tooloud wrote:
> I couldn't agree with you more, Pat. Too many people think that they're
> required to submit when a police officer says "boo!" and it just doesn't
> work like that.
Yes, you *are* required to follow a police officer's legally-given
directions. Failing to do so is just going to make your life
worse and never make it better.
> IOW, I'm not required to play Patsy Polite with a cop, and
> he's not required to play it with me, either, but that doesn't mean he's
> allowed to taze me because he doesn't like my attitude.
Of course not, but a pattern of refusing to comply with the officer
and physically belligerent behavior may in fact cause the officer to
conclude that he is in danger. You're not required to be polite to
an officer, but it is always in your best interest to do so.
> About 10 seconds
> elapsed between the cop asking for the paperwork and the driver getting
> tazed. That's not *nearly* enough time without additional provocation
from
> the driver.
You're not watching the same video I am, which happens to have the
time displayed in the upper right-hand side. 43 seconds elapsed
from the first time the officer asked for paperwork and when the
officer tazed the driver, plenty of time for the driver to say
"OK officer, let me get my paperwork out" without an argument.
Am I defending the heavy-handed tactics of the officer? No.
Am I suggesting that drivers are legally compelled to cooperate
with police officers when asked for paperwork? Yes.
Dana
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