Police Use Tazer On Women who is 8 months pregnant

I just had to comment on Jenna's quoted response:

Gainsville Sun
Forgey said there are no known health concerns associated with using a Taser on a pregnant woman.

Could that be because no one wants to RISK ELECTROCUTING A PREGNANT WOMAN AND BABY TO SEE OTHERWISE?

The mind boggles at how utterly stupid and callous people can be some times.

Originally posted by ChrisF231
Its also very simple; dont want to be attacked by the cops then do exactly as the agent/deputy/officer/trooper says and if what the officer is saying/doing is wrong then fight him/her in court.

I have a lot of problems with this statement.

#1. I always do exactly what I am told (to the letter) when dealing with police officers. From my personnel experience in some cases (especially if the officer is having a bad day) it sometimes does not matter.

Case in point: I had neighbors that hated me. One day I locked myself out of my house, so I went through a window. The neighbors thought it would be funny to call the cops and say "someone is breaking in the house next door". I am sitting at my computer when I hear the dog going nuts by the back door. I had the main door open, and the screen door shut. I went to see what he dog was barking at and was met at the door by 3 uniformed police officers with guns drawn demanding I step out. I did. They asked me who I was and I answered and explained to them that I locked myself out. He asked for my ID and I told him it was on my desk next to the computer. The next thing I know I am immediately slammed to the ground and I have a knee being smashed into the lower part of my neck and the officer is trying to cuff me "for his safety". So riddle me this.... how is it for his safety when I was doing everything I was told? Had he asked me to get on the ground, I would have willingly done so and allowed him to cuff me. All he had to do was ask, but instead I am slammed and manhandled because I did not have my ID on my person? Come on! This was in Wichita Kansas.

2. In Arkansas City Kansas. I caught some kids from the area messing with my car around 3am. Basic kid stuff, they would try to open the doors and they would let the air out of my tires. No big deal but a huge pain in my ***. I started catching them and I would run them off. While they were running away they would of course cuss at my girlfriend and myself. Then they slashed the tires on my girlfriends car. At this point I started really keeping an eye out. One morning, here they come again. This time I watch from the door so I can catch them in the act. Thats when one boy comes up with a rock and breaks out my taillights. I run out and catch one of them. I make t his kid show me where the kid lives who broke out my tail lights. I wait til the next day and I show up at this kids house. I speak with the mother and she tells me to come back when her son and husband are both home and we can work it out. I show up at the time she tells me to, and she already has a police officer waiting for me there. He tells me I am harrassing the family. I show him my car and explain what is going on and that she told me to show up at her house at this time. He demands I leave and refuses to allow me to even file a police report for the damage to my car. I walk to the car, I say "This is bull****" as I open the door to get into my car. The officer then jumps me, slams my head into my car, throws me to the ground, plants his knee into my back and cuffs me. I am now under arrest. The charge? "Disorderly Conduct- Using Profane Language in Public" and that is the exact charge, phrase and wording. Explain to me what the need was to slam me around? Obviously my "crime" is not a violent crime. It is no worse than jaywalking. Would you think it is ok if a cop slammed a jaywalker around? [sarcasm] Oh yeah! They dang Jaywalkers are ruining society! Beat em! Beat Em!

3. South Carolina: I had just bought a used car. The dealership gave me a temp tag which is pretty normal and pretty basic. I was pulled over for having a "paper tag" just as I was pulling into the parking lot of my apartment complex. I pull into a spot, and since the window was off track and was tough to open. I opened the door instead and place my foot along the door frame. The police officer comes up to the car, yells at me for opening the door saying "You stay in the car!" I tell her that I am not moving and why I opened the door. She yells again "Do as I tell you!" and slams the car door onto my foot which was not on the ground, but in the door frame. Explain to me how that is justified? Of course she quickly realized I was not lying and could not roll the window down to speak with her. Then she opened the door to speak to me.

4. If the officer is doing something wrong fight them in court?? Have you tried this yourself? Fact is, if it is YOUR word against the word of a police officer, you are going to lose! The judge doesn't KNOW you, but the judge KNOWS the officer. The judge works with the officer on a daily/weekly basis. It is human nature that the judge will take the word of a "co-worker" over the word of a complete stranger. So without video evidence, your screwed.

