Traffic-Stop Taser Cop Acted “Reasonably”
December 1st, 2007 . by TexasFred(AP) A Utah trooper who used a Taser to subdue a stubborn motorist who was walking away from him during a traffic stop felt threatened and acted reasonably, state officials said Friday.
Trooper Jon Gardner remains on leave, primarily for his safety, after numerous anonymous threats were made against him, said Supt. Lance Davenport of the Utah Highway Patrol.
Gardner twice zapped Jared Massey with a Taser when the driver walked away and refused to sign a speeding ticket on Sept. 14. The incident was recorded on Gardner’s dashboard camera. Massey filed a public-records request and posted the video on YouTube, which said it has been viewed more than 1 million times.
“We found that Trooper Gardner’s actions were lawful and reasonable under the circumstances,” Davenport said at a news conference, joined by Scott Duncan, commissioner of the UHP’s parent agency, the Utah Department of Public Safety.
The investigation was conducted by officials in the Department of Public Safety, which oversees the highway patrol. The officials have asked the Utah attorney general’s office to also review the case to determine if laws were broken.
Massey was not at the news conference and could not immediately be reached for comment.
The video showed Massey arguing about whether he was exceeding the speed limit on U.S. 40 in eastern Utah. Massey got out and walked to the rear of his vehicle. The trooper pulled out his Taser when the driver tried to return to his seat.
Full Story Here:
Traffic-Stop Taser Cop Acted “Reasonably”
Of course Trooper Jon Gardner acted ‘reasonably’, the next step in this little drama could well have resulted in serious injury or death, and it could have been Massey or his wife being injured or worse, or it could have been Trooper Jon Gardner…
As it is, Massey got Tased, his ego was bruised and he has to live with the fact that he made an ASS of himself for all the world to see, no one was hurt, no one was killed and the only ones getting STEWED over this are some weak minded idiots that have NEVER had to subdue a confrontational person that was being placed under arrest…
I salute Utah Highway Patrol Trooper Jon Gardner for his professionalism and his service, keep up the good work and be careful out there…
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Threats were made against the Trooper because Jared Massey posted the Trooper doing his job? I wonder where Jared Massey lives?
I was one of the millions who viewed the episode. I think the Trooper was in the right. Maybe Mr. Massey will think twice before he becomes confrontational the next time he is stopped by a law officer. Common sense says that kind of behavior has no way to go but down. If there is a dispute, then take care of it when appearing to answer the charges. It may be that Massey has a problem with those in “authority” too.
As you know Fred, I am of two minds about Tasers. If you give me this option as a tool, I will use it, and it will be within the parameters of my agency’s ops or general orders. If I am outside those orders, then I am responsible. If it was determined that Gardner was within the frame of his department’s orders then that’s that. On the other hand, if the tool is taken away from me, I have absolutely no problem escalating up or down the force continuum to include my sidearm. So be it.
BZ
As soon as that moonbats wings heal he’ll take flight again to bark another day…
And get his ass tased again, I hope.