# Police Brutalize a Grieving Father in the ER **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [September 27, 2014, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/police-brutalize-a-grieving-father-in-the-er/699720 "2014-09-27T16:26:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![GrumpyBunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bc8723/32.png) [@GrumpyBunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrumpyBunny)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2014, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/police-brutalize-a-grieving-father-in-the-er/699720/1 "2014-09-27T16:26:32Z")
> [@](#): > > A Pittsburgh man is suing police who used a Taser on him in a hospital emergency room as he was grieving over the body of his stepson, who had been fatally shot. […and guess what colour the Taser-ee is?](http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_slatest/2014/09/26/pittsburgh_police_er_taser_video_earl_baldwin_jr_shocked_in_er.html?wpsrc=fol_tw) ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2014, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/police-brutalize-a-grieving-father-in-the-er/699720/2 "2014-09-27T16:36:36Z")
Breaking news: Police use physical force against man disobeying police instructions, internet acts outraged. Context to be provided eventually, which will disprove all the kneejerk reactions from the fuck-the-police crowd. ---
**Author:** ![GrumpyBunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bc8723/32.png) [@GrumpyBunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrumpyBunny)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2014, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/police-brutalize-a-grieving-father-in-the-er/699720/3 "2014-09-27T16:40:07Z")
From my days working in an ER, I remember when grieving people were gently but firmly removed from their loved one, if said loved one was still being “worked on”. We didn’t need to Taser anyone. I don’t think it crossed anyone’s mind. One would think that the five cops could’ve managed that. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2014, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/police-brutalize-a-grieving-father-in-the-er/699720/4 "2014-09-27T16:55:59Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > Breaking news: Police use physical force against man disobeying police instructions, internet acts outraged. > > Context to be provided eventually, which will disprove all the kneejerk reactions from the fuck-the-police crowd. Talk about kneejerk (or in this case simply jerk) reactions. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2014, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/police-brutalize-a-grieving-father-in-the-er/699720/5 "2014-09-27T17:07:55Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > Talk about kneejerk (or in this case simply jerk) reactions. At least he’s consistent. Consistently authoritarian (I’ll refrain from using my preferred **Smapti** adjective), but consistent… ---
**Author:** ![monstro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2014, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/police-brutalize-a-grieving-father-in-the-er/699720/6 "2014-09-27T17:13:35Z")
He had all those guys holding him. They had more than enough manpower to pull him away from the area. But I guess he can be grateful they didn’t shoot him with bullets. ---
**Author:** ![Emiliana](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f0a364/32.png) [@Emiliana](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Emiliana)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2014, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/police-brutalize-a-grieving-father-in-the-er/699720/7 "2014-09-27T17:13:52Z")
Forget atheists, this board is chock full of masochists. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2014, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/police-brutalize-a-grieving-father-in-the-er/699720/8 "2014-09-27T17:15:39Z")
> [@monstro](#): > > They had all those guys holding him. They had more than enough manpower to pull him away from the area. “Police drag man kicking and screaming away from his son’s hospital bed! Why didn’t they just Tase him?” ---
**Author:** ![xenophon41](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xenophon41/32/253_2.png) [@xenophon41](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xenophon41)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2014, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/police-brutalize-a-grieving-father-in-the-er/699720/9 "2014-09-27T17:18:19Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > “Police drag man kicking and screaming away from his son’s hospital bed! Why didn’t they just Tase him?” Said no one, ever. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2014, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/police-brutalize-a-grieving-father-in-the-er/699720/10 "2014-09-27T17:26:15Z")
At least he was already in the ER. Convenient. ---
**Author:** ![monstro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2014, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/police-brutalize-a-grieving-father-in-the-er/699720/11 "2014-09-27T17:29:06Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > “Police drag man kicking and screaming away from his son’s hospital bed! Why didn’t they just Tase him?” Right. That’s why funeral homes always have a taser handy. Because you never know when Big Mama might try to climb into Grandpa’s casket at the wake. And who is strong enough to take down Big Mama? No one. SO LET’S SHOCK THAT BITCH! ---
**Author:** ![Budget\_Player\_Cadet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/budget_player_cadet/32/205_2.png) [@Budget\_Player\_Cadet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Budget_Player_Cadet)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2014, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/police-brutalize-a-grieving-father-in-the-er/699720/12 "2014-09-27T17:31:25Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > “Police drag man kicking and screaming away from his son’s hospital bed! Why didn’t they just Tase him?” What a pathetic excuse for a human being. ---
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2014, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/police-brutalize-a-grieving-father-in-the-er/699720/13 "2014-09-27T17:38:43Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > “Police drag man kicking and screaming away from his son’s hospital bed! Why didn’t they just Tase him?” Maybe that’s why I like you, **Smapti**. I’ve never met anyone who made being a son of a bitch such a point of pride. /Verna ---
