of the story. Yes he did tell the driver he was speeding but as far as what we could hear on the tape he didn’t want to hear the drives side of anything. To those that watch the tape close we see an orange traffic warning sign, then the patrol car seems to pull out of the traffic lane next to the temporary speed sign. Put yourself in the drives seat of the person pulled over, in front of you a patrol car is reducing speed and judging from the tape the officer would have had his brakes on. While driving down the road if I see this the last thing I would be looking for would be a speed sign. I would be looking at traffic and attempting to figure out if the officer needed to be pulling back into traffic to turn around or who knows what. (We can only assume the only 40 MPH sign was the one we see the patrol car block, we assume this because we see the orange warning sign then the temporary speed sign) I agree with the driver that I would be very upset I’m to just accept this ticket because the officer wants to give it to me without any conversation as to why. (Other than because the law says you must sign or I can arrest you, which by the way I didn’t hear him say that either) Listen close, the driver demands to see the speed sign the officer is talking about. The officer states he needs to sign the ticket first, the driver rudely but understandably says no. The officer then seems to put the pen away, states the word, “OK”. To me if I’m the driver I going to be thinking, “finally this officer is willing to help me understand what is going on!!” You can CLEARLY see this was his mind set as he is pointing and talking about the road only to see some poorly trained officer point a taser at him. Now is when the driver should have had the common sense to forget about the ticket and start thinking about his life!!!! If he has not had any luck attempting to reason with this officer to this point why would he think he could now? I don’t have a clue what I would do if this would have happened to me. . . (Putting my hand in a pocket would not have been it though.) The officer again used poor judgment by not controlling the driver even after he had a weapon out. He didn’t once state he would use it. (I’ll use the common sense card again for the drivers error) The officer told his “backup” he told the driver he would be tasered if he didn’t stop, but he didn’t say that.

I call out to those that will be dealing with this issue and this officer to pay attention to the this tape, it’s value for what happened here and what will happen the next time. I think this is good proof we need video tape everywhere to protect both the public and the officers we all need to trust. I ask all of us to calm down, try not to argue, be polite. If you feel your not getting a “fair deal” ask for the officers supervisor, ask if you can call 911 to prove they know you have been stooped and by who, sign the ticket and write your side of the story or any issues on it. Please don’t waste everyone’s time and energy if you truly know you did whatever OWN UP TO IT! I feel for this driver and his family but we also can’t know what was the very first thing that made the officer decide to stop the car. It couldn’t have been just the moment that the patrol car was by the 40 MPH sign we see on the tape. (Or at least I hope not as the car only traveled a few hundred feet after the sign and it only took a few feet to stop after the brake lights came on, so he was not going very fast at that point)

WE HAVE FAR MORE “GOOD” COPS THAN “BAD” ONES!! I’m sure this one has had better days that this. . . .I hope he never has one like this again. . .The driver even told you to calm down after you tasered him, I think that suggests you might want to rethink things and talk more than shoot, what was your rush not to talk before you “tricked him” to get out of the car???? When you tricked him out of the car and then pulled your weapon you put both of you into a no win event over speeding. . .Speeding????

Folks don’t let traffic tickets give law enforcement a bad name, it is such a small part of what law enforcement is about. . .
James Says:
December 1, 2007 at 4:51 pm | Reply
The real irony in this situation is that they deserve each other. Frankly, Massey seems to have forgotten that along with his other rights, he also has the ‘right’ to be arrested. If you read the ticket, it clearly states that the signature is not an admission of guilt, only an acknowledgment that you have received the ticket. If you do not sign the ticket the officer has only two choices. He can either tear up the ticket and send you on your way, or arrest you. 99.99999% of the people just sign the damned thing and get on with their life. However, I have often contemplated not signing myself, simply as an act of passive resistance to a system that has become nothing more than a glorified tax collection effort.

Which brings us to Gardner. Did you notice that he did not accurately relate the incident to the second officer? After only about three minutes he had already began to twist the events in his own mind. Thank goodness for video! By the time this got to court I wonder if he would have tased because he saw a weapon coming from the pocket. He did a lousy job as he completely neglected to explain to Massey what his rights were, how the system works, and what would be likely alternatives given various courses of action. He turned the most simple, benign infraction of the law into a life threatening event, and one that may ultimately cost him his job and the tax payers of Utah a huge sum in attorney fees and damages.

We citizens of Utah, I’m afraid, will spend more on this case in attorney fees, court time, and damages than the entire Highway Patrol staff of the state of Utah earns in a year.

My heart goes out to these guys when I see one of them on a rainy day helping someone on the roadside with a flat tire, or pulling someone over that was speeding past traffic at 15mph over the prevailing rate. But I sure get sick and tired of the egos and the idiots that pull people over in rush hour, delay traffic for miles, and seem to operate at the speed of fog as they clear a routine fender bender from a lane of traffic. If it were up to me I would fire half of them and triple the pay of the ones I kept. Guess which list Gardner would be on!
logan Says:
December 2, 2007 at 5:05 pm | Reply
Let’s be clear about the law.

