Utah trooper’s use of Taser reasonable

[Midnight Mike]

SALT LAKE CITY - A Utah trooper who used a Taser to subdue a stubborn motorist who was walking away from him during a traffic stop acted reasonably, state officials said Friday.

Gardner twice zapped Jared Massey with a Taser when the driver walked away and refused to sign a speeding ticket on Sept. 14. The incident was recorded on Gardner’s dashboard camera. Massey filed a public-records request and posted the video on YouTube, which said it has been viewed more than 1 million times.

We found that Trooper Gardner’s actions were lawful and reasonable under the circumstances,” Davenport said at a news conference, joined by Scott Duncan, commissioner of the UHP’s parent agency, the Utah Department of Public Safety.


http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22047054/

[NIKV69]

If you notice when he is giving his account of the situation to the other officer he tells him he said "put your hands behind your back or I will tase you" If you back up the video he never said that. I will say though this guy was combative from the beginning and when he was asked to put his hands behind his back he put his hands near his pockets. Stupid move. Also this guy is alone with no backup. He was borderline agressive but under the circumstances I guess this is why he got a pass. Moral of the story is listen to the police. Real simple. The officer made a good point the side of the road is not the place to argue it. That is why we have courtrooms.