Cop uses taser on unarmed black man for crossing legs while sitting

The footage captured by a bystander, shows a police officer telling an apparently-unarmed Williams to sit down on the curb and stretch his legs out in front of him and cross them at the ankle. He seems to misunderstand the instructions and stretches his legs out only partially and then moves them back under him. As he starts moving his legs towards the curb the officer uses a taser on him.

Source
Here's another perfect example of power-tripping coward cops to add to the list.
A cop in Lancaster, PA was filmed tasing a black man, Sean Williams, after he is seen calmly attempting to follow orders. He is told to sit down, so he does so... And then one cop starts telling him to stretch his legs out while another begins shouting at him to cross them. Immediately after being shouted at to cross his legs, he does so... And then gets tased in the back and left writhing on the sidewalk.

If someone is calmly complying with your orders, you don't need to keep finding things to order the person to do until you find some opportunity to escalate the situation into tasing and arresting the person.
"Sit down! Stretch your legs out! Straight out! Cross your legs now! On your stomach, on your stomach! Arms out like an airplane!"
Go the **** back to kindergarten.

Sad,
Looking for a "man with a bat"
Found a black guy to taze instead. I get really fed up with these incompetent, scared, poorly trained cops.
I mean, he tazed him in the back! People have died from catching one of those to the spine.
This guy wasn't even doing anything..

Not saying it’s not abuse of authority, but does anyone besides me find it rather disingenuous when we never get video starting at the beginning of the police contact?

Yer that is pretty messed up, the guy wasn't exactly playing simon says but wasn't acting in a way to endanger others.

originally posted by: Lab4Us
Not saying it’s not abuse of authority, but does anyone besides me find it rather disingenuous when we never get video starting at the beginning of the police contact?

Unsurprising given that the only people who would know the beginning of police contact would be people aware that it was likely to happen.

That would be the police, maybe perpetrators, or bystanders if some criminal activity is happened to be witnessed.

Maybe dude was kinda high and was a little slow in following orders. Still we don't see a reason in the video for him to be tazed. Would have like to see the previous 5 minutes before this.

The article states this:

Later in a statement released by Lancaster police, officers explained that Williams wanted to fight a group of three people and attempted to prevent the woman in the group from entering her apartment. The group said Williams “was known to them” and that he had been “exhibiting increasing erratic behavior” over the previous few days. Officers found that there was an outstanding warrant for Williams’ arrest, with charges of Possession of a Controlled Substance (PCP) and Public Drunkenness. He was later released on a $5,000 bail.

a reply to: trollz

the Leo's life was clearly in danger/the guy sitting down was clearly threatening the Leo /we don't know what happened in the first 5 minutes he deserved to be tased while sitting.


/thread

Cop even warns him he will taz him if he doesnt comply. Either he was to stoned to follow instructions or to stupid. Either way they have you sit that way for a reason. Its to prevent them from being able to jump up quickly and attack you. He was obviously showing violent behavior if the cops were trying to make sure he couldnt attack someone. Though i did notice he was able to follow directions just fine after being tazed. I suspect he didnt think they were serious.

Look on the bright side. At least he wasn't shot.

a reply to: trollz

I hate the police with all my heart.

originally posted by: Lab4Us
Not saying it’s not abuse of authority, but does anyone besides me find it rather disingenuous when we never get video starting at the beginning of the police contact?

Of course... in fact, much worse than disingenuous; it's deliberately deceptive. Because that video should be coming from the police who initiate the contact and have the foreknowledge and the ability to record the encounter in its entirety. And the police should be very happy to provide the proof they acted reasonably and appropriately to the public... to confirm and reassure the public that they are acting responsibly and honorably and actually deserve the public's trust.

Instead we only get videos from bystanders who can only start filming after the contact is begun... and usually after the officer starts acting unreasonably and inappropriately.

Yurr Fyyred!

ETA. (and will get a healthy settlement)

a reply to: trollz

Maybe so , but this is also a perfect example of horribly inefficient marketing..

“Unarmed black man” couldn’t just read “unarmed man”?!?!

Police brutality is not a black only issue...

Pretending police brutality is a black only issue does NOTHING but tell the other 87% of the population “this is not an issue that concerns you.. it is a black only issue. Don’t worry this doesn’t effect your children.. this only effects black children...”

Which is not even remotely the truth...

If you think some jumpy cop won’t blow your blonde haired , blue eyed kid away when he fidgets nervously and then the cop get a commendation later... your fooling yourself..

a reply to: Lab4Us

If you want to see it from the beginning, then it's up to the police to start wearing body cams they can't turn off. That would end this whole thing right now.

a reply to: Lab4Us

I don’t know what your talking about.. You get to see plenty of video in this case..

a reply to: Rookseven

We get to see plenty of video i this case.. I don’t care what he did previously he obviously wasn’t being a threat at that moment.

originally posted by: Boadicea

originally posted by: Lab4Us
Not saying it’s not abuse of authority, but does anyone besides me find it rather disingenuous when we never get video starting at the beginning of the police contact?

Of course... in fact, much worse than disingenuous; it's deliberately deceptive. Because that video should be coming from the police who initiate the contact and have the foreknowledge and the ability to record the encounter in its entirety. And the police should be very happy to provide the proof they acted reasonably and appropriately to the public... to confirm and reassure the public that they are acting responsibly and honorably and actually deserve the public's trust.

Instead we only get videos from bystanders who can only start filming after the contact is begun... and usually after the officer starts acting unreasonably and inappropriately.

Well, except the police don’t generally release video to incite the populace, as those that only want to show their side of events seem to do, while only providing half, or less, of the whole picture.

Look, I get it. Some citizens think they are above the law and should be able to engage in whatever behavior they choose, no matter who they hurt. Thankfully, America hasn’t fallen to total anarchy, yet. Funny how those of us who comply with LE instructions never get tazed, shot, kicked, punched, etc. Maybe there’s a lesson in there somewhere.

a reply to: Lab4Us

I think you mean they don’t release the vast fro out of a fear they will incriminate themselves and open themselves up to lawsuits they should be paying anyway for breaking the law and assaulting the citizenry..


It is funny how the officers who confirm a threat before shooting/tazing never shoot or taze an innocent civilian....


Lol... your logic is a joke.

a reply to: trollz

I really wish you would remove “black man” from the title...


It really damages a very valid story..

She said cross your legs right now while the other idiot cop was saying stretch them out. He did both and got tazed for it.

Why are the cops so scared of us? They are just like scared little twats..