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Blogging For Justice - Police Abuse (Tasers)
[Note: this was supposed to be posted yesterday, 30 July 2008, the real Day of Blogging for Justice. Due to time restraints, my post is a couple of hours late]
The abuse of power by the police and other government agencies is nothing new, especially if you’re a person of color, a woman of color, or even worse (to the police that is), an LGBTQ person of color.
The latest tool of abuse by law enforcement officers seems to be the Taser (From Pam’s House Blend):
The abuse by law enforcement of the use of the “non-lethal” Taser device is nothing short of torture in many cases, where police pull out this tool too quickly, and unnecessarily, often when the victim has already been subdued. Other times the problem is that the level of use is outrageous — multiple applications of the device on a person after they are down and no threat to law enforcement.
And no, Pam is not exaggerating.
Since June 2001, more than 290 individuals in the United States have died after being struck by police TASERs. Amnesty International is concerned that TASERs are being used as tools of routine force—rather than as weapons of last resort. Rigorous, independent, impartial study of their use and effects is urgently needed.
The Afrosphere Action Coalition and others are embarking on a Day of Blogging for Justice against unnecessary, ruthless, and often times deadly use of Tasers by law enforcement. While I agree that the well-documented abuse by the police of Tasers, especially, it seems, against black folk, is something that we should all be up in arms about, I feel that this recently popular “humane” weapon use is a symptom of a larger disease. Take a look at policecrimes.com and you’ll see that there are bad cops out there using whatever method at their disposal to subjugate, intimidate, and sometimes kill people when it seems apparent that there was a better way to handle the situation.
I do, however, want to be fair. This shouldn’t be taken as a blanket anti-police post. Growing up black and running in punk/indie circles, I have often fallen into “fuck the police” mode. It comes pretty damn naturally, actually. Truth be told, I’m still often suspicious of cops. I lived in Denver for all of six months when a cop told me to “go back where [I] came from.” It was clever, let me tell ya. He was carding me because I had the audacity to sit underneath a tree at a church and read. I still had an Illinois driver’s license at the time, and so he got to throw that one in under the guise of too many people moving to Denver (which was probably true, actually). Hell, one of my best friends was pulled over for driving while white through a black neighborhood with a black dude (me) in the back seat (why would he do that unless he was getting drugs?). It was crazy. Cop pulls him over and he asks for my driver’s license! You go through enough shit like that, coupled with all the documented cases of cops beating the shit out of (if not killing) black people, and yeah, it’s hard not to wonder if every cop you encounter is going to kick your ass or worse. But I also have to admit that if I’m about to get mugged and there’s a cop around to stop it, I’m not going to be complaining and saying “screw you pig!”
I also think it’s important to point out that the police do have the right to defend themselves and to take the necessary action to subdue someone when they are obviously a threat to others or themselves. Not every time a cop tasers someone, or even kills someone, is it an injustice. That’s one reason why I always keep a skeptical eye towards all those sites that “document” police brutality. Just because a cop uses force doesn’t mean that the force was unnecessary.
In other words, this isn’t a post about the police or a post about Tasers. This is a post about bad police and corrupt use of Tasers.
Let’s think about some things. If since the end of 1999, over 300 people have been killed by tasers, don’t you think it’s time to examine this supposedly “non-lethal” weapon more closely? Or at least examine the way that this weapon is being used? Obviously the use of the Taser as it is currently mandated by police departments across the United States is not working as it should be. Taser use needs to be re-examined and new guidelines need to be implemented and enforced if it is going to be an effective “non-lethal” use of justified force.
Police abuse, at its heart, needs to be addressed if we are ever going to have a law enforcement system that is both effective and just. I feel that the American Civil Liberties Union has a good game plan for making this work.
THE BAD NEWS is…
police abuse is a serious problem. It has a long history, and it seems to defy all attempts at eradication.The problem is national: no police department in the country is known to be completely free of misconduct. Yet it must be fought locally: the nation’s 19,000 law enforcement agencies are essentially independent. While some federal statutes specify criminal penalties for willful violations of civil rights and conspiracies to violate civil rights, the United States Department of Justice has been insufficiently aggressive in prosecuting cases of police abuse. There are shortcomings, too, in federal law itself, which does not permit “pattern and practice” lawsuits. The battle against police abuse must, therefore, be fought primarily on the local level.
THE GOOD NEWS is…
the situation is not hopeless. Policing has seen much progress. Some reforms do work, and some types of abuse have been reduced. Today, among both police officials and rank and file officers, it is widely recognized that police brutality hinders good law enforcement.To fight police abuse effectively, you must have realistic expectations. You must not expect too much of any one remedy because no single remedy will cure the problem. A “mix” of reforms is required. And even after citizen action has won reforms, your community must keep the pressure on through monitoring and oversight to ensure that the reforms are actually implemented.
Nonetheless, even one person, or a small group of persistent people, can make a big difference. Sometimes outmoded and abusive police practices prevail largely because no one has ever questioned them. In such cases, the simple act of spotlighting a problem can have a powerful effect that leads to reform. Just by raising questions, one person or a few people — who need not be experts — can open up some corner of the all-too-secretive and insular world of policing to public scrutiny. Depending on what is revealed, their inquiries can snowball into a full blown examination by the media, the public and politicians.
I want to reinforce the importance of working at the local level on these issues. Progress starts from the ground and moves up. So, if we seek to end “death by tasers” of innocent people, we need to stop the corrupt cops and the corrupt justice system that enables them. Spend some time actualizing the Community ways to control the police, and we will be one step closer to that goal.
