Video: LA Police Violence Comes to Campus
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UCLA police repeatedly Tased Mostafa Tabatabainejad, a student who was asked to leave the library because he did not display a student ID. According to news reports, the student initially refused to leave Tuesday night, then got up and headed for the door. An officer then allegedly grabbed him by his shoulder, at which point Tabatabainejad can be heard yelling, "Get off me!" It was at that point that an officer first Tased him, causing him to fall to the floor.

Police Tased him at least once more before he left, after he went limp and officers repeatedly ordered him to stand up. I would imagine the officers, who would not identify themselves to bystanders, did not know portions of the event were being videotaped.


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Wow.. thats a Lawsuit waiting to happen..
By Eli Corp Nov 17th 2006 at 1:01 am EST
Obviously this is a very disturbing video. I saw this on Keith Olberman today and was shocked. I understand that perhaps this student wasn't being as cooperative as the officers may have liked, but that does not give them the right to use a taser. They then threaten to tase the students who ask for the names of the officers as well. That is a blatent abuse of authority. This is the third video of LA police officers seemingly abusing their power. Tasers are dangerous, they can even kill, so I don't understand how this situation warranted its use.. Its no wonder he didn't stand up, HE COULDN'T! He Was just Tased at least 3 Times!! This video is simply shocking.. Can officers just randomly tase students for forgetting their ID?? Its a School Library not a flippin' Prison!
  
that is seriously
By chicagogal Nov 17th 2006 at 11:38 am EST
one of the sickest things I've ever seen. It made my stomach turn. So the kid wouldn't leave a library, and that warrants a tazer? He wasn't threatening to harm anyone or himself, so this means of punishment is WAY WAY WAY WAY out of line. In fact, it should never be used as punishment, only if someone's life is in danger, which clearly this was not the case.

i'd say tahnks for sharing graham, but i think i may vomit. so um, thanks? :)
  
.
By mattbors Nov 17th 2006 at 11:40 am EST
He tasered multiple times after he is in handcuffs for not standing. From the looks of it he may not have been able too get up...he probably didn't want tasered again. And yet they keep doing it to punish him.

Show ID. Or we'll electrocute your ass.
  
Tazer Video
By wiuleja50 Nov 26th 2006 at 8:41 pm EST
First of all we do not know what fully happened, for all we kow the student could have taken a swing at the officers and used the Tazer in self-defense. Do I think that the Tazer was used too much, yes, the officers should have just dragged him off after they "Tazed" the subject. Secondly the officers were in a hostile environment to begin with. They work at a school where there is too much left-wing liberal thought flowing in the streets. I work in an environment very similar to that of UCLA, but in the Chicago area. If you think about it the Tazer was the best tool to use in such an environment. Let us look at the place they were at. If the officers were to use OC spray (pepper spray), a non-lethal tool, a lot more of the students would have been physically effected by that tool due to the 12 foot range of the spray. The pepper spray has longer lasting effects, I know this from training. When I was sprayed it took 10 mins before I could see again, and another 45 before the swelling went down,and the burning stopped. Also the particals from the OC could possibly get into the computers and cause serious damage to the equipment in that regard. Then there is the expandable baton, or PR-24, whichever UCLA uses. This is a less than lethal tool because it could cause death, just like a Tazer can, but the effects of this tool would be a lot more damaging to the student like severe bruising, possibly broken bones, and maybe death if there is internal bleeding. Then there is a firearm which is not an option in this case. So, after you hear all of that the Tazer was the best option that the officers had in this case. Now we also don't know what the official policy is for the UCLA Police Department is in a situation like this, maybe the policy is for the officers to "Taze" the subject until they fully comply with the officers orders. Look at the Dialo case in NYC. The policy for NYPD back then was unload the magazine when you are firing your side arm. The officers did that and that is why 49 rounds were fired at one subject. We do not know all the facts in this case yet and we don't know the police department policy so we should not lynch the officers. We should wait to see all of the information before we form our opinions. I personally would have arrested the guys in the white and the blue shirts for attmepting to incite a riot at one point. Again we only saw a portion of the incident, for all we know the student was doing something that the officers felt threatened by and used the Tazer in self defense. Would there be much of an out cry if the officers used OC on him 4-5 times and a few other students were sprayed in the process. Heck a buddy of mine sprayed 30 High School kids at one time and there was nothing said about anything. Also the library staff called the Campus Police to have the subject removed from the area, so the incident began before the officers even arrived, it began when he was asked to leave and refused.
Re: Tazer Video
By synthia Nov 27th 2006 at 1:02 pm EST
I respect your opinion, but I disagree with you. The video clearly illustrates the violence used by both polices. I know that something could had happened before the police tazed the student, but there was no need for tazing him more than once. After all there was only one "subject" they were handling with, I'm pretty sure that they could have used their own strengh to calm the student down. Finally,the video does not show other students fighting the police officers or showing any danger for the officers. Can police officers handle any situation with out their tools?
Re: Tazer Video
By wiuleja50 Nov 27th 2006 at 5:12 pm EST
The officers could have used thier own strength but that could also cause more pain, and long term effects than the Tazer, which is why I feel the Tazer was the best option for the officers. If the officers used some of the submission holds on the subject they could have snapped his arm in two. The Tazer is more of a tool so that officers and "clients" are not possibly injured for long periods of time, due to hand fighting. The Tazer is just meant as a tool for the officers to subdue a subject that is not complying with there orders. We should be happy we live here in the US. Other countries they would not care about you feelings and making sure that you were not hurt / injured, they would just beat you retarded and then throw you in a cell and leave you there.
Re: Tazer Video
By Sarg Feb 5th 2007 at 7:27 pm EST
The officers were not threatened before using the taser:

"Get up or I will taser you!"

The last student:
"get away or I'll taser you"
  
Violence is taking over SOME polices minds!
By synthia Nov 27th 2006 at 1:15 pm EST
I can not believe what these officers did to this poor student. I think that the tazers were not needed in this incident. The use of tazers should be limited to incidents were someone's life or property is in danger.
  
Mostafa Tabatabainejad
By chuck37 Apr 5th 2007 at 8:56 pm EDT
If those cops knew they were on video they would have found a less violent way to deal with this but they thought no one was looking and now we have found out that we have 2 criminals on that police force so what our we going to do about it I say we go the full extent of the law police are there to up hold the law not abuse citizens because you think no one is watching well we caught you violating this man's civil rights and trying to kill him because he wont leave a library we need a lawsuit and conviction.
  
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