Police use Taser on driver 8 months pregnant
 

Takes a real man to be a cop

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/223578_taser10.html

She was rushing her son to school. She was eight months pregnant. And she was about to get a speeding ticket she didn't think she deserved.

So when a Seattle police officer presented the ticket to Malaika Brooks, she refused to sign it. In the ensuing confrontation, she suffered burns from a police Taser, an electric stun device that delivers 50,000 volts.

"Probably the worst thing that ever happened to me," Brooks said, in describing that morning during her criminal trial last week on charges of refusing to obey an officer and resisting arrest.

She was found guilty of the first charge because she never signed the ticket, but the Seattle Municipal Court jury could not decide whether she resisted arrest, the reason the Taser was applied.

To her attorneys and critics of police use of Tasers, Brooks' case is an example of police overreaction.

"It's pretty extraordinary that they should have used a Taser in this case," said Lisa Daugaard, a public defender familiar with the case.

Law enforcement officers have said they see Tasers as a tool that can benefit the public by reducing injuries to police and the citizens they arrest.

Seattle police officials declined to comment on this case, citing concerns that Brooks might file a civil lawsuit.

But King County sheriff's Sgt. Donald Davis, who works on the county's Taser policy, said the use of force is a balancing act for law enforcement.

"It just doesn't look good to the public," he said.

Brooks' run-in with police Nov. 23 came six months before Seattle adopted a new policy on Taser use that guides officers on how to deal with pregnant women, the very young, the very old and the infirm. When used on such subjects, the policy states, "the need to stop the behavior should clearly justify the potential for additional risks."

"Obviously, (law enforcement agencies) don't want to use a Taser on young children, pregnant woman or elderly people," Davis said. "But if in your policy you deliberately exclude a segment of the population, then you have potentially closed off a tool that could have ended a confrontation."

Brooks was stopped in the 8300 block of Beacon Avenue South, just outside the African American Academy, while dropping her son off for school.

In a two-day trial that ended Friday, the officer involved, Officer Juan Ornelas, testified he clocked Brooks' Dodge Intrepid doing 32 mph in a 20-mph school zone.

He motioned her over and tried to write her a ticket, but she wouldn't sign it, even when he explained that signing it didn't mean she was admitting guilt.

Brooks, in her testimony, said she believed she could accept a ticket without signing for it, which she had done once before.

"I said, 'Well, I'll take the ticket, but I won't sign it,' " Brooks testified.

Officer Donald Jones joined Ornelas in trying to persuade Brooks to sign the ticket. They then called on their supervisor, Sgt. Steve Daman.

He authorized them to arrest her when she continued to refuse.

The officers testified they struggled to get Brooks out of her car but could not because she kept a grip on her steering wheel.

And that's when Jones brought out the Taser.

Brooks testified she didn't even know what it was when Jones showed it to her and pulled the trigger, allowing her to hear the crackle of 50,000 volts of electricity.

The officers testified that was meant as a final warning, as a way to demonstrate the device was painful and that Brooks should comply with their orders.

When she still did not exit her car, Jones applied the Taser.

In his testimony, the Taser officer said he pressed the prongs of the muzzle against Brooks' thigh to no effect. So he applied it twice to her exposed neck.

Afterward, he and the others testified, Ornelas pushed Brooks out of the car while Jones pulled.

She was taken to the ground, handcuffed and placed in a patrol car, the officers testified.

She told jurors the officer also used the device on her arm, and showed them a dark, brown burn to her thigh, a large, red welt on her arm and a lump on her neck, all marks she said came from the Taser application.

the bitch probably had it coming

Cops are out of Control!

Stupid bitch drives too fucking fast and then starts crying when she gets a ticket. The guy shouldve smacked her as well.

"She thought she didnt deserve the ticket". And why the hell would that be? Is she allowed to drive faster and others arent.

Damn right she had it coming. She's the one that turned a routine traffic ticket into a huge ordeal. Fuck the bitch.

I liked that line too. I'm a good guy, I didn't deserve the tickets I received in the past but I got them.

Sure shes wrong for not complying. But come on 32 in a 20. Give me a fucking break. Traffic cops are nothing but pure revenue generators for the county, state they work in.

