Cops tase pregnant woman

[Anonymous]

Do you think that the use of a taser was appropriate in this case?

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/15/us/police-taser-use-on-pregnant-woman-goes-before-supreme-court.html

I find it ironic that at a time when we are enacting all kinds of laws and regulations to protect the unborn, our society would tolerate officials doing this to a pregnant person.

I don't think I would have behaved the way she did. But at the end of the day, they tased her over a signature. She did not pose a threat to them.

Thoughts?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Do you think that the use of a taser was appropriate in this case?

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/15/us/police-taser-use-on-pregnant-woman-goes-before-supreme-court.html

I find it ironic that at a time when we are enacting all kinds of laws and regulations to protect the unborn, our society would tolerate officials doing this to a pregnant person.

I don't think I would have behaved the way she did. But at the end of the day, they tased her over a signature. She did not pose a threat to them.

Thoughts?

Uh, no. Did you not read the article? She was tased for refusing to get out of the car when she was under arrest. That's rarely a good idea. Would you have preferred that they grab her and drag her out of the car? No? OK, then what's the appropriate response?

[Anonymous]

Yes, I read the article. It is true that she refused to get out of the car, but again, the power struggle was over her signature. Again, not sure I would make the same choices she did. But also don't think a pregnant lady and an 11 YO in a car equals a threat requiring use of a taser.

If the officers had simply noted that she refused to sign, she still doesn't get out of the ticket - just like you can get red light tickets in the mail.

PP do you really feel this was an appropriate use of a taser?

[Anonymous]

I would think if I were pregnant and the threat of a taser were to be used on me, I would cooperate to avoid getting tased. This woman was probably not thinking about that, therefore not thinking about the safety of her child.
I do not think she should have been tased in this case, however, I do everything I can to protect this baby in my belly. She appears to not have done that.

[Anonymous]

cop overuse the taser. really unappropriate even if she wasn't pregnant. the cop should be fired and sued!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:cop overuse the taser. really unappropriate even if she wasn't pregnant. the cop should be fired and sued!

... and tasered

[Anonymous]

OP here, I agree that the woman's actions seem unwise. Some citizens may behave in ways that are unwise at times. Should we expect more wisdom from experienced, trained police officers? I haven't interacted with many police officers in my boring, law-abiding life. But officers encounter all kinds of situations every day. Shouldn't they exercise good judgment over who needs to be tased and who does not?

[Anonymous]

No, they tased her because she refused to follow the law, refused to comply with authorities when she had violated a law and also used her pregnancy as a shield assuming that it would prevent from being treated as the law-breaking individual that she was. I agree that while this is an extreme case, if you allow this woman's appeal to be upheld, then you will break the rule of law and set a legal precedent that will allow other lawbreakers immunity from police action. This woman was clearly in the wrong, is unrepentant and we should not go down this slippery slope. I think that this woman is lucky that she was charged with child endangerment by using her unborn child as a means to avoid complying with police. She was given ample warning that they were serious. They showed her the taser, asked her if she knew what it was and what it did and that she had to comply or they would use it. This woman recklessly endangered her child by not following the state law.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No, they tased her because she refused to follow the law, refused to comply with authorities when she had violated a law and also used her pregnancy as a shield assuming that it would prevent from being treated as the law-breaking individual that she was. I agree that while this is an extreme case, if you allow this woman's appeal to be upheld, then you will break the rule of law and set a legal precedent that will allow other lawbreakers immunity from police action. This woman was clearly in the wrong, is unrepentant and we should not go down this slippery slope. I think that this woman is lucky that she was charged with child endangerment by using her unborn child as a means to avoid complying with police. She was given ample warning that they were serious. They showed her the taser, asked her if she knew what it was and what it did and that she had to comply or they would use it. This woman recklessly endangered her child by not following the state law.

Well spoken. +1

[Anonymous]

PP here. Ooops...missing word included below.

Anonymous wrote:No, they tased her because she refused to follow the law, refused to comply with authorities when she had violated a law and also used her pregnancy as a shield assuming that it would prevent from being treated as the law-breaking individual that she was. I agree that while this is an extreme case, if you allow this woman's appeal to be upheld, then you will break the rule of law and set a legal precedent that will allow other lawbreakers immunity from police action. This woman was clearly in the wrong, is unrepentant and we should not go down this slippery slope. I think that this woman is lucky that she was not charged with child endangerment by using her unborn child as a means to avoid complying with police. She was given ample warning that they were serious. They showed her the taser, asked her if she knew what it was and what it did and that she had to comply or they would use it. This woman recklessly endangered her child by not following the state law.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes, I read the article. It is true that she refused to get out of the car, but again, the power struggle was over her signature. Again, not sure I would make the same choices she did. But also don't think a pregnant lady and an 11 YO in a car equals a threat requiring use of a taser.

If the officers had simply noted that she refused to sign, she still doesn't get out of the ticket - just like you can get red light tickets in the mail.

PP do you really feel this was an appropriate use of a taser?

Again, no. She refused to sign, and that refusal lead to her being placed under arrest. She then refused to get out of the car. At that point, the ticket is completely irrelevant. She's under arrest, and has to be taken into custody. No other options. Law enforcement can't place someone under arrest, have them refuse to be arrested or go with the police, then say, "Oh, you don't want to come? OK. Whatever works for you." Even a 10 yo knows that's not how cops work.

So I ask you again - what was an acceptable alternative? Pulling her out of the car? Allowing her to refuse to be taken into custody?

She brought this on herself - totally. She was faced with reasonable requests, then demands, from the police, and refused all of them. No sympathy at all.

[Anonymous]

Don't tase me mom!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Do you think that the use of a taser was appropriate in this case?

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/15/us/police-taser-use-on-pregnant-woman-goes-before-supreme-court.html

I find it ironic that at a time when we are enacting all kinds of laws and regulations to protect the unborn, our society would tolerate officials doing this to a pregnant person.

I don't think I would have behaved the way she did. But at the end of the day, they tased her over a signature. She did not pose a threat to them.

Thoughts?

So, now it's fine for pregnant women to resist arrest? I don't think so. She brought this on herself. Maybe she should have tried breastfeeding the other kid and then she could have screamed about this. Resist arrest and you get what you deserve, pregnant or not.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:cop overuse the taser. really unappropriate even if she wasn't pregnant. the cop should be fired and sued!

... and tasered

Around here, at least, police are tasered. It's part of the training so they know what they are doing to others.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
So, now it's fine for pregnant women to resist arrest? I don't think so. She brought this on herself. Maybe she should have tried breastfeeding the other kid and then she could have screamed about this. Resist arrest and you get what you deserve, pregnant or not.

police are not above reproach
what the cop did was wrong. We expect professionalism from them too