Police Officers' Lawyer Claims Being Tased Is Hilarious
from the just-watch-out-for-the-'punchlines'-and-'rimshots' dept
Oddly enough, cops (and lawyers for cops) from halfway around the world are no different than our local variety. This isn't solely an "American" problem. Excessive force is used, the victim complains, and once the court battle ensues, the justifications for the use of force are presented, which often sound completely insane to those not well-versed in the art of defending abusive cops.
This story starts out like countless others (via The Honest Courtesan).
Aaron Strahan and Troy Tomlin are on trial accused of assaulting Kevin Spratt by repeatedly tasering him in August 2008.The "somebody else" of course being him or one of his fellow officers. Spratt was tased 13 times, and all of it (including audio) was captured by the station's cameras. Spratt reportedly refused to head into a holding cell for a strip search and was under the influence of drugs and alcohol. So, the officers tased him. And did it again and again while Spratt screamed.
Sergeant Strahan, who was a Senior Constable at the time, had arrested Mr Spratt in Bayswater...
The officers have denied any wrongdoing and today Sergeant Strahan testified he tasered Mr Spratt because he was acting violently and had broken free from four other officers.
The officer testified he feared that he or somebody else was going to get hurt.
But appearances (and audio) can be deceiving. Much like homeless man Kelly Thomas died of a drug-weakened heart condition instead of by being beaten and subdued by six Fullerton police officers, Mr. Spratt's screams were the result of him being under the influence of something else as well: FUN!
Their lawyer, Karen Vernon, has argued that five of the seven charges against her clients should be thrown out because the evidence does not support the allegations against them.It seems ridiculous to those of us who haven't read The Joy of Tasing or 1001 Taser Jokes cover-to-cover, but the possibility remains that Spratt might have recoiled in laughter and screamed in abject joy as the four cops repeatedly pulled the trigger on their department-issued Fun Guns.
The Magistrate questioned Ms Vernon about hearing Mr Spratt screaming in anguish, but she said people responded differently to pain, and the screams could have been with joy or laughter.
It seems ridiculous to us. More importantly, it seemed ridiculous to the judge, who dismissed Vernon's imbecilic argument. The case, however, will be allowed to continue. Whether Vernon will still be handling the defense remains to be seen.
Remember kids, electricity is fun, especially when deployed by cops fearing for their safety… or yours. If you're really lucky, the Fun Sticks will make an appearance and you'll be able to tell your friends about the "discussion" you had with the officers and how your sides still hurt from screaming with laughter.
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Filed Under: excessive force, police brutality, tasers
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Also, please consider, the police may have had a reasonable belief that the screams were hilarity on the part of the victim. The cops could simply have been projecting and assuming their own enjoyment was shared by the victim.
Screams of hilarity. A simple false assumption. Harmless. A simple mistake anyone could have made.
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The cops are professionals. Professionals would never abuse their power. Just ask Diane Feinstein.
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It's getting to such a stage that the Indonesian armed forces are waiting for the Aust navy to breach their territorial waters once again in the 'War on Illegal Immigrants' with warships & fighter planes.
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jan/23/indonesia-moves-warships-towards-border
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I wonder if I could sue the layer for that?
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"The bar really has been lowered, hasn't it."
Read through legal history and you will find that the bar started on the ground.
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That doesn't seem to be an obstacle for it lowering though...
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Hmm...
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Re: Hmm...
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i hope though that anyone who was on the jury in the Kelly Thomas case doesn't go through the same thing with a member of their family. how could anyone even contemplate the verdict handed down in that case is beyond me!
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Perhaps them and their lover enjoy tasing each other and somehow get a sexual thrill out of an electric shock to their genitals!
After all, if people enjoy bondage and spanking for sexual fetishes, why not up it to electric shocks for pleasure?
Next thing we know when those cops murder their next victim they'll say "it wasn't murder, we were just helping them have fun. We just got a little bit carried away giving each other beatings and electric shocks for fun, but they sure enjoyed it, they screamed in joy when dying".
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shock therapy is fun
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Re: shock therapy is fun
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OTOH
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Is this part of some gambit?
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It's the law, it doesn't have to make sense
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Smokes and Mirrors
Does this mean that the other two charges they are making admissions too? *snorts*
Actually this is pure theater on behalf of Ms Vernon who is a standard Local Court Solicitor.
Also it's not actually a Judge in charge here but instead is a Magistrate and most likely is NOT in front of a standard jury. Only in District and Above courts are there Judges in Aust. In fact this is most likely a committal mention to see if it should be sent up to the District Court (or higher in Western Australia) for trial in front of a Jury.
Also it's of note to know that Tasers are classified as "less-lethal weapons" and not Non-lethal weapons in Western Australia, which is highly significant for this case where the LEO's have also been stripped of their Qualified Immunity.
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BS!
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Cutting
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Get your facts straight.
It takes years of experience and training as a police officer to learn the art of identifying someone who would like to be tased - just by looking at them.
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Yet another defense lawyer tactic
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Re: Yet another defense lawyer tactic
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Imagine the scene...
Prosecutor: "Tell that to the 32-year-old woman who was tased."
DL: "Where is she then?"
P: "Karrakatta Cemetery."
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Getting tased
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