Salt Lake Tribune
…Under Utah law, when a motorist refuses to sign a ticket, a police officer can do things the easy way, or the hard way. He can make an arrest and jail the offender, or he can simply write “refused to sign” on the dotted line. Either way, the motorist has to pay the fine or show up in court to fight the ticket. Either way, justice will be served.
The law needs to be changed to prevent these needless confrontations. Nobody should be taken into custody for a traffic violation. It’s a waste of a trooper’s time, and the taxpayers’ money. Where possible, police should be made to do things the easy way.
logan Says:
December 3, 2007 at 12:55 am | Reply
UHP just announced that trooper Gardner’s action was justified.

http://highwaypatrol.utah.gov/
Wil Says:
December 5, 2007 at 7:56 pm | Reply
What I can’t believe is that the officer thought he could give a skewed telling of events when he knew a camera was watching him. He stated, both to the wife and to the other officer, that he drew his taser cause the guy was leaving. The officer pulled the taser before the guy even started moving away. It was in response to seeing the taser that the guy tried to leave. If an officer of the law can not accurately recall the order of events then he is a failure as a law enforcement official.
Wil Says:
December 5, 2007 at 8:15 pm | Reply
“Charles Says:
November 24, 2007 at 4:47 am

To those bashing the cop, you need to watch the video again.

Instead of complying with the officer, the driver is reaching for something in his pocket. The officer faced a potentially life threatening situation and was more than justified in using the taser under the circumstances.

If you were the officer, perhaps you would have waited to see if the driver pulled out a box of mints or a deadly weapon – I sure wouldn’t, especially considering the driver’s combative and argumentative demeanor from first encounter.”

You need to watch the video again, Charlie. The guy was obviously walking away to avoid being tased. Bet you’ve never been in a position like him. I’ve had weapons pointed at me, Self preservation overrides all other thoughts and in a position where the brain realizes attack is futile the body tries to flee. It’s a scientifically proven thing called the “fight or flight reflex”. Look it up.
I have seen lots of people use the term idiot on here, you deserve that name more than the cop.
Tony Says:
December 13, 2007 at 1:53 am | Reply
That kid didn’t handle things very well, but he is just a kid. Now an accomplished officer would have been better at verbal de-escalation. This cop really needs to get off his high horse and rethink his approach to the youth of America. Or one of these days he will escalate someone into more than just talking. I don’t know if it’s mandatory to arrest for non signature, but it seems like he(the kid) could have been handed the ticket and said goodbye to. The officer would have put a stop to everything at that point and he would have to show up for court or pay the fine and have his tantrum elsewhere. This would be much safer in my opinion.
Ray Mazza Says:
December 18, 2007 at 12:35 pm | Reply
I was a police officer for 28 years, this cop needs to be terminated immediately. If he tasered my son like that for no reason his ass would be grass along with his department.
Jeremiah Says:
January 12, 2008 at 4:15 am | Reply
Wow a cop on powertrip. let me guess he was a loser/nobody when he was in school? Now he is a patrolman, and he has a taser gun. This cop has a huge problem and he handled the situation the worst way possible, what if that had been a 357 pistol instead of a taser gun? I mean a cop would practicaly shoot someone for not signing a ticket? Too many cops who were nobodys in thier school days think they are something special just because they are a cop.
kanes Says:
January 18, 2008 at 2:10 am | Reply
I’d like to taser that a-hole cop in the face….actually no, if he has a daughter I’d like to taser HER in the face and make him watch!
jerome Says:
February 2, 2008 at 10:56 am | Reply
The question that always comes to my mind when I see this video is, the officer tells the man to get out of the car and then turns his back on Mr. Massey and walks to his patrol car just barely glancing over his shoulder from time to time. If Mr. Massey had been a criminal the result would be a dead officer. He didnt make it clear at any time that he was arresting Mr. Massey. He just pulls his taser. Obviously from the point on from telling Mr. Massey to get out of the car the trooper loses control of the situation and suddenly finds the guy standing next to him and is surprised. The trooper can be lucky he had a sensible citizen in front of him and not a criminal. He clearly did things like they shouldnt have been done got in a uncontroled situation and reacted badly.
john Says:
March 3, 2008 at 5:17 am | Reply
ITS FUNNY HOW PEOPLE FEEL THAT THEY CAN GET STOPPED AND TELL AN OFFICER HOW TO CONDUCT A TRAFFIC STOP. THE OFFICER EXPLAINED TO THE DRIVER HE WAS SPEEDING AND THEN TO SIGN THE TICKET, WHICH IS REQUIRED BY UTAH LAW. THEN HE REFUSED, WAS ASKED TO GET OUT AND TURN AROUND WHICH HE REFUSED. HIS FAULT. HE SHOULD HAVE OBEYED THE LAWFUL ORDER AND HE DID NOT, AND BECAUSE OF SO HE WAS TASED AND ARRESTED. NEXT TIME HE SHOULD DO EXACTLY AS ASKED BY AN OFFICER, NOT WHAT HE FELT IT SHOULD HAVE GONE.
Jon Says:
June 14, 2008 at 10:49 pm | Reply
Police officers stand between us, the civilized public, and the criminals. If you think this officer had no right, why don’t you try to stand on that line, just for a day, and see what you think. If you have never been in those shoes, if you have never been in harms way, as I expect most of the people who expressed their opinions here have not, then you have no real basis to judge. Our Police Officers, Firemen, and Soldiers do the jobs everyday that most of us are too afraid to do, for very little pay. Try to imagine a world without the safety they provide. How about for once, we try to appreciate them and everything they do instead of undermine them.
mark Says:
November 4, 2008 at 11:46 pm | Reply
SOME OFFICER’S TAKE IT TO FAR! SOME OFFICER LIKE IN UTAH AND OTHER SMALL STATE’S DON’T KNOW HOW LUCKY THEY ARE TO BE IN SUCH LOW CRIME STATE. IF THEY WOULD TAKE ACTION LIKE THEY DID IN ANOTHER STATE LIKE CAL OR NY OR CHI ,THEY WOULD BE LOOKING OVER THIER BACKS EVERY DAY. . ALOT OF JUDGES AND OFFICER ARE ON PROTECT WATCH DUE TO WHAT THEY DO ON THE JOB! ALOT OF CRAZY PEOPLE OUT THERE AND THEY CAN FIND ANYONE IF THEY WHAT! I AM GLAD I DONT HAVE THIER JOB!
Mike Keohi Says:
December 24, 2008 at 3:14 am | Reply
The cop shouldn’t have to play these games with knuckleheads that insist on testing their authority and challenging lawful orders. Challenging law and police conduct is what the courts are for. This motorist was the arrogant one. The cops don’t have to submit to explaining themselves over and over again to convince uncooperative jerks to do simple things like signing a ticket. The problem is that there are too many people in this country who think that laws only apply to other people…but not them!