Yet another example of why every American should be armed and unafraid to use it if their life is put in danger by the alleged authorities.

Why do the alleged 'authorities' get to walk around with weapons yet we can't? I know why, I am just stating this. I was just at a store and saw a plain clothed officer with his 9mm proudly showing on his belt, I am supposed to trust him? I am supposed to allow 'his' split second judgment to overcome mine? They have proven themselves time and time again to be dangerous, we should no longer put up with this. I have seen video after video of police tazing people or otherwise assaulting unarmed population, with people just standing around doing nothing. How much longer before they are given the go ahead to replace their rubber bullets with real ones? Why can't people just wake the heck up and realize the police state?

I don't own a firearm but I have long wanted one, and when martial law breaks out nationwide I am sure going to wish I had one.

Originally posted by annestacey
I saw this story on the news. The pregnant woman was trying to break up a fight between two people and when the cop tried to intervene, she tried to hit the officer so he had to use the tazer on her. I can see how in the middle of a brawl, that it would not be obvious that someone was pregnant. Why in the hell would a pregnant woman be in the middle of a fight between other people anyway?? I'm believing the cop's side of the story.

One of those people was HER SON! Kids! Most adults usually do step in between two kids who are fighting. They are usually not a threat to the adult. Especially when you consider one of the kids was her son, it is reasonable to assume she did not consider him to be a threat to her.

She claims she was not trying to hit the cop, the cop says she was....so your going to take the cops word for it? No proof, no evidence, his word is good enough? If that is the case, why is her word not good enough? This proves my point from above, just liek a judge would see it. If it is your word against the word of a police officer- you lose.

reply to post by section8citizen


Sounds like you've had a few problems with the cops mate. Just remember that not all cops are like this, but there are plenty of them that get on power trips due to their authority.

As for the story i reckon that the cop panicked, still no need taser her regardless of what she was doing. Maybe pepper spray would have been a better alternative, as would better training. Did he call for backup at the time?

reply to post by OzWeatherman


Oh in my years I have had MORE than my share of run ins with the law. I had a crazy childhood and as I grew up there was a time of trial and error so to speak, as I learned how to become an adult. I have been on my own since I was 13, so yeah...I have had more than my fair share of run ins.

I realize not all cops are like this. I have had some very good friends who are police officers. A few in Ohio and I have one now here is SC. Interesting to note, my friend here in SC who was a police officer actually made detective and then quit his job. His reasons? The farther up he made it, the more corruption he began to see. He still has not told me many specifics, he really does not care to discuss it. He now does private security work for major business's in this area.

So please don't mistake me for someone who bashes all cops. I will however bash on cops who deserve it and tell people how it really is when they want to spew the "Do as they say, you'll be fine" type of BS. or "He did what he had to do and such and such deserved it"

Fact is most of our police are good people, but they seriously need counseling or a type of on duty - off duty rotation to their schedule. You can not see the types of things they see day in and say out and NOT have it effect you mentally, but it still doesn't make it right when they do something messed up like in this case.

reply to post by section8citizen


Wow, you have had some bad luck with the cops. I totally understand though what you are saying. The cops around my area, are really arrogant and rude. I know that some of them are good, but for the most part they think they own you. I have never been arrested, always been a law-abiding citizen but the way the cops look at you, you would think otherwise. There is a cop that lives across from my home. I have always been polite and waved when I see him. I think one time he waved at me, otherwise he just ignored me like a criminal. I gave up trying to say hi. I am majoring in Criminal Justice now, the more I hear this the more I am swaying away from Police/Detective work and just going into law, ie attorney or the such.

As far as this story goes, it really makes me sick to hear this. I hope she sues the heck out of the department, especially if there was harm done to the precious baby.

It is true that there are many, many cops that deserve nothing less than to be held down with a tazer to the groin for an hour solid.

