# Breaking: Student tasered multiple times at UCLA library **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [November 16, 2006, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-student-tasered-multiple-times-at-ucla-library/380703 "2006-11-16T17:12:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jayrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Jayrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jayrot)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2006, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-student-tasered-multiple-times-at-ucla-library/380703/1 "2006-11-16T17:12:39Z")
This is absolutely fucking sickening. Frankly, I’m glad we live in an age of camera phones and digital cameras so that there can be absolutely no question about what happened. [http://www.nbc4.tv/news/10325914/detail.html](http://www.nbc4.tv/news/10325914/detail.html) [http://dailybruin.ucla.edu/news/articles.asp?id=38958](http://dailybruin.ucla.edu/news/articles.asp?id=38958) The video – [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AyvrqcxNIFs) ---
**Author:** ![brewha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/91b2a8/32.png) [@brewha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brewha)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2006, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-student-tasered-multiple-times-at-ucla-library/380703/2 "2006-11-16T17:24:53Z")
I might get some shit for this, but it sounds like the guy did that to himself. If he was a student, he knew that he needed an ID to be in that computer lab. When he was asked to show it, he refused. He then refused to leave the lab. The security may have used excessive force, but he could have prevented all of it. Instead, he refused to cooperate and tried to get other students in the lab to resist as well. I just don’t have much sympathy for him. ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Who](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Doctor\_Who](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Who)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2006, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-student-tasered-multiple-times-at-ucla-library/380703/3 "2006-11-16T17:31:01Z")
I agree that the guy should have just gotten up and left. BUT…I was pretty disgusted at the end of the video where the police tell another student who’s upset by the whole thing: “Go back upstairs or you’ll get tased too.” ---
**Author:** ![RumMunkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b19c9b/32.png) [@RumMunkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RumMunkey)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2006, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-student-tasered-multiple-times-at-ucla-library/380703/4 "2006-11-16T17:32:53Z")
I gotta agree with **brewha**. The guy was not co-operating, did not follow instructions given clearly and repeatedly, and became belligerent. ---
**Author:** ![Giles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giles/32/60_2.png) [@Giles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giles)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2006, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-student-tasered-multiple-times-at-ucla-library/380703/5 "2006-11-16T17:35:39Z")
It sounds like excessive force to me. He was not a threat. They tasered him as he was lying on the ground because he refused to get up when asked, and they threatened to taser other students foir coming to close or for asking questions. In my opinion, they were using tasering as a punishment rather than in self-defence – and there’s a constitutional guarantee against cruel and unusual punishment. ---
**Author:** ![MsWhatsit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb8c5e/32.png) [@MsWhatsit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsWhatsit)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2006, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-student-tasered-multiple-times-at-ucla-library/380703/6 "2006-11-16T17:37:45Z")
I dunno. I’m with you that the student was being an obnoxious ass. However, from the article: > [@](#): > > As the officers attempted to escort him out, he went limp and continued to refuse to cooperate with officers or leave the building. And then: > [@](#): > > “The officers deemed it necessary to use the Taser in a ‘drive stun’ capacity,” she said in the statement. "A Taser is used to incapacitate subjects **who are resistant** by discharging an electronic current into the subject in one of two methods: via two wired probes that are deployed from the Taser, or in a ‘drive stun’ capacity by touching the subject with the Taser. In this incident the student was not shot with a Taser; rather, officers used the ‘drive stun’ capability. (bolding mine) Now, I haven’t seen the video, but to me, going limp and refusing to cooperate is a lot different than “being resistant”, which to me would imply some sort of physical aggression or fighting back against the officers. If the guy went limp, just drag him out of the building, no? Why are tasers necessary? And I agree, threatening to taser other students if they don’t leave the area is really just uncalled for. ---
**Author:** ![Revenant\_Threshold](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f1d935/32.png) [@Revenant\_Threshold](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revenant_Threshold)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2006, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-student-tasered-multiple-times-at-ucla-library/380703/7 "2006-11-16T17:38:29Z")
I have a question; is the sort of chattering noise the tazer? ---
**Author:** ![Revenant\_Threshold](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f1d935/32.png) [@Revenant\_Threshold](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revenant_Threshold)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2006, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-student-tasered-multiple-times-at-ucla-library/380703/8 "2006-11-16T17:42:28Z")
Oh, and yeah, the guy was being an ass but passive resistance isn’t (IMHO) grounds for tasering, **active** resistance is. If he’s throwing punches, or struggling to try and attack the officers, then sure, tase him. If he’s just limply forcing the officiers to drag him wherever, then it amounts to the police guys tasering him so they didn’t have the \*horribly arduous \* task of moving him. ---
**Author:** ![Bear\_Nenno](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bear_nenno/32/3358_2.png) [@Bear\_Nenno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bear_Nenno)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2006, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-student-tasered-multiple-times-at-ucla-library/380703/9 "2006-11-16T17:44:45Z")
[QUOTE=MsWhatsit] Now, I haven’t seen the video, but to me, going limp and refusing to cooperate is a lot different than “being resistant”, which to me would imply some sort of physical aggression or fighting back against the officers. If the guy went limp, just drag him out of the building, no? Why are tasers necessary? And I agree, threatening to taser other students if they don’t leave the area is really just uncalled for. [/QUOTE] No, going limp is most definitely resistance. Just like chaining yourself to a tree or something, it’s called Passive Resistance. If you are lawfully ordered to leave, and you refuse to comply, you are resisting. You’re going to get sprayed or tasered accordingly. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2006, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-student-tasered-multiple-times-at-ucla-library/380703/10 "2006-11-16T17:45:25Z")
