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Pledge2Educate
Der Pilzkönig



Registered: 09/13/07
Posts: 369
Loc: Central Florida
Last seen: 16 years, 3 months
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Florida Cops Tase Journalism Student
#7426874 - 09/19/07 03:40 AM (16 years, 4 months ago) |
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UF student Tasered at Kerry forum By KIM WILMATH, Alligator Writer A UF student was shot with a Taser gun, arrested and charged with a felony Monday because police said he started a riot during Sen. John Kerry's on-campus speech.
Andrew Meyer, a telecommunication senior and former Alligator columnist, was charged with a third-degree felony for resisting arrest with violence, according to a University Police Department report.
A third-degree felony could mean up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $5,000, according to a UF Web site.
Meyer attempted to ask Kerry, a Democrat from Massachusetts, about his involvement in Skull and Bones, a secret society at Yale University, at the end of the speech's question-and-answer session.
But when his microphone was cut off, Meyer began to scream in protest. Members of Accent, Student Government's speakers bureau, cut off the microphone because Meyer used profanity, said Steven Blank, Accent chairman. Accent sponsored the forum, which was held at the University Auditorium.
Several officers attempted to remove Meyer from the microphone when he began "acting in a violent manner" and "pushing the officers," according to the report.
Police said Meyer was told to comply with the officers, but he continued to resist.
"Don't Tase me, bro!" Meyer screamed as officers attempted to drag him outside the University Auditorium. "I didn't do anything."
Steve Orlando, UF's spokesman, said police then shot Meyer with a Taser gun.
Meyer was booked into the Alachua County Jail just after 2 p.m., where he remained until at least 9 p.m. Monday, according to jail records. He could not be reached for comment.
Matthew Howland, a UF history senior who also attended the speech and videotaped the incident on his cell phone, said police held the Taser gun on Meyer for about seven seconds.
Howland said he thought Meyer was behaving inappropriately, but the officers' actions left most of the audience members stunned.
"How can you say a student created a riot when it was clearly the officers who elevated the situation to a level it did not need to go?" Howland said.
He said Meyer's frantic reaction seemed understandable. "How are you supposed to react if you have six officers hopping on you and yelling at you?" he asked.
"I don't want to say it was police brutality because that term should be saved for more obvious events, but it was damn close," he added.
Jeff Holcomb, UPD spokesman, could not be reached for comment.
While Meyer wrestled with officers at the back of the auditorium, Howland said Kerry remained on stage, trying to keep the rest of the crowd calm and answering more questions.
A spokesman for Kerry would not comment.
Asia Johnson, a UF advertising senior who was also at the speech, said Kerry was trying to answer Meyer's question as police started grabbing him.
Johnson said as police pinned Meyer to the ground, she heard him yell, "Just get off of me and I'll walk out of here."
She created a Facebook group later that day about the incident called "John Kerry conference at UF! A fiasco!!! Needs to be known!" and outlined her account of the event.
"If the police are considered to be the 'good' side of this world, I did not see that today," Johnson wrote. "Today I saw fear, confusion and ignorance."
Johnson said she planned to write a letter to UPD administrators, urging them to reprimand the officers at the speech and issue a formal apology to Meyer.
Johnson struggled to catch her breath during a telephone interview that night, explaining that she was still shaken up about the incident.
"His cries of help were absolutely horrifying," she said. "It's going to stick with me for a long time. It's going to stick with him even longer."
A group of UF students will stage a march today from noon to 1 p.m. on the Plaza of the Americas, said Tina Steiger, an international relations junior who helped organize the march.
Steiger said students would demand that UPD drop all charges against Meyer, immediately suspend the officers involved in his arrest and remove all Taser guns from campus.
Alligator Staff Writer Andrew Tan contributed to this report.
(Long Version) UF Tasing
(Short Version) Just the Taseing
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GGreatOne234 said: I've never come across a cow pasture in Florida that did not have No Trespassing signs. Those signs mean stay the f away.
Edited by Pledge2Educate (09/19/07 04:51 PM)
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sui
I love you.