There are plenty of other ways to get control of a situation without tasering a pregnant woman.

wtf is that??

cops should not be allowed to do as they wish.

the moment you sidew with authority over the people you are no longer one of "us" but one of "them"

diie slow

sounds like it was a black woman

OK she was told signing the ticket did not admit guilt.

She was asked to step out of the car.

She was shown the taser and told she was under arrest.

She refused to get out of the car after all the warnings, information, and showing of the taser as well as saying she was under arrest for failing to take the ticket.

To me this is resisting arrest. Stupid ass should have just taken the fucking ticket and been on her way. Instead she set a great example for her fucking child which she was taking to school.

Just plain stupid. I don't blame the cops entirely, maybe it was excessive, maybe it wasn't, but there was no policy on it at the time the incident happened. Seems to me the officer acted within his boundries.

It amazes me at how pissed people get in this country when the police do something. Quit resisting arrest, or running from the police and the shit wont happen, its quite simple really.

Did the baby have it coming too? Cops are pussies. Sorry if you have to tazer a pregnant woman you are a PUSSY. And before you get all freaky on me I have a good friend that is a seargent at the county sheriff's office and if tazered a pregnent a women I'd have no qulams calling him a pussy to his face. All 6' 2" 240 Lbs of him.

Tasers and other uses of force are meant to be used to subdue people that are a threat, is an 8 month pregnant female a threat to you? :1orglaugh

a taser is supposed to be used t subdue someone.

she was sitting in her car not trying to attack an officer.

these cops are the same pussies who use taser on 9 year old HAND CUFFED girl.

immediate threat? she was hand cuffed and 9 years old.

http://www.atsnn.com/story/54013.html

Reports have arrived from Fox11AZ.com stating that an Arizona police officer is under investigation for using a taser on a nine year old girl. A veteran South Tucson police sergeant is under investigation for firing his stun gun to subdue a handcuffed 9-year-old girl.

yeah cops are tough guys.

eat a dick pig

the lady refused to sign a ticket, that is not cause for taser, she presented NO THREAT

Three grown men can't get a pregnant woman out of a car?

Using a Taser 3 times (!?!) seems like way excessive force on a pregnant lady. :2 cents:

the compassion on gfy astounds me once again... those of you who say she deserved it or what ever are pretty heartless.

All cops that misuse tasers should have to have their balls tasered and not throw thier pants. Straight to the flesh. This will teach them. Remember being a kid and touching a hot stove? How many times did you do that afterwards?

cops are out of control. Yes she made many mistakes, but nothing I believe to deserve the taser.

All the cop had to do was grab her hand and use a "come along" hold on her, something that cops always used in the years before the taser. The taser just makes cops lazy. I could easily put a joint lock on a women without breaking a sweat and without harming the baby, never mind what 3 cops can do. The fact that they used a taser on a pregnant woman is ridiculous. They should all be fired.

If you turn a routine traffic stop into an ordeal you're a retard and I don't give a flying fuck what a cop does to you to.

When did it become illegal to not sign a ticket? No law in the world forces a person to sign something they do not agree with, period. I have never signed a ticket and I never will. And, she is a stupid bitch for not having a team of lawyers all over this.

They're just angry rejected by society punks that get made fun of by the kids in their school. This is probably the only outlet for their Eric Harris wanna be miserable life.

Move to China then, COMMIE.

Bookmark this thread so you can refer to it when some bitch who thinks the rules aren't for her pops your kid's head like a melon under her tire while speeding through a school zone.

SpaceAce

in the end everyone loses as she will sue

cops need to be taught how to minimize public scrutiny as well as kick ass

Oh well... what do you expect from police officers? Justice? Ha!

:1orglaugh Commie?
Sorry, but the situation could have been defused at ANY TIME by the woman. She chose the course of action. All I can say to that is "And what did we learn today?"

They are both wrong. The lady was speeding .. period, and should have gotten a ticket. Yes, she wasn't going that fast, but speeding is speeding. I have done it and if I got pulled over, I wouldn't bitch, I would accept that I got caught.

