Daily Bruin article: http://dailybruin.com/news/articles.asp?id=38960
You Tube video (7 minutes): http://youtube.com/watch?v=5g7zlJx9u2E

Quote :

"Mostafa Tabatabainejad, a UCLA student, was repeatedly stunned with a Taser and then taken into custody when he did not exit the CLICC Lab in Powell Library in a timely manner. Community Service Officers had asked Tabatabainejad to leave after he failed to produce his BruinCard during a random check at around 11:30 p.m. Tuesday"

Quote :

"Tabatabainejad was also stunned with the Taser when he was already handcuffed"

Quote :

"During the altercation between Tabatabainejad and the officers, bystanders can be heard in the video repeatedly asking the officers to stop and requesting their names and identification numbers. The video showed one officer responding to a student by threatening that the student would "get Tased too." At this point, the officer was still holding a Taser. Such a threat of the use of force by a law enforcement officer in response to a request for a badge number is an "illegal assault," Eliasberg (managing attorney at the ACLU of Southern California) said."

11/16/2006 8:59:29 PM

gg

11/16/2006 9:06:03 PM

That right there is some NC State shit.

11/16/2006 9:20:04 PM

This is really fucking outrageous and infuriates me. I wish those kids would have fucking rioted and started fucking some cops up.

11/16/2006 9:20:34 PM

if i witness that ever at this institution, i will be arrested. i wont just stand and watch

11/16/2006 9:21:42 PM

UCLA musta heard about the gestapo-type shit campus police pulled in broughton computer lab a few weeks ago.

11/16/2006 9:24:39 PM

what happened in broughton?

11/16/2006 9:26:12 PM

That's really messed up. Was the guy screaming "don't touch me" though before they tased him?

I like how some guy decided to record it though.

11/16/2006 9:30:18 PM

um, i smell a lawsuit...

11/16/2006 9:30:59 PM

Kid will sue, settle for millions of dollars, and thank Allah for the day he was tased.

11/16/2006 9:34:13 PM

Quote :

"Tabatabainejad was walking with his backpack toward the door when he was approached by two UCPD officers, one of whom grabbed the student's arm. In response, Tabatabainejad yelled at the officers to "get off me." Following this demand, Tabatabainejad was stunned with a Taser. "

Okay, if that's true, then they really screwed up. They should be fired.

11/16/2006 9:37:03 PM

^not necessarily... he hadn't been identified, they didn't know he was armed, and with that statement, it's reasonable to assume that he could be a threat to the officers or the people around him.... it's the repeated usage of the tasers and not carrying him down the stairs after they incapacitated him that's messed up. add that to the cop at the end telling one of the students to walk away or he'll be tased and you have one really big settlement...

11/16/2006 9:40:50 PM

Quote :

"what happened in broughton?"

http://www.brentroad.com/message_topic.aspx?topic=441743

11/16/2006 9:42:45 PM

None of that's relevant though. If the policy is that non-students shouldn't be there after 11, and he was there after 11, then the action should just be that he should leave, especially if he wasn't acting suspiciously before (like masturbating on someone's shoe or something). If he was in the process of leaving, there's really no need for them to touch him, they just have to make sure that he leaves. It doesn't matter that they can't identify him because not having identity is not a crime, and he was in a context where it's very likely for someone to be there doesn't have ID or is not a student.

I don't see why they even tased him at all, but there might be more to the story than the article and video show.

11/16/2006 9:45:52 PM

^^^ Yeah, the really fucking stupid part is how they're like "STAND UP... STAND UP".

THE DUDE WAS TASERED. HE WONT BE ABLE TO STAND UP. DONT YOU EVEN KNOW HOW YOUR OWN WEAPONS WORK? The purple of a fucking taser is to disable and incapacitate someone. They can't get up ESPECIALLY after they get tasered twice.