Registered: 08/20/04
Posts: 31,853
Loc: Cali, Contra Costa Co.
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Re: Florida Cops Tase Journalism Student [Re: Pledge2Educate]
#7426878 - 09/19/07 03:45 AM (16 years, 4 months ago) |
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Yeah that was pretty bad. Fucking A-holes.
Is it really neccessarry to tase them if they are on the ground surrounded by multiple guards?
He had his rights trampled.
-------------------- "There is never a wrong note, bend it." Jimi Hendrix
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Pledge2Educate
Der Pilzkönig



Registered: 09/13/07
Posts: 369
Loc: Central Florida
Last seen: 16 years, 3 months
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Re: Florida Cops Tase Journalism Student [Re: sui]
#7426887 - 09/19/07 03:50 AM (16 years, 4 months ago) |
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That's what I'm saying, that shit's all fucked up.
-------------------- Enjoy my Posts? Rate Me
GGreatOne234 said: I've never come across a cow pasture in Florida that did not have No Trespassing signs. Those signs mean stay the f away.
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JunkFood
Stranger


Registered: 10/02/06
Posts: 7,258
Loc: NYC
Last seen: 2 years, 6 months
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Re: Florida Cops Tase Journalism Student [Re: Pledge2Educate]
#7426969 - 09/19/07 05:43 AM (16 years, 4 months ago) |
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What question was he asking?
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LucidDream
Hungry BlueFiend



Registered: 05/09/03
Posts: 1,496
Loc: Planet of the Stupid Peop...
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Re: Florida Cops Tase Journalism Student [Re: Pledge2Educate]
#7426980 - 09/19/07 05:53 AM (16 years, 4 months ago) |
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Hmm. On the one hand, I'm disgusted by taze-happy cops. On the other hand, I've never met a journalism student who didn't have it coming.
-------------------- Sarcasm just one of my many talents.
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JunkFood
Stranger


Registered: 10/02/06
Posts: 7,258
Loc: NYC
Last seen: 2 years, 6 months
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Re: Florida Cops Tase Journalism Student [Re: Pledge2Educate]
#7427008 - 09/19/07 06:09 AM (16 years, 4 months ago) |
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When you see why they subdued him youcan understand:
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truekimbo2
Cya later, friends.



Registered: 12/08/02
Posts: 9,234
Loc: ny
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Re: Florida Cops Tase Journalism Student [Re: JunkFood]
#7427061 - 09/19/07 06:37 AM (16 years, 4 months ago) |
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thanks for filling my morning with rage... i so did not need that.
everyone in that room was a fag, i hope if anyone here sees anything like that happen you consider it your duty to start punching cops, as i would. if i ever see john kerry i'm going to scream that kids name over and over.
i don't understand at all, that one police officer was fucking smiling, john kerry was trying to talk through his cries of pain.
you know tasers kill and permantly injure people sometimes right?
-------------------- You can check the last post in my journal for contact info.
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Seuss
Error: divide byzero


Registered: 04/27/01
Posts: 23,480
Loc: Caribbean
Last seen: 2 months, 20 days
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Re: Florida Cops Tase Journalism Student [Re: JunkFood]
#7427105 - 09/19/07 07:02 AM (16 years, 4 months ago) |
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> When you see why they subdued him youcan understand:
Ding! We have a winner! It amazes me how quickly people jump up to defend this kid without having researched what actually happened. They watch the 30 second edited youtube clip and scream bloody murder, police brutality, etc. Watch the entire ten minutes, without the creative editing, and you can see the kid got exactly what he deserved. This is why people in the audience clap when the police start to remove him. They saw the whole thing, not the 30 to 90 seconds of video that has been showing up on youtube. It is cool to have an opinion, one way or the other, but at least base the opinion off of facts of the entire situation rather than off of the last few seconds of video.
-------------------- Just another spore in the wind.
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supra
computerEnthusiast
Registered: 10/26/03
Posts: 6,446
Loc: TEXAS
Last seen: 12 years, 9 months
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Re: Florida Cops Tase Journalism Student [Re: Seuss]
#7427220 - 09/19/07 08:12 AM (16 years, 4 months ago) |
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so why did they subdue him? Sure he was causing a scene, and being disruptive. But is that against the law? What charges other than resisting FALSE arrest are they going to bring on him?
peace
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DieCommie


Registered: 12/11/03
Posts: 29,258
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Re: Florida Cops Tase Journalism Student [Re: Pledge2Educate]
#7427240 - 09/19/07 08:29 AM (16 years, 4 months ago) |
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They were just trying to escort him out because he was being an ass, and it wasnt his property. The property owner (the school) wanted him off of the mic. He was not under arrest at that point. Only when he started fighting with the cops did he risk arrest, and give them a reason tase him. Why the fuck does he start struggling, yanking and screaming at the cops?
What a whiny bitch. He got exactly what was coming to him.
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Dreamer987
The VerbalHerman Munster


