[arel]

What is going on with the Brattleboro Police Department?

Officers tasered two people who were peacefully protesting. Yes, they were on private property and yes, they refused to leave when confronted. But it is outrageous that they were tasered. People have died from being tasered. Amnesty International condemns tasering.

Even before this incident, I have read of concerns about the Brattleboro police. Scary.

But the town has been in an uproar about the tasering, pro and con. Apparently some residents are less liberal and tolerant than others. Many applauded the police and had no sympathy at all for the protesters. But at least the town has called a moratorium on tasering.

In NYC, we have had serious problems with police brutality. But Brattleboro is a small town, with a much praised sense of community.

How do the Brattleboro police compare with police elsewhere in the state?

[vter]

I don't know the whole story, but I'd rather see someone get tasered than shot. Just my 2 cents.
Just keep in mind that the press does not tell the whole story. I have a little inside knowledge re: law enforcement due to my job and family members who are in law enforcement, and advise anyone to be not so quick as to form an opinion on something like this as there is far more to the story than what you see on the news.

[Dockside]

Originally Posted by vter

I don't know the whole story, but I'd rather see someone get tasered than shot. Just my 2 cents.
Just keep in mind that the press does not tell the whole story.

Me too. Imagine the brouhaha if they'd been shot. And the press just seems incapable of viewing the police force anywhere as anything but stormtroopers.

[MRVphotog]

Until further review the use of Tasers by the BPD has been suspended by the Selectboard. Interestingly, there is no training of their use at the Vermont Police Academy.

[johnrex62]

Originally Posted by arel

What is going on with the Brattleboro Police Department?

Officers tasered two people who were peacefully protesting. Yes, they were on private property and yes, they refused to leave when confronted. But it is outrageous that they were tasered. People have died from being tasered. Amnesty International condemns tasering.

What would be your preferred treatment? By your admission they were protesting illegally and refused to stop when lawfully order to cease. You state they refused to leave, so I presume they did not just stomp their feet and scream "No I don't Wanna!" but probably physically resisted.

The only options left to any law enforcement agency would be to physically subdue and remove. They could club them into unconsciousness, shoot them (either lethal or non-lethal ammunition), taser, or chemically subdue them.

Pick your poison, but unless you expect the criminal protesters (as you described them) to provide the tools of their own submission, then you have to expect to be treated with the means the officers have available regardless of your approval of the means.

[leggo]

I saw the protestor on the local TV news -- crying about how he was tasered, and holding up his arm to show the marks the taser left.
What the report didn't tell you, that the local newspaper story said, that as the police carried him away after the incident he was "smiling".

Doesn't sound like a publicity hound to me!! <sarcasm now off>

[flu189]

Not all the facts are in so it's really hard to make a judgement. Do incidents of abuse occur, yes. However, just think about how much grief cops put up with on a daily basis, even up here in rural Vt. Yes, there are some out there that either should have found a different career path as well as the ones who have burned out. Overall though, cops have a pretty thankless job, sometimes deserved through their actions, but more often from just having to deal with baiting and argumentative jerks on a regular basis. As far as NYC goes, Arel, when you figure in 8 million residents and several million more more daily commuters and visitors with a police force of 35,000, and then calculate in the call volume the incidents of butality are pretty minimal. I put my twenty years into this field and to be quite honest if I had it to do all over again I would never do it. The constant dealings with arrogant, abusive, assaultive people coupled with with two faced administrators who view only their own personal gain and/or political favor as a primary career objective is really pretty disheartening. Sure I have memories of helping people and am glad for that. Now, as far as Brattleboro goes, the real question is not what is up with the Brattleboro police, but rather what is up with Brattleboro?

[flu189]

Originally Posted by Dockside

Me too. Imagine the brouhaha if they'd been shot. And the press just seems incapable of viewing the police force anywhere as anything but stormtroopers.

To read the papers here and even watch the televised news is an absolute waste of time. The lack of objective and factual reporting is astounding, not to mention that really newsworthy stories and potential topics for quality investigative reporting go completely untouched. This is not just related to crime and police issues, but the whole realm of news.

[vter]

Originally Posted by KoZmiC NinJa

Local Vermont police are scary, violence crazed individuals who
enjoy inflicting misery on people. I have to believe this was
just another case of unnecassary overreaction by a police department
staffed by angry, sadistic and overreaching authoritarian types
anxious to use thier new toys.

Are you serious? Would you like to meet to meet my step-father & brother and some of the local police in my town? They are quite the opposite as you describe.

[johnrex62]

Originally Posted by KoZmiC NinJa

Local Vermont police are scary, violence crazed individuals who
enjoy inflicting misery on people. I have to believe this was
just another case of unnecassary overreaction by a police department
staffed by angry, sadistic and overreaching authoritarian types
anxious to use thier new toys.

Really, Protesters are idealistic, unwashed, free love preaching, anti war, drug abusing, rock loving, fanatics. So I have to believe that this is just another attempt to rouse public sentiment to a cause without objective value through the use of staged abuse on the part of a staid, conservative establishment.




Ok folks, whose fantasy do you find more appealing? I really wanna know.