I hope they get their badges revoked and criminal charges pressed. If I were that kid I'd sue them for every cent.



oh and:

http://newsroom.ucla.edu/page.asp?RelNum=7513

Quote :

"Statement from UCLA Acting Chancellor Norman Abrams About Incident at Powell Library University police are investigating an incident late last night in which police took a student into custody at Powell Library. Investigators are reviewing the incident and the officers' actions. The investigation and review will be thorough, vigorous and fair. The safety of our campus community is of paramount importance to me. Routinely checking student identification after 11 p.m. at the campus library, which is open 24 hours, is a policy posted in the library that was enacted for the protection of our students. Compliance is critical for the safety and well-being of everyone. "

[Edited on November 16, 2006 at 9:52 PM. Reason : ]

11/16/2006 9:50:00 PM

Quote :

"If you don't get up and stop twitching, we're going to taser you again!"

11/16/2006 10:05:30 PM

Oh, and BTW, if it's proved these officers were following standard procedure this kid won't get a damn cent. At least, under NC liability law.

11/16/2006 10:13:01 PM

Quote :

"The purple of a fucking taser"

11/16/2006 10:15:57 PM

Eh, the kid deserved it. He's already bitching and screaming at the begining of the video and the cops are already telling him to get up, and this is before he's tased for the first time. If you catch some of the actual news acticles about it they say he was being escorted out by the police and he went limp, actively resisting them ejecting him from the building.

As far as him not being able to stand up, with tasers after about 10 seconds or so, you can get up. Tasers disable you only for the duration that they're actualy on. That's why it's recomended when you use a taser for defence, you set it down while it's still discharging and use that time to get away. There's hundreds of videos of people getting tased all over the internet, and all of them can get back up after a few seconds, certainly about the nearly 40 seconds he was given at times, and definately with the assistance of the officers which they were doing.

And as far as the kid at the end, he was getting in the officer's faces and he was told repeatedly to get back throughout the video. The threat to tase him I think was quite reasonable given that they were trying to control the crowd, unless you think a mass of people (let alone college students) is going to do the smart thing all the time.

11/16/2006 10:18:13 PM

Quote :

"When Tabatabainejad, 23, refused to provide his ID to the community service officer, the officer told him he would have to show it or leave the library, the report said. After repeated requests, the officer left and returned with campus police, who asked Tabatabainejad to leave "multiple times," according to a statement by the UCLA Police Department. "He continued to refuse," the statement said. "As the officers attempted to escort him out, he went limp and continued to refuse to cooperate with officers or leave the building." Witnesses disputed that account, saying that when campus police arrived, Tabatabainejad had begun to walk toward the door with his backpack. When an officer approached him and grabbed his arm, the witnesses said, Tabatabainejad told the officer to let go, yelling "Get off me" several times. "Tabatabainejad encouraged library patrons to join his resistance," police said. "The officers deemed it necessary to use the Taser.""

Kids who pull this shit deserve to get tased to set an example.

11/16/2006 10:34:30 PM

Quote :

"Eh, the kid deserved it."

I think you deserve to be tased for your inhumanity to humanity.

Quote :

"If you catch some of the actual news acticles about it they say he was being escorted out by the police and he went limp, actively resisting them ejecting him from the building"

The two cops couldn't drag him from his shoulders as they are seen doing at points in the video?

Quote :

"And as far as the kid at the end, he was getting in the officer's faces and he was told repeatedly to get back throughout the video."

You must be watching a different video. Because I see an (most likely) adrenaline jacked up (most definitely) ego tripping cop walking back in with an "i just fucked someone up and looking for more" look on his face and found the first kid that confronted him and told him he was going to get tasered, too.

Quote :

"The threat to tase him I think was quite reasonable given that they were trying to control the crowd, unless you think a mass of people (let alone college students) is going to do the smart thing all the time."

They were trying to control a crowd? Why didn't they get the fuck out of the building once they took their boy out if they were concerned about their safety? Gimme a break, are you really this clueless?

11/16/2006 10:40:21 PM

He's such a revolutionary. Refusing to prove that he had a right to be there was so ballsy.

11/16/2006 10:43:35 PM

This kid had HOW MANY chances to comply with university policy? Whether it was right to taser him or not, this kid is responsible for escalating the situation.

11/16/2006 10:48:28 PM

He is responsible for getting cuffed and getting drug out through the front doors and dumped on his ass. Was there anything about that pussies voice that said "I'm a threat and need to be tazed 7 times?"

