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.


Reader Comments
  
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!
Re: Wow.. thats a Lawsuit waiting to happen..
By anthony Sep 19th 2007 at 2:51 pm EDT
I heard the student didn't bring his ID because he wanted to make a stand. If the officers asked him to get up and leave, why didn't he leave. The student knew he needed an ID. Why here in America do we always play victim. It makes it bad for the ones who may truly have a real case. This is a joke to all.
Re: Wow.. thats a Lawsuit waiting to happen..
By JUSTACOP Oct 29th 2007 at 6:03 am EDT
Once again folks don’t know the facts about the police and make conclusions that are not justified.
1. Soft hands were used first to gain compliance of a trespasser refusing to leave (I heard the kid yelling don’t touch me!)
2. The next step would be to use OC spray but they are in a closed area and everyone, including the officers would be cross contaminated.
3. On the same level as oc is tazer which has NO after effects. That guy could stand up. I know, in tazer instructor school I volunteered to be tazed.
4. Many warnings were given to a passive resisting arrestee who refused to comply.
And guess what if you pull the same crap with me when I'm just trying to get ya to obey the laws of the state and go about our business.....well ill let you guess what I would do. Look at police policy, the law and the uses of a police defensive weapon before you start screaming Nazi PLEASE!
Re: Wow.. thats a Lawsuit waiting to happen..
By US is now a Police State Jan 5th 2008 at 2:46 pm EST
You missed one point. HE WAS HANDCUFFED and they still tazed him repeatedly. The 2 cops should be handcuffed and the student allowed to taze them repeatedly! Clearly once he is handcuffed AND ON THE GROUND MOTIONLESS, there is no excuse for tazing.
  
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.
Re: Violence is taking over SOME polices minds!
By dad22 Apr 3rd 2007 at 5:54 pm EDT
It appears to me that the non-compliant trespasser got what he deserved. First he apparently failed to leave or show ID when asked by the library staff, prompting a call to police.

Secondly, the police were called and he was again non-compliant and was disturbing the peace and possibly attempting to incite a riot. This is evidenced by his repeated screams of "DON"T TOUCH ME!" when police attempted to get his cooperation. He was obviously attempting to put on a show and succeeded. Had he complied with library rules, staff requests and (finally) orders from lawful authorities called to the scene by library staff, all of this could have been avoided.

He had his chance to do the right thing and didn't. He got what he deserved. What an idiot!

The UCLA Campus Police appeared to do a nice job using one of the tools (Tazer) issued to them and handled that potentially volatile situation without any serious injury. Nice job boys!
  
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.
Re: Mostafa Tabatabainejad
By matt Jul 10th 2007 at 1:57 pm EDT
You really think the cops thought no one had a camera, really? It's a college library. Every student in there has a camera on a cell phone, not to mention how small video cameras are, and college students tend to use them for art of film classes. I'm a cop, and we are all very aware that everyone takes pictures or videos everything we do because they all want to make a name for them selves. Trust me, those officers new that at least one of those students were taping them. Secondly, no one on this website will ever be happy with the police. Try doing a job where you are allways outnumbered and the people around you are either trying to kill or hurt you, or set you up for a law suit. Also, with a tazer, when you take your finger off the juice, it stops hurting almost immediatley, that is why it's used. Unfortunatley, officers will allways have to use force, often when it does not appear necessary to on lookers, but if that student would have just left when told to, or stood up when told to, his day would have ended significantly better than it did. But he was gonna challenge the "man," and be a tough guy. Listen, don't ever challenge a cops authority whether you think you are right or wrong. It just pisses us off. There is plenty of time to try to get our badge numbers later so you can sue us. Trust me. I guess what I'm trying to say is, just do what we say, and sue us later. There is enough lawyers out there who hate us that would be glad to take your case pro-bono. And lastly, if you ever need one of us, I mean really need one of us, ask yourself, do you want some warm fuzzy type, or do you want someone who will do what it takes to neutralize the situation and send you home to see your family another day.
Re: Mostafa Tabatabainejad
By Jan Sep 27th 2007 at 9:29 am EDT
"Try doing a job where you are allways outnumbered and the people around you are either trying to kill or hurt you, or set you up for a law suit."

You were in a college library - if that is a situation where people are trying to hurt you or kill you then I'd not want to go to the "bad" areas in LA.


"Listen, don't ever challenge a cops authority whether you think you are right or wrong."

Agree.


"do you want some warm fuzzy type, or do you want someone who will do what it takes to neutralize the situation and send you home to see your family another day"

Does the one eliminate the other? I want a cop who is trained in assessing the current situation - not pulling out the gun or the taser on school students when the cops outnumber the subjects 1:5. I want cops like I want the dogs - cuddly and the kids' best friends as well as the most fierce creatures when needed.

Lastly I have a lot of respect for cops all over the world - not least in tough areas like LA. I also agree that some people use any opportunity to scream police brutality. But in this case it seems the police overreacted and admitting this is very important for the credibility of the force.
  
Stupid Steroid Munchin American cops
By Carl Dec 11th 2007 at 4:07 am EST
American police are scumbags i went there and seen what they do to there own people....they use this "war on terror" bullsh1t to do what they want
i hope that stupid cop gets shot on duty with a couple of his other scumbag mates :D ...
one law for them one law for you!!
  
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