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Student Tasered at Kerry speech
Last Modified: Monday, September 17, 2007 at 5:26 p.m.
GAINESVILLE - U.S. Sen. John Kerry's speech at the University of Florida came to a dramatic close Monday, shortly after a vocal audience member was hauled off by police and shot with a Taser gun.
The audience member was preliminarily identified by UF officials as Andrew Meyer, a UF student in the College of Journalism and Communications.
Toward the conclusion of Kerry's UF forum, Meyer approached an open microphone at the University Auditorium and demanded Kerry answer his questions. The student claimed that University Police Department officers had already threatened to arrest him, and then proceeded to question Kerry about why he didn't contest the 2004 presidential election and why there had been no moves to impeach President Bush.
A minute or so into what became a combative diatribe, Meyer's microphone was turned off and officers began trying to physically remove him from the auditorium. Meyer flailed his arms, yelling as police tried to restrain him.
He was then pushed to the ground by six officers, at which point Meyer yelled, "What have I done? What I have I done? Get away from me. Get off of me! What did I do? ... Help me! Help."
Police threatened to user a Taser on Meyer if he did not "comply," but he continued to resist being handcuffed. He was then Tased, which prompted him to scream and writhe in pain on the floor of the auditorium.
After the incident, Capt. Jeff Holcomb of the UPD said Meyer had been charged with disrupting a public event and placed in the Alachua County Jail. Holcomb said there would be an investigation into whether the officers used force appropriately, adding that employing a Taser gun would only be justified in a case where there was a threat of physical harm to officers.
As Meyer was escorted away, he was followed by several students, including Matthew Howland, 20. Howland, a UF senior who said he didn't know Meyer, said he was "appalled" by the way UPD officers handled the situation. Howland acknowledged that Meyer had acted inappropriately by "rushing" the microphone and forcing a question on Kerry.
"It's a perfect example of when officers take something to a level that is not necessary," he said. "The officers escalated that situation."
Throughout the incident, Kerry urged the audience to "cool down" and acknowledged that Meyer had raised an important question. As officers escorted Meyer from the auditorium into the lobby, Kerry went on to explain that he did not think there was sufficient evidence of voter suppression to justify contesting the 2004 election.
"We just couldn't do it in good conscience because we didn't have that evidence," he said.
Comments
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Sep 17, 2007 4:56:42 pm
RE: http://www.ocala.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/2007091...6/1053/BREAKING_NEWS
I saw footage of this incident on the t.v. news earlier today. IMO, the UPD did over react and no one in the audience came to the defense of this student. Very disturbing.
Sep 17, 2007 5:48:30 pm
awwwwwww.....poor boy does like the same crap he is dishing out???....maybe a tazing is the least of his worries..............in one of his favored nations, he would have been imprisoned or shot on sight......oh well.........maybe next time
Remember not only to say the right thing in the right place, but far more difficult still, to leave unsaid the wrong thing at the tempting moment. - Ben Franklin
Sep 17, 2007 6:02:54 pm
Nurse, give that boy a sedative!
Sep 17, 2007 6:11:13 pm
what happened to the first ammendment? those officers should be arrested. he didnt do anything wrong, he asked a question. if that would have been Bush up there they wouldnt have done anything they would have let that kid say w/e he wants. if i was there i would have went to jail for that kid. I love America but were getting closer and closer to communism.
Just Throwin This Out There
Sep 17, 2007 7:00:54 pm
I watched the video several times and I still don't see where the student did anything wrong. I think UPD needs to be investigated on tasering this student. I thought that tasering was to be used when someone was in danger of hurting themself or someone else.Very disturbing.
Sep 17, 2007 7:33:35 pm
I don't know the kid or anything, but I think all them pigs or cops whichever you want to call them took care of the situation wrong. Just like always thinking they are the best and trying to take control of all situations the wrong ways. I think all them officers need to be disciplined or maybe pushed around and shoved to the ground themselves to see what its like. That whole video was police brutality and if I was that kid I would be going through with some legal actions towards them pigs and also be able to taser them cops just to see what it feels like to be in that innocent students shoes.
Sep 17, 2007 7:55:26 pm
well hopefully justice will be served and ALL OF those cops will lose their jobs. That man was doing nothing but exercising his right to FREE SPEECH. He was doing NOTHING wrong you can't arrest someone just because you don't like what they say. If that was the case we all would've been in jail at one time or another. You can even hear John Kerry in the background saying he will answer his question. Just because someone is passionate about their cause is no reason to use such brute force on them. I hope all of those cops lose their jobs and he is ordered some form of restitution! and I'm not even a fan of the democrats!