11/16/2006 10:54:27 PM

How about simply leaving because he didn't have/show ID, per the policy? Compliance with laws is a fundamental principle of our modern society. Why do I drive through green lights? Because I know, or at least hope, that people coming perpendicular towards me will see the red light, recognize the LAW, and comply with our accepted rules and procedures.

So yes, he's somewhat responsible in that he chose to completely shit on the policy.

11/16/2006 10:57:51 PM

This is not good, not good at all. If those officers are not fired, all hell is going to break loose.

11/16/2006 10:58:00 PM

Quote :

"not having identity is not a crime"

It's the fact that he didn't produce identification when asked. The fact that the police officers could not identify him, after they legally asked for his identification, could lead them to believe that he was in fact a danger. Thus, using the TASER the FIRST time could be seen as a reasonable use of force. However, the fact that the officers used the TASER a number of times after that was unjustifiable. People have been debating over whether or not the student could have walked out of the library under his own power. I think that's a question that has to be investigated to see exactly how long TASERs can disable people. I've seen figures from 20 seconds to 15 minutes. Bottom line, the UC system is going to settle this as FAST as possible.

11/16/2006 11:27:25 PM

Also, I think you can make a case even under NC liability laws which would still allow him to recover damages. Doesn't seem like it's reasonably forseeable that him refusing to show his identification would lead to him being shocked 5? times. Or for that matter, him being shocked once he was handcuffed.

11/16/2006 11:30:16 PM

^That's why I said following standard procedure. If the cops fucked up or went beyond their roles/authority, the cops will get sued and I doubt UCLA will cover.

[Edited on November 16, 2006 at 11:37 PM. Reason : .]

11/16/2006 11:36:58 PM

Quote :

"The fact that the police officers could not identify him, after they legally asked for his identification, could lead them to believe that he was in fact a danger"

Bull shit. If cops tasered every person who didn't have an ID (much less, a STUDENT ID) on them, you'd see like 50 people tasered each day at a University. 99% of the time the person without an ID in the library is either a student just being a bitch or some bum who wandered in there, and you'd have to be fucking retarded to not know the difference. If the cops thought that there was going to be a situation, they could have simply cuffed the limp kid and carried him out. They should have known that tasering him would escalate the situation ESPECIALLY when they're tasering a student in front of a bunch of other students.

11/16/2006 11:49:57 PM

^ not necessarily true... there are certain circumstances that could lead cops to reasonably believe the kid was a threat...

^^ doesn't vicarious liability hold true here? UCLA is just as responsible.

[Edited on November 16, 2006 at 11:50 PM. Reason : asdf]

[Edited on November 16, 2006 at 11:54 PM. Reason : asdf]

11/16/2006 11:50:00 PM

OH NO NOT A TAZER, WHAT WILL WE EVER DO?!?

Seriously the guy's grown up, he was being a crybaby there fighting the cops on what, a ucla campus, did he think he was in kindergarden and going to go to the corner?

The cops will be fine, they're doing there jobs. If anything it will set some of the students in line to wear appropriate badges and not act like a bitch.

11/16/2006 11:51:07 PM

^Seriously, with that kind of attitude you're basically allowing everything.


Replace the taser with them using mace on the kid 3 times, would that have been okay?

Replace the mace with them beating the kid with batons, would that have been okay?

Replace the batons with them shooting the kid, would that have been okay?

[Edited on November 16, 2006 at 11:52 PM. Reason : ]

11/16/2006 11:51:27 PM

^ Seriously with that type of attitude, you're allowing everything.

Maybe the cops could've sucked his dick 'till he was in a submissive state.

11/16/2006 11:54:13 PM

All I'm saying is that there was no reason why they couldn't have simply done the following:

-Cuffed him after he went limp, carried him out.
-If tasering was necessary, taser him once. He wasn't resisting afterwards (going LIMP does not equal resisting, it poses no risk to the officer whatsoever and is just an invoncenience). the kid even said, "I'm not resisting, I'm not resisting" and they continued to taser him.

I mean, if a suspect goes unconscious, does that mean they get to taser them for resisting arrest?