But it is also true that there is a heavy media bias against the police. This article title that reads, "Deputy Under Investigation For Using Tazer On Pregnant Woman," should read, "Pregnant Woman Allegedly Attacks Police, is Tazered, Investigation Underway."

Either way I'd still prefer a hundred thousands volts over a bullet through the heart.

[edit on 31-8-2007 by apc]

HERE is a pic of the women in question. I got it off the Tampa 10 site I linked earlier. Its a small picture, and a bit dark which makes it tough to see. I think it is just a still shot from the video. She is standing next to a blonde reporter, her shirt is lifted up to show how big her belly is. Makes it really tough for the cop to say he didn't know.

Ok, check this Taser out:

www.tbotech.com...

It says that it will apply 50,000 Volts trough the wires when used.

A little math here:

I= V/R (current = volts/ resistance)

The normal body resistance is 100,000 but it changes constanly, but for the sake of the arguement lets say 100,000 ohms.

50,000 V / 100,000 ohms = .5 amps

Check the chart in the "Lethality of a Shock" section.
en.wikipedia.org...

You can see how the risks increase exponentially depending on Volts, Ohms, Current, and Watts, this weapon have two sure things what the volt range is and a setting for wattage apparently and may be thats why you dont see an AMP rating for it, is unpredictable. The current is going to depend on the resistance that the person body has at the time, with dry skin can be a high as 100,000 ohms with wet skin as low as a 1,000 ohms.

My point is that even at a 100,000 ohms of body resistance this weapon can be lethal IMO.

If I'm correct in my math (and Im far from an expert) and how this equipment work this is a serious weapon, far from the "non- lethal" label that it was originaly introduced.

Anyone that can find a flaw in my math please feel free to correct me as I said Im far from expert.

[edit on 31-8-2007 by Bunch]

[edit on 31-8-2007 by Bunch]

To be fair, there's lots of fat women out there. And an officer attempting to handle a critical situation isn't going to be checking out her body while trying to diffuse the situation. More so he isn't going to be putting the thought processes into trying to determine whether or not the large woman he's dealing with has "back" or is prego. If she took a swing at him, that is the only thing he is going to be concerned with at that exact moment.

>
Bunch, the flaw is what you noted: resistance varies. I measure the inside of my forearm, an obviously thin area of skin, at 500kohms. The outside of my forearm measures in the megs. And you have to consider the majority of the current drawn between the two contacts does just that... it's drawn between the two contacts. Only about an inch wide area of flesh receives the maximum current. The rest of the current that passes through the body is significantly less.

My understanding is the term non-lethal isn't used very much anymore when referring to these and other non-firearm type weapons. Less-than-lethal is more appropriate. Can it still kill you? Sure, it's possible. But it's a lot less likely than a bullet.

[edit on 31-8-2007 by apc]

This is absolutely beyond anything a cop should be allowed to do.
Cops, when the "uniform & name-tag" comes off, is just another person.

Cops have to know this woman is pregnant. I mean come on.
I looked at the pic the OP shown and even in the worst light, I can tell she
is fixing to deliver.
This is a sorry excuse for a right to use force if I ever heard of.
Cops are crossing the lines. I am sick of the abuse of power
in this case for sure!

So, when the epileptic or the guy with the weak heart is tazered and dies, the family will be filing big law suits.
Just where I would want my tax dollars to be going.

I know tasers are considered a better option than bullets, but I wonder if cops in general are more likely to use "less-than-lethal" force than the sut with bullets?
After all, it allegedl cannot kill you so, what not zap the citizen and wory later if they really did anything wrong?
I really wonder is the police are well trained in this taser usage? Do they need to adjust volts for smaller citizens? How about the old, infirm or drug-crazed/drunks?

