UCLA student sues over tasering

[shance]

UCLA student sues over tasering

By Andrew Blankstein, Times Staff Writer
3:09 PM PST, January 17, 2007

Excerpts:


The UCLA student tasered in the Powell Library when he refused to show his identification to campus police today filed a federal lawsuit alleging that his civil rights were violated and that police acted in a brutal fashion.

In a 16-page lawsuit, Mostafa Tabatabainejad, 23, sued the university, campus police and a half-dozen officers for unspecified monetary damages, claiming they used excessive force and violated the Americans With Disabilities Act in the Nov. 14, 2006 incident.

Tabatabainejad was repeatedly stunned with a Taser after he refused to show his student ID card to a security guard. Authorities said the student wouldn't leave Powell Library, went limp and asked others to join his resistance.

Paul Hoffman, an attorney for the UCLA senior, said the ultimate goal of the lawsuit is to force fundamental changes in campus police culture.

"What everyone saw on videotape demonstrates that the UCLA police department lacks the professionalism that parents of UCLA students expect from a public institution," Hoffman said. "The larger goal of the suit is to change the way UCLA police behave and treat people on campus, their discipline and their training."

According to the suit, Tabatabainejad was in the computer lab of Powell Library working on a history paper when he was approached by a security officer, who asked for identification.

Tabatabainejad, who is of Iranian descent, was concerned that he was being singled out because of his ethnicity, so he told the guard to make the same request of any other student, the suit alleges. The guard refused.

At one point, they demanded Tabatabainejad "get up or we'll Taser you." He remained limp and was tasered.

The suit alleges Tabatabainejad was tasered multiple times, including more than once after he was handcuffed.

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-011707taser,0,6813210.story?coll=la-home-headlines

[Solon]

1. You want to know what's scary...

The UCLA policy actually states that Tasers could be used for "pain compliance" a fancy way of saying torture, in my mind.

[indepat]

4. Wonder what application of such policy would cost a university in a land of freedom and liberty?

[TechBear_Seattle]

9. Yup. "Pain compliance" = torture n/t

[Warpy]

11. Exactly, and most cops say that

Tasering should be like the discharge of any weapon, warranting an investigation by Internal Affairs to see if it was justified. This one was not in any way justified.

Tasering is potentially lethal, just like a gun.

I hope this guy wins his suit. Something has got to change.

[Solon]

14. One of my biggest problems with Tasers is this...

Folks say that they are supposed to be a "non-lethal" alternative to a firearm, the problem is they aren't USED in this fashion. Cops don't generally SHOOT unarmed people that don't comply with them immediately. Tasers SHOULD be treated the same way as guns, and use of them should be restricted to when a cop thinks either their life or someone else's life is in imminent danger.

[athena]

19. I agree completely.

That's also my main objection to tasers. Just as with gun use, every incident in which a taser is used by police should be thoroughly investigated. No device that causes so much pain and has been linked to so many deaths should be used so liberally.

[rpgamerd00d]

2. I hope he gets their cars and houses and all thier savings.

So that the cops are out on the street, homeless, car-less, penniless.

[stonecoldsober]

10. And follow them to where they set up their tents - and SLASH 'EM!

[DarkTirade]

20. That's in the OTHER state that has a Disney theme park... :)

[file83]

17. I hope he gets their pensions...

...but then again, I'm a Scorpio.
:evilgrin:

[stonecoldsober]

3. What is wrong with this sentence?

Eventually, Tabatabainejad gathered his belongings and was walking toward the library exit when one of the UCLA officers blocked his path and told him "you need to leave."

Can Any one guess?

[Recursion]

5. "Which one is it, young feller?"

"If'n I freeze, I reckon I can't drop to the ground. And if'n I drop to the ground, I reckon I'd be in motion"

[Lerkfish]

6. having seen the video, he offered to leave several times but was prevented

by the officers.

[uppityperson]

7. Good. Recommended (please shorten OP)

DU rules state only 3-4 paragraphs can be quoted due to copyright stuff. Thanks.

[Pithlet]

8. Good. I hope he wins.

Whatever the outcome, I hope the whole brouhaha that has rightfully ensued has forced UCLA to rethink their policies.

[mondo joe]

12. Best wishes to him, and hopes for a monumental legal victory.

[EFerrari]

13. Good for him. K&R

[PreacherCasey]

15. good for him

[shance]

16. kick

n/t

[athena]

18. I'm very glad to hear that he's suing.

I was upset for days after reading about this incident. The pain he felt must have been horrible. I hope he won't suffer long-term health consequences.

[athena]

21. Kick

:kick:

[RubyDuby in GA]

22. I'm glad to hear this

It was one of the most disturbing things I've seen in a long while. I figured he would sue and I'm glad to hear he is. I hope he doesn't stop until he has a building named after him at that school and he's livin' large off those assholes pensions.