Just act like adults and do what they tell you to do. If you choose to play it tough, then don’t cry about it when you get slammed.
DT Says:
December 31, 2008 at 10:55 pm | Reply
Cops are bullies. The job attracts bullies. The screening process selects bullies. And the training encourages bullies. Every cop I’ve known or had any experience with has been nothing but a low IQ school yard bully. Without exception. Occasionally I will see a video that makes me think “there’s a decent cop with some intelligence.” But 90% of the time I just see another low brow, caveman bully.

The problem is that the American people are sheep. We curse and scream and cry and yell, but in the end we don’t do anything to actually make cops pay for their actions. For being bullies.

Our founders gave us the right to bear arms knowing that respect comes with an equilibrium of power. And that government would only respect the people if the people had power against the government. Our power has been suppressed, regulated, stripped, eliminated, destroyed. Therefore government agents have no need to respect us.

If that man’s wife had tasered the officer in response to his aggressive attack on her husband, she would have gone to prison for years. The police would have swarmed down on her like killer bees, but there would have been no citizen power to check and balance their power. No uprising, no protection, no safe haven, no one to help her. Lawyers are officers of the court. The court is employed by the same government as the cops. For all intents and purposes the government has all the firepower in the nation, vested in the cops and the military. You may own a gun or a taser or pepper spray. But you can’t, in any situation or context, use your weapons to defend yourself or a loved one against government abuse of power. If you do you will die. Period. They will hunt you and kill you without remorse. They will enjoy making an example of you. There will be no citizen militia to save you, no impartial court to help you, no place safe from their wrath.

Had she tasered the cop and gone to prison, she would have been abused, raped, and destroyed as a human being. And the cops who watch the prisons would have done nothing to protect her. They probably would have raped her themselves. We wonder why prison does not solve crime. Read about your prisons America. Our prisons are among the worst torture chambers in human history. They make criminals harder, not better. They produce monsters. They do not rehabilitate.

So what is a citizen to do? They can beat you at will. If you try to defend yourself it’s “resisting” and they can kill you. They have all the weapons and the legal authority to use them. You have the pitiful weapons they allow you to have, and no right to use them. They have all the money they can steal through taxes. You can barely make your bills much less pay the attorneys who only seek to make more money. No matter what a lawyer tells you, they work for and must ultimately obey the courts. If they find an excuse to send you to prison, you will suffer in ways you cannot imagine. Beatings, rapes, disease, torture, even death. Those who are supposed to “protect and serve” will laugh while you are destroyed.

And it’s not just the cops. Governors selling Senate seats. Senators selling America. Presidents who disregard the law and the Constitution, and I’m talking about the Democrats to, not just Bush. Bailouts for filthy rich who donate to political campaigns while struggling citizens lose everything. The cops? They’re just one branch of a much larger problem.

I love the Constitution and I love the America that our founders wanted us to have. But the America we live in is not that place. Not even close.

And I don’t even begin to know how to fix things.

I can only hope that the cop in this video finds himself in a foreign country one day facing an officer who treats him the way he treated this man. That would be justice. That’s a video I would pay to see.
DT Says:
December 31, 2008 at 10:57 pm | Reply
Police officers stand between us, the civilized public, and the criminals.

But what happens when the police are the criminals?

Power corrupts. Absolute power corrupts absolutely. We are at a point in this nation where cops have nearly absolute power. And we wonder why there’s so much corruption.