I have been reading through the Dakota County Criminal Complaints and came across this one (amended complaint located here) which talks about a motor vehicle accident resulting in death which allegedly involved someone under the influence of alcohol.
I have included the relevant portion of the complaint here in plain text as the links above are PDF:
- The defendant was then transported to the Apple Valley Medical Center for an evidentiary blood draw. At that time, officers had to request assistance as the defendant became verbally abusive and physically aggressive. The defendant refused to stay seated and pushed into the officers, yelling and screaming. When he was physically placed back in the chair, the defendant began to spit and kick at Officer Dahlstrom and was thrashing around in his chair. The defendant was physically restrained into the chair and at one point also tried to head butt Officer Dahlstrom. When threatened with a tazer (sic), the defendant calmed down and sat still.
I’m less interested in why the accident occurred but instead about why the Apple Valley Police Officers were threatening someone, physically restrained in chair, with the use of a taser. With all the recent news articles about those that have died after being shocked with a taser, why are our officers carrying these devices and threatening their use on restrained citizens?
Anyone?
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February 7th, 2008 at 9:17 am
Because they had to draw blood to make sure the bastard went to jail for killing someone while driving drunk. Restrained does not equal cooperative. Non story.
February 7th, 2008 at 9:28 am
Because they had to draw blood to make sure the bastard went to jail for killing someone while driving drunk.
Yeah, there has been some discussion on MNSpeak and someone brought up that the driver may be “compelled” to take the blood test if he has committed criminal vehicular homicide and/or injury (see here)
I’m still not quite convinced that Apple Valley cops should act as they did in this instance. I have personally witnessed the Apple Valley police department, during a DUI stop, treat those in the vehicle rudely mostly because of a language barrier — going so far as to wave, like you would to a child, to the passenger as he had to walk from the scene while they said, mockingly, “bye bye”.
February 7th, 2008 at 9:37 am
Sorry, don’t see how they did anything wrong. Threatning to use a taser is a non story. Driver is headbutting, spitting etc, cops need to draw blood for evidence. Standard procedure. The threat of a taser seemed to work. End of story. Wwhat you’ve claimed to witness is not relevant.
I know the point of this blog is to show how apple valley sucks and you’re smarter/hipper than the rest of the world, so I’m sure you’ll dispute any comment defending the cops. But complaining about a threat of a taser, given the circumstances, is just silly.
February 7th, 2008 at 9:41 am
What you’ve claimed to witness is not relevant.
Sure it is. It’s just not relevant because it alters your view of the situation. Typical.
I know the point of this blog is to show how apple valley sucks and you’re smarter/hipper than the rest of the world, so I’m sure you’ll dispute any comment defending the cops.
Nice troll.
February 7th, 2008 at 10:44 am
This really comes off as just fishing for a story. The report states that while restrained the defendant was still uncooperative and attempting to physically injure officers.
February 7th, 2008 at 10:48 am
DT,
It should come off as fishing for discussion as that’s what I intended.
February 19th, 2008 at 7:35 pm
Bill, by what you wrote, it seems you have a very uninformed and narrow view of law enforcement. I will tell you this: you should be proud of the officers who patrol your community. You should also be happy that your officers carry Tasers; over time the use of Tasers will reduce liability for your city and ultimately for you as a taxpayer in that community.
As for the use in this case, you are commenting on a case from which you are only reading the complaint and not officer’s reports. Remember, the criminal complaint is another author’s interpretation of those reports and not a total account of what happened. I would bet there is much more to the story.
I do, however, appreciate your thoughts and your attempt to get some discussion flowing.
February 19th, 2008 at 7:41 pm
I don’t have a narrow view of law enforcement nor do I feel that I’m uninformed but I certainly don’t agree that our officers should be threatening restrained citizens with anything but incarceration regardless of a suspects behavior. IMHO, threatening the use of a taser is akin to threatening to shoot them as I don’t agree that they are non-lethal force.
Thanks for the civil comment, much appreciated.
February 19th, 2008 at 7:53 pm
Bill:
I have to respectfully disagree, when you consider use of force, the Taser is placed at the same level of Pepper Spray. In other words, if the suspect is “actively resisting” the Taser can be applied. The sole fact that the suspect was handcuffed is unimportant in this case in that the suspect was spitting, kicking and head butting. The officers involved could have been injured by the suspect’s actions even though he was “restrained.”