However, zapping a pregnant lady sounds a bit harshe. Cops are trained in tactics, self defense, and other abilities. How a 6 foot plus cop can't control a pregnant lady without using excessive force is beyond me. What an asshole.

the easiest way for cops to get away with things in the name of the children./

"we did it for the children"

for those of us with no children, why dont you child bearers pay for your own schools then?

fucking tax dollars keep your kids in school.

cant stand fucking parents.

they need cops to protect the world so their kid can attend a fucking fashion show at the public school.

do away with public schools and make breeding a licensed priviledge.

the world will die trying to protect children, what a LAME EXCUSE

So you're saying all speeders should be tasered? How about this, lets put unremovable dog collars on everyone and when they speed (or do anything else wrong for that matter) it automatically chokes the shit out of them. Thats how you would really like things to be, isnt it.

My last ticket was for 31 in a 20. I was going 25. I signed it and took it to the judge. That's how you're supposed to do it. Should everybody turn their routine traffic stops into police standoffs?

Yes, she chose the course of action... she said "please put my child at risk with 50k volts"

What are you? Retarded?

She didn't want to sign it... that does not mean she chose to be tazered.

I decided not to cross at a cross walk, does that mean I chose to be shot?

She crossed the line to where she was no longer a speeder, she was being arrested and refused to comply. She was not tasered for speeding.

she did deserve the ticket, i agree. being pregnant doesnt give you the right to speed

humans should all die right now.

i dont know about you guys, but i am glad that cop was on the job and took care of that criminal.

the streets are filled with real criminals, but what are our protectors out doing, tasering pregnant women"

whew, i will sleep great tonight knowing bitches like her are being kept in check by the authority.

damn that's rough she will make a lot of money off of that officer

they should have lynched her and her child.

Listen dumbass let me explain something to you. The use of a taser in this case was nothing more than a punishment for refusing to comply. Cops have no right whatsoever to dish out punishment, what the fuck don't you understand about that?

She was UNAMRMED and was 8 months pregnant and a WOMAN. No tazering required. Unless you admit that you are a pussy. For you to even be on the cops side is so retarded. karma is a bitc one can only hope it happens to you. Sometimes people like you need to learn about life the HARD way. Sad really.

Funny how Seattle cops can take on the real bad guys like pregnant speeders, but can't catch the Green River killer for 25 years.

Are you retarded? Just because she did not say "please put my child at risk...." does not mean she was not responsible for the situation.

If she chose not to sign it she was choosing to be arrested. She chose not to comply with the officer whn being informed she was being arrested. Would you not expect force to come into play at that point? Any resonable person would.

Thanks for answering my question, clearly you truly are retarded.

So they should have used physical force? To what degree?

It's funny you mention karma. I think the dumb bitch got a lesson in instant karma that day.

And for the record, I am no big fan of cops. I've never met one that I didn't think was an asshole. I was once beaten unconscious by a reserve officer. But I'm also no fan of idiots that bring the shit down upon themselves and want to cry about it.

Back it up, don't just name call. It was a string of events the woman could have halted at any time. Is this not correct?

Back it up that you are a retard. Un read your psots. That's proof enough. Now STFU already.

i'm probably going to get slammed for this but i agree with this line above...

we are at war people. never forget that.

never forget.

http://makemyday.free.fr/americanruse.htm

I learned to say the pledge of allegiance
Before they beat me bloody down at the station
They haven't got a word out of me since
I got a billion years probation

Sixty nine America in terminal stasis
The air's so thick it's like drowning in molasses
I'm sick and tired of paying these dues
And i'm sick to my guts of the American ruse
Phony stars, oh no! crummy cars, oh no!
Cheap guitars, oh no! Joe's primitive bar... nah!

The way they pull you over it's suspicious
Yeah, for something that just ain't your fault
If you complain they're gonna get vicious
Kick in the teeth and charge you with assault
Yeah, but i can see the chickens coming home to roost
Young people everywhere are gonna cook their goose
Lots of kids are working to get rid of these blues
cause everybody's sick of the American ruse

read.

1970

needs to be on page 2

playing this song now....