**Author:** ![The\_Second\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@The\_Second\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Second_Stone)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2014, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/police-brutalize-a-grieving-father-in-the-er/699720/14 "2014-09-27T17:52:15Z")
Grieving while black. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2014, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/police-brutalize-a-grieving-father-in-the-er/699720/15 "2014-09-27T18:02:30Z")
> [@El\_Kabong](#): > > Maybe that’s why I like you, **Smapti**. I’ve never met anyone who made being a son of a bitch such a point of pride. I’m old enough to remember the mid-90s in southern CA when the SDPD were being criticized for being too quick to shoot unruly persons, and they established a policy of using less-lethal weapons like Tasers first. Now we’re seeing the police being criticized for using the same less-lethal weapons that they were being praised for using 20 years ago, and we’re pretending that if they used more primitive methods that they wouldn’t be criticized for that too. At some point we’re going to end up at the point where the cops are expected to disable people with harsh language. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2014, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/police-brutalize-a-grieving-father-in-the-er/699720/16 "2014-09-27T18:08:03Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > I’m old enough to remember the mid-90s in southern CA when the SDPD were being criticized for being too quick to shoot unruly persons, and they established a policy of using less-lethal weapons like Tasers first. Tasers _first_? I doubt that what you’re saying is true, since most of what you say about this stuff has been crap, but if true this is a terrible policy. > [@](#): > > Now we’re seeing the police being criticized for using the same less-lethal weapons that they were being praised for using 20 years ago, and we’re pretending that if they used more primitive methods that they wouldn’t be criticized for that too. So you’re saying they would have been criticized if they had dragged this man away by bodily force? Doubtful, unless they beat him too. > [@](#): > > At some point we’re going to end up at the point where the cops are expected to disable people with harsh language. Most people would probably be okay with no statistically disproportionate shooting and tasering of black people. ---
**Author:** ![Bozuit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/edb3f5/32.png) [@Bozuit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bozuit)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2014, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/police-brutalize-a-grieving-father-in-the-er/699720/17 "2014-09-27T18:10:10Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > I’m old enough to remember the mid-90s in southern CA when the SDPD were being criticized for being too quick to shoot unruly persons, and they established a policy of using less-lethal weapons like Tasers first. > > Now we’re seeing the police being criticized for using the same less-lethal weapons that they were being praised for using 20 years ago, and we’re pretending that if they used more primitive methods that they wouldn’t be criticized for that too. > > At some point we’re going to end up at the point where the cops are expected to disable people with harsh language. It’s called progress. ---
**Author:** ![Rex\_Goliath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bcef8e/32.png) [@Rex\_Goliath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rex_Goliath)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2014, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/police-brutalize-a-grieving-father-in-the-er/699720/18 "2014-09-27T18:10:38Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > I’m old enough to remember the mid-90s in southern CA when the SDPD were being criticized for being too quick to shoot unruly persons, and they established a policy of using less-lethal weapons like Tasers first. > > Now we’re seeing the police being criticized for using the same less-lethal weapons that they were being praised for using 20 years ago, and we’re pretending that if they used more primitive methods that they wouldn’t be criticized for that too. > > At some point we’re going to end up at the point where the cops are expected to disable people with harsh language. Agreed. What’s even the point of capitulating if you can’t have any fun? Just shoot him and be done with it, IMHO. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2014, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/police-brutalize-a-grieving-father-in-the-er/699720/19 "2014-09-27T18:30:54Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > So you’re saying they would have been criticized if they had dragged this man away by bodily force? Yes, I certainly am. ---
**Author:** ![Rushgeekgirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rushgeekgirl/32/3715_2.png) [@Rushgeekgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rushgeekgirl)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2014, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/police-brutalize-a-grieving-father-in-the-er/699720/20 "2014-09-27T18:37:14Z")
So if there’s a sheet covering a patient that doesn’t mean they’re already past working on? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/police-brutalize-a-grieving-father-in-the-er/699720.md?page=2)