The Taser is a hot issue in light of the death of the man who was Tased by the state patrol. In time, I think we will find there were other issues at hand, excited delirium, drug use ect.
Again, the current research all leads that the Taser is safe and to this date there have been no deaths that have been attributed solely to the use of the Taser alone.
Just a thought…If there is a citizen’s academy in your city you might consider participating to get a better view of your local department.
February 19th, 2008 at 8:08 pm
The Taser is a hot issue in light of the death of the man who was Tased by the state patrol. In time, I think we will find there were other issues at hand, excited delirium, drug use ect.
You should do some more research about “excited delirium” and why you shouldn’t use it when you’re discussing reasons for death by taser.
The Taser is a hot issue in light of the death of the man who was Tased by the state patrol.
Or the ~250 others worldwide.
February 19th, 2008 at 8:18 pm
Compared to how many uses?
The percentages are so small that the liability reduction far out weighs the risk.
By the way, I mentioned excited delirium as one possible issue…just that the Taser has never been proven to be the SOLE cause of death.
Just a thought…
February 19th, 2008 at 8:29 pm
We’re getting off-track here. The discuss was started because someone was threatened with lethal force, while restrained, which I find borders on torture.
Would you think it would be ok to threaten someone with pepper spray or a baton beating while they are restrained to get them to comply? If so, I guess the discussion is over as we’re at an impasse.
February 19th, 2008 at 8:35 pm
Our conversation is over because you have no idea what it is like to be a cop…before you make those assumptions, you should get more information on how police work…if for nothing else, your own info so you can better scrutinize your local cops…wow.
March 25th, 2008 at 7:06 pm
apple valley cops suck
March 25th, 2008 at 7:24 pm
Ed,
Thanks for that insightful comment. Perhaps next time you could be a little more specific and on-topic?
Thanks,
Bill
April 27th, 2008 at 1:22 pm
Bill,
Maybe you need to be a little more informed on the use of force continum. What are you consdering lethal force? The Taser? Have you ever been in a fight with someone who is high on drugs, you are loosing and the chance of them getting your duty weapon and killing you? Until you have walked a mile in a cops shoes and have taken the ride for 5, i suggest you get your information straight and join a citizen’s academy and get a real perspective!! You hippie. smarter than thou people need to just shut up!!!
April 27th, 2008 at 6:53 pm
Hmm- drugged out, angry, aggressive, use the tazer, use the Glock for that matter. Cuffed to a chair… well there’s some gray there, but I’m thinking the police clearly had matters in hand and there is room to question here.
Now leaving nasty comments behind an “anonymous”, just plain weak.
Read a few more posts of this blog and I’m quite certain you”l find there’s no hippies here.. quite the contrary.
You fight for the right to be only right, opinion suppressing fascist types should shut up..
August 12th, 2008 at 12:46 pm
“Don’t taz me bro!”
February 23rd, 2012 at 11:45 am
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February 23rd, 2012 at 1:17 pm
Ben A.
I think your first mistake was that you eat at Burger King.
lefty
February 23rd, 2012 at 3:43 pm
Wow, I am amazed I missed this thread back in 2008. Ben has done me a favor by providing some afternoon reading.
For what its worth, I would be fine with both the threat of the tazer and actual tazering. But thats just me.
February 23rd, 2012 at 5:54 pm
Chad, have you noticed Lefty’s comments lately? Not much substance only quantity……………………………….:)………….He should reach the “quantity” of 1400…………..just about……………. NOW!
February 23rd, 2012 at 9:39 pm
How can I be tasked with substance when trying to comment on if a guy should have gotten charged with texting while driving? Garbage in, garbage out.
I keep thinking of an episode of The League I watched when I re-read Ben A’s comment.
Guy: How was prison?
Guy who got out of prison: Kinda rapey.
February 23rd, 2012 at 10:28 pm
Congrats Lefty………… You did it………. quantity 1400
February 24th, 2012 at 10:59 am
You would think. But if you look at the flawed commenter leaderboard on this site, it always says I have two more comments than what it says next to my name when I make comments.
I am not sure which one is right.
February 24th, 2012 at 11:07 am
Hmmm. I wonder what’s up there. I’ll look into it later.
May 17th, 2012 at 12:21 pm
http://www.mintpress.net/new-research-suggests-tasers-can-be-lethal/