[Edited on November 16, 2006 at 11:58 PM. Reason : ]

11/16/2006 11:56:47 PM

^exactly

11/16/2006 11:59:32 PM

THE COPS MIGHT GO OFF AND KILL RANDOM PEOPLE MOST LIKELY, GOD HELP US. IT'S THE GOV'T BRINGING US DOWN 1 BY 1, PAYING THOSE COLLEGE FEES TO 'DEM COPS, IT'S TYRANNY I TELL YOU! POWER RANGERS OF DISESTABLISHMENTARIANISM STAND UP AND FIGHT!

(or lay down and get tazd, RRRaaaGGGHHHH)

11/17/2006 12:03:02 AM

Hey taking the extreme sarcastic position totally works!

11/17/2006 12:14:16 AM

If the cops had dragged him outta there people would be on here complaining about how THAT was brutality in some way. And going limp is resisting arrest. The only way you can not resist arrest is to allow yourself to be cuffed and assist the officers in removing yourself from the area and into a patrol car, if it is within your power. And I can assure you that people get tazed all the time and are perfectly capable of getting up and walking away a mere SECONDS later. This guy was being a whiny, difficult, and uncooperating little bitch and deserved what he got.

11/17/2006 12:16:32 AM

It's scary to think that they were delibertely making an example out of him as a warning.

11/17/2006 12:17:43 AM

Quote :

"If anything it will set some of the students in line to wear appropriate badges "

11/17/2006 12:17:50 AM

So, what if they didn't have tasers and they punched him into submission, would that have been okay?

I'm just wondering how much you'll allow civil rights to be trampled over before it's "too much."

11/17/2006 12:18:09 AM

I didn't take it, I stole it and expect to get raped by the thought police for such.

11/17/2006 12:19:14 AM

No, I don't think it would have been ok for them to beat him into submission. Tazing is like the adult form of a "paddling" you got in elementary school with the added benefit of being incapacitated. While it hurts like hell, when it's over, it's over. The point is, they DIDNT beat him into submission. And you are missing the point that it's all his own fault. He caused this to happen to himself.

11/17/2006 12:22:50 AM

I agree with the fact that he brought this on himself, however I think the way it was handled was over the top. He only needed to be tased once. I mean if you listen to it the kid was crying after the first taser. He wasn't going to do anything to harm them, he was no danger to them at all, and they knew it. The fact they tased him two more times (maybe more I dont know) is just ridiculous and is excessive force.

11/17/2006 12:25:39 AM

Quote :

"This guy was being a whiny, difficult, and uncooperating little bitch and deserved what he got."

There's not enough evidence to reach that conclusion, conclusively.

11/17/2006 12:26:45 AM

^^Yeah, I guess I can agree with you on that point. I just get tired of people making excuses for people who are breaking the law. They ask you to leave, just leave. Don't refuse, then go limp like a little pussy on the floor in an attempt to "defy the man". Constantly making excuses for people like this hurts our society more than this kid getting tased several times regardless of whether it was appropriate or not. You ease up on bastards like this and all of a sudden you have more of them, and the pussification of America continues.

[Edited on November 17, 2006 at 12:30 AM. Reason : ^]

[Edited on November 17, 2006 at 12:31 AM. Reason : ^in that case, there isn't enough evidence to conclude that the officers were out of line either.]

11/17/2006 12:30:01 AM

Quote :

"um, i smell a lawsuit..."

No I think that was burning flesh...

11/17/2006 12:34:07 AM

Quote :

"I agree with the fact that he brought this on himself, however I think the way it was handled was over the top. He only needed to be tased once. I mean if you listen to it the kid was crying after the first taser. He wasn't going to do anything to harm them, he was no danger to them at all, and they knew it. The fact they tased him two more times (maybe more I dont know) is just ridiculous and is excessive force."

I agree and this is infuriating.

[Edited on November 17, 2006 at 12:35 AM. Reason : not infuriating to agree but at the situation]

11/17/2006 12:34:17 AM

Quote :

"in that case, there isn't enough evidence to conclude that the officers were out of line either."

Exactly.

It seems to come down to whether you believe the reports that he was in the process of leaving, or if you believe that he was refusing to leave.

11/17/2006 12:38:53 AM