Sep 17, 2007 8:01:58 pm
OK here's a cold hard fact for the moon-bats. The rules are in place so everyone gets a chance to speak. And that's what's fair. But this boy wanted 'special' consideration. He really didn't want Kerry to actually answer any of his questions, he wanted to cause a scene and make some half-baked point, which ironically got lost in the mayhem. He is not a victim he is an anarchist. anyone that thinks he did nothing wrong needs some lessons in civility.
ocala.disciple@gmail.com
Sep 17, 2007 8:09:59 pm
yes, resistance is futile.....
ocala.disciple@gmail.com
Sep 17, 2007 8:33:51 pm
At one point as he pleads for help while asking what he had done, he also asks to be let go of and states he will "walk out of here" The officers immediately siezed him in a way which can only be characterized as bullying. I can understand his alarm at the way he was being treated and manhandled. Those smarmy commenters who snidely mock his screaming in pain and writheing on the floor are complict in aiding in our nations rapid decent into fascism. Perhaps this student was not complying with the proper protocol of the discussion but his actions were elicted more by the manner in which he was acosted by the officers than by his own doing. Most alarming of all is how everyone just stands/ sits by watching. The nation has been bamboozeled into a catatonic state while our Government starts illegal wars based on lies, engages in voter suppression, politicizes the judiciary,illegally taps our conversations,monitors our email and the media can only hype Britanys comeback attempt and OJ's continued distain for the law. The founding Fathers and Mothers are surely spinning in their graves. Wake up America, your freedom and the proud heritage of our Nation are being stolen from you right before your eyes!
Sep 17, 2007 8:44:42 pm
Rules? Do you really believe our leaders are following the "Rules"? If the world had listened to what most are posting here today, we would all be speaking German. I have a little ditty for you: "Without deviation from the norm, progress is not possible" - FZThis guy was not about showboating, he was trying to ask the questions that the media and average forum seems to omit. Kerry was playing along, those cops were out of line, and if you think not, you are a sheep.
Wake up people.
benmerc
Sep 17, 2007 9:11:20 pm
He needed to be let go of. He was no danger to anyone.HOW WAS HE CHARGED WITH disrupting a public event. The police did so just as much.
"I suppose this video also shows how great UF's students are."
Come on not funny to joke even, you know that's not true.
Sep 17, 2007 9:13:31 pm
There was ZERO reason for the cops to be there in the first place. If he was blathering on too long, he could have been booed and Kerry was trying to answer him before the "Gestapo" surrounded the poor kid.
The kid asked why he was being removed and they didn't tell him. He had every right to ask and scream for help. This is America or it was once.
Sep 17, 2007 9:28:56 pm
First, he was already restrained so there shouldn't be any taser gun used. First, he is protected by the first admendment.
2nd, it was unlawful to make an arrest and they didn't tell him what he was put under arrest.
He is legally allowed to resist without force as stated in Campbell v. State, 812 So. 2d 540 (Fla. 4th DCA 2002) " a person may lawfully resist an illegal arrest (his first admendment) without using any force or violence. He stated he would leave but they use force and bodily harm. Did you hear the girls freaking out? Florida cops are so friggin crooked, I can't even begin to tell you. Polk County to Orange County and now the only liberal city Gainesville. The female officer's duty was just to scold him by her finger. She needs to be kicked off the force if she can't handle manly duties. (btw , im female, so no gender discrimination) and in L.A.T. v. State, 650 So. 2d 214, 215 (Fla. 3d DCA 1995) ruled that shouting and cursing was insufficient to support a conviction for disorderly conduct. W.L. v. State, 769 So. 2d 1132 *Fla. 3d DCA 200) ruled that first admendment protected profanities and offensive speech that arrestee yelled; the arrestee was doing nothing unlawful, never physically inerfered with the police and was punished for pure speech.
http://www.5dca.org/Opinions/Opin2003/091503/5D02-2587.op.pdfHe is under legal right to refuse an unlawful arrest unfortunately, he has to prove his innocence. If someone were to help, they would be charged with Resisting arrest w/o violence and threatened with a taser. At the end of the video, you can see two young men wanting to help, but the older gentleman told them to stay back.
I would press charges for violation of civil rights.
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