Ex-NFL Player Tasered For Pointing At Cop - Video

News report:

Ex-NFL player Timothy Worley was tasered by Georgia police for "becoming confrontational" at a traffic stop according to news reports, but the video shows that the extent of Worley's aggression was merely pointing at the cop and raising his voice.
After Worley exits the vehicle and appears calm, the cowardly officer accuses him of "making fists" when Worley is doing no more than crossing his arms. Apparently, incorrect body language is now an offence that justifies "pain compliance" correction by means of a Tasering.

Worley even puts his palms together in a prayer-like pose in an attempt to reassure the officer he is calm but that is not good enough, after Worley points at the cop for half a second, the officer then approaches Worley who backs away but is then Tasered.

What should Worley's correct body language have been to have avoided 50,000 volts shooting through his body? Should he have kneeled and licked the officer's boots while he was being lectured?

Source

I'm really not sure about this - I think there is fault on both sides.

The question the article is addressing is one of compliance.

The "suspect" was calm, rational and respectful right up until the time he resisted the officer (who appeared to try and cuff him) and then tried to walk away, addressing the officer as "sir" and appearing to make conciliatory gestures.

My belief is that the officer felt threatened and took appropriate measures.

As Worley walked away he tried to spray him and only then did he tase him.

But again, I'm not sure about this - some of the video looks like over-reaction on the part of the officer and the video has obviously been editted.

Any thoughts?

His proof is a obviously severely edited video?

He was not tazered for pointing, even on the edited video you can see that. He was tased because he threw the cop off him and started to run away when the officer tried to arrest him.

Inbetween his "crossed arms" and "prayer hands" he does indeed shake a fist in the officers face, if only for a second.

Originally posted by budski

The "suspect" was calm, rational and respectful right up until the time he resisted the officer (who appeared to try and cuff him) and then tried to walk away, addressing the officer as "sir" and appearing to make conciliatory gestures.

How can you say that? The video was obviously edited to remove content, only leaving certain parts. We do not have the whole story.

[edit on 18-4-2008 by Rackham]

That was my impression as well.

It sometimes seems that amongst certain segments of the MSM there is a consistent policy of attempting to protray every police officer in a bad light - this particular report originally came from fox.

Of course there will always be a few bad apples, but I don't believe for one second that all cops are bad - or even a large minority.

This report shows how some sections of the media are trying to create hysteria and anti police sentiments by editting and skewed commentary.
Edit to add - I was commenting on what the video showed, I also stated that the video had been editted.

Notice as well I said "appeared"

[edit on 18/4/2008 by budski]

Sensational reporting designed to gain more attention. Worley put himself into this situation by brushing off the cop and retreating. The cop did not help matters any though, he was more confrontational than need be.

People need to remember that any physical contact (even the lightest touch) can be considered assault on an officer. Think of these cops as radioactive. Physical contact will result in "burns" and may even cause death.

I know it's hard to remain calm when a cop hassles you for no reason, but keeping your cool and remaining cooperative is your best defense. In many cases it is your ONLY defense.

It's very clear that the suspect was resisting arrest. When the officer told him to put his hands behind his back and grabbed one of his wrists, the suspect, did indeed violently break the officer's grasp and walk away.

I think in this case, there was sufficient cause to use the taser.

In such a situation, an officer can't be expected to take down a man about twice his size.

However, one might expect the officer to have merely put out a "APB" on the car, gotten a bench warrant and waited for someone else to confront the suspect, who would probably have to be tasered by the next officer or taken in by a SWAT team.

The clear message here is to not resist arrest.



[edit on 2008/4/18 by GradyPhilpott]

I can see myself making it back to jail quite soon with this new trend.

I've been in situations (not of my own making - I was in the wrong place at the wrong time) where police have wanted to question me - mostly outside of nightclubs where there has been a fight or something.

My immediate reaction has always been to remain calm and comply with the officer whilst still maintaining my rights.

As long as I've remained calm and co-operative with non-threatening body language, the officer has responded in the same way.

Non compliance seems to be a much thornier issue in the US than in the UK - and IMO may have something to do with the levels of violence.

A police officer in the US must know that every traffic stop, every situation has the potential to be deadly - and that's just not the same in the UK apart from some inner-city area's.

So, if I ever found myself in the US, in a similar situation, I would do whatever the officer asked - then sort it out later.

Double post

[edit on 18/4/2008 by budski]

reply to post by budski


A police officer's job is to protect the public and enforce the law. If one - even one - cop on the force gets away with abuse of power or illegal behavior, then every single police officer on that force is an accomplice, for not doing their jobs and allowing the "bad apple" to get away with it.

You're British, correct? Well, I don't know about the police you have over here, but here in the states, most police departments are government-endorsed paramilitary gangs who rise in rank and pay according to the number of "busts" they make, rather than actual job performance.

Yes, we have target driven forces as well, but this has resulted in police looking for soft option targets, instead of proper policing.

The police in the US often seem heavy handed to me, but I would guess that that's as much a cultural thing as anything else.

These tasers must be outlawed period. They are potentially fatal and have no safeguards. It makes the police lazy, so instead of exercising their skills under a free society, they exercise tyranny through the injustice of a cattle prod. Ask the network owners and the police et al if they or their kids would like to be tased, since they seem to form the crux of apathy on the subject matter.