Registered: 04/15/03
Posts: 5,326
Loc: Texas
Last seen: 16 years, 1 month
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Re: Florida Cops Tase Journalism Student [Re: truekimbo2]
#7427286 - 09/19/07 08:54 AM (16 years, 4 months ago) |
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sound like you'v got violence in your heart bra leme mellow them with my crunchy vibes
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Boom
just a tester

Registered: 06/16/04
Posts: 11,252
Loc: Cypress Creek
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Re: Florida Cops Tase Journalism Student [Re: Pledge2Educate]
#7427293 - 09/19/07 09:01 AM (16 years, 4 months ago) |
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That was hilarious

What a jackass
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YidakiMan
Stranger


Registered: 09/28/02
Posts: 2,023
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Re: Florida Cops Tase Journalism Student *DELETED* [Re: Boom]
#7427308 - 09/19/07 09:10 AM (16 years, 4 months ago) |
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Post deleted by YidakiManReason for deletion: hjhg
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YidakiMan
Stranger


Registered: 09/28/02
Posts: 2,023
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Re: Florida Cops Tase Journalism Student [Re: YidakiMan]
#7427318 - 09/19/07 09:13 AM (16 years, 4 months ago) |
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Cutting his mic and removing him was unprovoked. Tazing was not, he resisted, you're not supposed to resist. So I ask again, what are they going to charge him with? He was just speaking, albeit making an ass of himself, when they cut his mic. AND Kerry obviously DID NOT want him removed. The people who should be charged are those RentaCops, they should be charged with assault and battery and kidnapping for an unprovoked attack against a civilian.
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jewunit
Brutal!

Registered: 01/11/07
Posts: 34,264
Loc: Ohio
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Re: Florida Cops Tase Journalism Student [Re: Pledge2Educate]
#7427333 - 09/19/07 09:21 AM (16 years, 4 months ago) |
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That kid was a whiny little bitch who is one of those fucks that tries to push the cops to the point, and he fucking deserved what he got. I have no sympathy for this fuck.
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Corporal Kielbasa

Registered: 05/29/04
Posts: 17,235
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Re: Florida Cops Tase Journalism Student [Re: Pledge2Educate]
#7427343 - 09/19/07 09:25 AM (16 years, 4 months ago) |
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Please call to express your concerns about this horrific incident:
University of Florida Police Department: (352) 329-1111
University of Florida main switchboard: (352) 392-3261
University of Florida Police Department's Dispatch Center: (352) 392-1111 available 24-hours daily.
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Corporal Kielbasa

Registered: 05/29/04
Posts: 17,235
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Re: Florida Cops Tase Journalism Student [Re: YidakiMan]
#7427349 - 09/19/07 09:27 AM (16 years, 4 months ago) |
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Quote:
YidakiMan said: Cutting his mic and removing him was unprovoked. Tazing was not, he resisted, you're not supposed to resist. So I ask again, what are they going to charge him with? He was just speaking, albeit making an ass of himself, when they cut his mic. AND Kerry obviously DID NOT want him removed. The people who should be charged are those RentaCops, they should be charged with assault and battery and kidnapping for an unprovoked attack against a civilian.
Kerry was going to address the question, but then the thugs were to busy controlling the situation. If they just let it ride it could have been an interesting conversation.
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jewunit
Brutal!

Registered: 01/11/07
Posts: 34,264
Loc: Ohio
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Quote:
Corporal Kielbasa said: Please call to express your concerns about this horrific incident:
University of Florida Police Department: (352) 329-1111
University of Florida main switchboard: (352) 392-3261
University of Florida Police Department's Dispatch Center: (352) 392-1111 available 24-hours daily.
No. I could find millions of causes far better than this to waste my time on.
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Corporal Kielbasa

Registered: 05/29/04
Posts: 17,235
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Re: Florida Cops Tase Journalism Student [Re: jewunit]
#7427361 - 09/19/07 09:32 AM (16 years, 4 months ago) |
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I wasn't talking to you
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jewunit
Brutal!

Registered: 01/11/07
Posts: 34,264
Loc: Ohio
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I'm willing to stake a lot that you were talking to anyone and everyone who would read it.
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