[QUOTE=brewha] I might get some shit for this, but it sounds like the guy did that to himself. If he was a student, he knew that he needed an ID to be in that computer lab. When he was asked to show it, he refused. He then refused to leave the lab. [/QUOTE] That’s now what I read: > [@](#): > > The CSOs left, returning minutes later, and police officers arrived to escort the student out. **By this time the student had begun to walk toward the door with his backpack when an officer approached him and grabbed his arm, at which point the student told the officer to let him go**. A second officer then approached the student as well. Yes, the student was a jackass, but you’re telling me, what, three cops can’t escort him out without tasing him? Come on. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2006, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-student-tasered-multiple-times-at-ucla-library/380703/11 "2006-11-16T17:46:56Z")
Not to excuse their behavior but these are campus cops, they’re like one step up from security guard. Sounds like these guys are the sort that couldn’t make it on a city force so they went with the next best ting. I know the type, one of my sisters used to be married to one. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2006, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-student-tasered-multiple-times-at-ucla-library/380703/12 "2006-11-16T17:47:11Z")
Sorry, that should be two cops, I guess. I thought I saw three in the video. ---
**Author:** ![Jayrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Jayrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jayrot)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2006, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-student-tasered-multiple-times-at-ucla-library/380703/13 "2006-11-16T17:47:35Z")
According to the UCLA Bruin article, the student did not leave when the CSOs (student cops) instructed him to leave, but > [@Daily Bruin](#): > > The CSOs left, returning minutes later, and police officers arrived to escort the student out. By this time the student had begun to walk toward the door with his backpack when an officer approached him and grabbed his arm, at which point the student told the officer to let him go. A second officer then approached the student as well. > > The student began to yell “get off me,” repeating himself several times. > > It was at this point that the officers shot the student with a Taser for the first time, causing him to fall to the floor and cry out in pain. The student also told the officers he had a medical condition. ---
**Author:** ![Bear\_Nenno](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bear_nenno/32/3358_2.png) [@Bear\_Nenno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bear_Nenno)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2006, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-student-tasered-multiple-times-at-ucla-library/380703/14 "2006-11-16T17:49:04Z")
Just watched it. Fucking college boy got what he deserved. How many warnings does a person need? I love the crybaby screams he puts out. And all his little friends, “We want your badge numbers. We want your information”… we know soooooo much about the law because we’re in college. And what the fuck did any of that have to do with the Patriot Act? Cops were tasing crybaby pussies long before the Patriot Act. ---
**Author:** ![Jayrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Jayrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jayrot)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2006, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-student-tasered-multiple-times-at-ucla-library/380703/15 "2006-11-16T17:49:18Z")
Oh and just for shits an giggles: [People have died after being tased. Amnesty International reiterates call on all policing authorities to suspend or limit the use of tasers to deadly force situations.](http://web.amnesty.org/library/index/engamr510302006) ---
**Author:** ![Jayrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Jayrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jayrot)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2006, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-student-tasered-multiple-times-at-ucla-library/380703/16 "2006-11-16T17:50:38Z")
Fuck you Bear\_Nenno, you fucking shithead. Tasering people laying on the ground is goddamn inexcusable. ---
**Author:** ![MsWhatsit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb8c5e/32.png) [@MsWhatsit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsWhatsit)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2006, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-student-tasered-multiple-times-at-ucla-library/380703/17 "2006-11-16T17:51:30Z")
Okay, from reading various accounts, I am getting that either: 1. The guy was in the process of walking out the door when the cops grabbed him and then tasered him, or 2. The guy had gone limp when the cops tasered him, because as everybody knows, the best way to get somebody to leave the premises when they have gone limp is to taser them, as this really improves their motor coordination. I fail to see how making your body go limp is exactly like chaining yourself to a tree. Yes, in both situations, you are refusing to go somewhere. However, in the former case, you can fairly easily be dragged out, particularly by officers of the law who have nifty devices called “handcuffs.” In the latter, you are chained to a damn tree and cannot be moved without a bolt cutter. And in any case, is tasering the guy repeatedly after he’s already lying on the ground crying out in pain really effective? What are we trying to accomplish at this point? ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2006, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-student-tasered-multiple-times-at-ucla-library/380703/18 "2006-11-16T17:52:02Z")
[QUOTE=Jayrot] [People have died after being tased. Amnesty International reiterates call on all policing authorities to suspend or limit the use of tasers to deadly force situations.](http://web.amnesty.org/library/index/engamr510302006) [/QUOTE] Has there ever been a case of a taser being clearly the direct cause of death? I’ve never heard of one. ---
**Author:** ![Revenant\_Threshold](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f1d935/32.png) [@Revenant\_Threshold](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revenant_Threshold)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2006, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-student-tasered-multiple-times-at-ucla-library/380703/19 "2006-11-16T17:52:02Z")
[QUOTE=Bear\_Nenno] No, going limp is most definitely resistance. Just like chaining yourself to a tree or something, it’s called Passive Resistance. If you are lawfully ordered to leave, and you refuse to comply, you are resisting. You’re going to get sprayed or tasered accordingly. [/QUOTE] And that isn’t vigilante punishment why? ---
**Author:** ![brewha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/91b2a8/32.png) [@brewha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brewha)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2006, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-student-tasered-multiple-times-at-ucla-library/380703/20 "2006-11-16T17:53:08Z")
> [@](#): > > "Since, after repeated requests, he would neither leave nor show identification, the CSO notified UCPD officers, who responded and asked Tabatabainejad to leave the premises multiple times. He continued to refuse. As the officers attempted to escort him out, he went limp and continued to refuse to cooperate with officers or leave the building. > > Greenstein said Tabatabainejad encouraged others in the library to join his “resistance.” She said a crowd gathered around the officers. **pulykamel** , the article you quoted does make it sound like he was leaving. My reactions were based on the article that has the above quote. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-student-tasered-multiple-times-at-ucla-library/380703.md?page=2)