Folks taking place in this Day of Blogging for Justice (updated 1 Aug 2008):
African American Opinion - A Day of Blogging for Justice …
African American Political Opinion - “A Day of Blogging for Justice …
African American Political Pundit - A Day of Blogging for Justice - Blogging Against Extra-Judicial Electrocution via Tasers
All About Race - A Day of Blogging for Justice
Ancestralenergies - Day-of-Blogging-For-Justice
Black Perspective.com - Taser Awareness - Blogging Against Extrea Judicial Electrocution
Christina Springer Blog- Wish-I-Had-More-Time
Eddie G. Griffin (BASG) - Officer may be indicted for Tasing Death of Scooter
Electronic Village -Electronic Village: End Police Pre-Trial, Extra Judicial
Electrocuted While black - Electrocuted While Black: “A Day of Blogging for Justice
InkogNegro - Day of Blogging for Justice - Don’t Tase the Bros to death
Jack and Jill Politics - Extra-Judicial Electrocution - Jack & Jill Politics
Jena 6 Blog - Barron-pikes-tasered-while-handcuffed.html
Police Brutality Blog - “A Day of Blogging for Justice
Purple Zoe -A Day-of-blogging-opposing-pre-trial Electrocution
Regina’s Family Seasons - “A Day Of Blogging For Justice” - Tasers.\
Republic of T - Held Suspect
A Slant Truth - Blogging For Justice - Police Abuse (Tasers)
Tasered While Black - Tasered While Black: A Day of Blogging For Justice
Ultra Violet Underground - Day Of Blogging Opposing Pre-Trial Electrocution aka Tasering
What Tami Said - A day of blogging for justice
Wonderland or Not - Taser-lets-get-a-clue
The Black Snob - A Fight Against Taser Abuse and Other News
The Super Spade - A Day of Blogging for Justice - Against - Extra - Judicial Electrocution
Discussion
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Kevin, thanks so much for posting about this. I think this is a very important point that you’ve made, based on information that most people in the public aren’t aware of:
“Let’s think about some things. If since the end of 1999, over 300 people have been killed by tasers, don’t you think it’s time to examine this supposedly “non-lethal” weapon more closely? Or at least examine the way that this weapon is being used? Obviously the use of the Taser as it is currently mandated by police departments across the United States is not working as it should be.”
I think we need to ask this question over and over again. Any reasonable response compels change, and any UNreasonable response informs the public and helps to compel change.
Maybe if we focus enough public attention on the these facts, then we can change the political context in which individual police officers and police forces act.
Thanks, Francis!
Well done for blogging on this issue, Kevin. It is so important that you are bringing this to people’s attention. Also, thanks for listing all the other bloggers who have joined you in this, as this is a very useful reference.
Regards,
Zhana
Kevin, I emailed you through your contact form but not sure if it works. Alicia
Leon Francis , an African American male, was physically assaulted in front of his child by Officer Stanger,(kglaser.blogspot.com) when Police/CCSS sought to take his children into custody for a spanking report of one of the children—made to CCSS—by a WF school official. In this two page report, the school official notes other abuses such as his son not being allowed to prepare his own snacks( the rules in their home is adults prepare healthy snacks for the children), Mr. Francis extra homework for his children, and the child crying because he misses his father who was out of town on business in Kansas City ( where this family is from).www.xanga.com/kelseyport101.
In contrast, Rod Haines, a WHITE male has spanked, slapped, threatened, and failed to provide medical treatment for his daughter.( all documented) Not to mention the fact that he has committed numerous acts of domestic violence on his daughter’s mother as the child watched. He has provided numerous false statements—slanted facts—concealed facts—but then Leon Francis is black (with a white wife) in a town where it is documented using racial epithets as a police officer does not get you terminated!
And, Officer Robert Stanger , the Officer that assaulted Mr Francis, has also been the subject of a complaint filed by Dakota Boys Ranch employees—after he pressure pointed an 11 year old 100 pound child , who was already handcuffed and detained (on his knees) by two other officers. Leon Francis made a big mistake—he wanted to take his kids to a doctor for an independent evaluation and speak to an attorney—and we all know how cell phones have an uncanny resemblance to firearms!
Did Officer Stanger treat Rod Haines the same? No, Rod claimed, after he was caught coming back to our apt after being criminally trespassed, that officer Stanger had only told him “ it would not be in his ‘best interest ‘ to come back”.
Other white males with funds for private legal counsel have also been treated differently than Mr Francis, Myself and other women/minorities/disabled people/and other protected class members—which I know. TheY alleged child molester here in Fargo was allowed to cruise around town despite a widely known; newspaper documented, warrant out for his arrest and was given the right to surrender with his attorney. No one beat on his door or his person to bring him to justice.(after that, two other little girls were found) Clearly two different set of standards here in Fargo.
North Dakota, it appears—has one of the lowest standards for child abuse—‘some credible evidence’ is all that is needed to rend a family asunder, even if the report contains obvious, easily disproved , false material facts from an admitted ‘unsure if he broke her nose’ kinda guy .( Rod Hains to Ruby Knoll—Cass County Family Services.)
Cass County is half of the child deprivation/termination cases in North Dakota—how many federal/state dollars are spent where children who are in no immediate danger are taken from their parents? How many times are children’s lives ruined by UN-CONSTITUTIONAL acts—with reckless disregard for their best interest based on a carpet of false material facts/misrepresentation/concealment of material facts? CCSS, and the city of Fargo ND has a lot to answer for.
Visit these sites to see what other Fargo notables have been up to…