I also have heard that police officials say they are worried about the safety of their fellow cops, and that is why they like tasers.
Although some of the burly cops in my city seem to have weight and height over most citizens.

~~~~~
To the OP, here's a current death by taser in Michigan
www.abovepolitics.com...

Originally posted by apc
To be fair, there's lots of fat women out there. And an officer attempting to handle a critical situation isn't going to be checking out her body while trying to diffuse the situation.
[edit on 31-8-2007 by apc]

Did you look at the picture of this women? She has a small frame and a large, looks to be hard, belly. She is clearly pregnant and not fat. Asa rude as you post is, I do understand what your saying and I think someone mentioned it earlier. Some large women do not look pregnant even when they are, but that is not the case here. Small women and Stevie Wonder can see she is pregnant. It is so obvious that the story is laughable. Worst case scenario....... let's say she did swing at the cop. He tazed one of the guys, the other guy was not an issue, he could not have found another way to handle the situation? I am not a scientist, a doctor, and really couldn't tell you much about electricity. I have not been nor will I ever be pregnant, yet I can still tell you it is a no brainer. Women induce labor just by working or walking too much. You don't have to be a brain surgeon to know that shooting 50,000 volts of electricity into a women who is 8 months pregnant is probably not a very good idea.

reply to post by DontTreadOnMe


Thanks for the link. I didnt even think to search PTS or BTS. It is just amazing to me........ and not to go off topic, but right now I can not help but remember the words of John Titor. Anyone else remember when he said something about non lethal weapons killing citizens?

This is a great evil, and it is emblematic of the militarisation of U.S. city police forces.

It is also emblematic of the rise of the Fourth Reich in the USA. Like Hitler George W. Bush presides over the complete erasure of a republic in favour of an Empire, an Empire that kills little girls in Iraq and eletrocutes a pregnant woman in the States.

If US Americans tolerate this, they really will watch their children suffer the same.

Originally posted by section8citizen
reply to post by DontTreadOnMeand not to go off topic, but right now I can not help but remember the words of John Titor. Anyone else remember when he said something about non lethal weapons killing citizens?

I have been reminded of John Titor several times in the last weeks. I thought he was a complete hoax, but I have changed my mind as I watch our timeline begin to express and live out what he said had happened in his timeline.

I also found it impossible to believe in another American Revolution. After seeing this like this with a policeman eletrocuting a pregnant woman, I believe revolution is not only likely it is inevitable as Democrats/Republicans follow a common agenda that is straight from the pit of hell.

reply to post by apc


How can they then determine that is non lethal and they advertised as such?

Anyways as I said earlier, to many variables and add to that the human element is just recipe for disaster as it happening right now, just be done with it.

Originally posted by section8citizen
Did you look at the picture of this women? ... he could not have found another way to handle the situation?... Women induce labor just by working or walking too much.

Of course in good lighting and her shirt up with a calm analytical mindset it's clear as day she's pregnant. But in an adrenaline charged situation, who's to say? What time was it? What was she wearing? How many other people were around her? Was the cop alone or did he have a partner?

The argument of there being "another way to handle the situation" comes up every time the media rallies against an officer who uses force. This comes from a failure to comprehend reality. That reality being the world is not an ideal place where everything happens exactly as one would hope.

Since you brought it up, I helped a friend deliver her child and was told by the doctors that walking too much to induce labor is a myth.

In the end it will probably be found that this cop reached for his tazer a tad too quickly.

But the argument that he should have known she was pregnant is at this point being used solely to generate an emotional response in support of the bias we are being presented with. The facts are not clear, so a conclusion can not be drawn.

>
Bunch, and to reiterate what I said... any time any where I'd prefer a shock to a bullet.

[edit on 31-8-2007 by apc]

We have had numerous high speed chases involving Cleveland, Ohio police and adjacent suburbs ending badly, often resulting in fatality or injury to innocent bystanders. The latest of which occured this week resulting in critical injury to two Warrensville Hts police dept officers who wrapped their cruiser around a telephone pole. Not before hitting an innocent citizen in his vehicle. The police thought that citizen was the focus of the chase and beat him badly even in his own critical condition. The real fellon was apprehended within a number of hours and he wound up beaten to a pulp in front of cameras at the justice center. Cops are overwhelmed and understaffed in a rapidly declining socioeconomic crisis brought on by high unemployment, low wages, and thriving drug culture. The pit bull mentallity is in place. I wouldn't want to be a cop for 100k a year. They have a b of a job. City council has adopted new chase protocol this week that will be presented to dept.