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Cop Fired After Recording Himself Repeatedly Tasering Unarmed Suspect

posted by janrinok on Wednesday October 07 2015, @08:37AM   
from the not-the-brightest-of-the-bunch dept.

Phoenix666 writes:

A Florida cop has been fired for repeatedly using an electroshock weapon on a shoplifting suspect who was inside a residence with hands raised. The officer's police report said the suspect "refused to show his hands," according to local media.

Police authorities in Zephyrhills, Florida announced the firing of 10-year veteran officer Tim Claussen on Friday. The footage of Claussen tasering Lester Brown, who complained of shoulder aches and dizziness after he was arrested, was captured on the video camera attached to the officer's Taser.

"Come outside now, or you're about to get tased," Claussen said on the video. "This is the last time." Suddenly, Brown is shocked, and shortly afterward he's seen falling to the ground in the footage. According to the city attorney's office, "the deployment of the Taser was unjustified."

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Original Submission

• Re:Fired? Re:Fired? (Score: 3, Informative) by pkrasimirov on Wednesday October 07 2015, @11:04AM

  by pkrasimirov (3358) on Wednesday October 07 2015, @11:04AM (#246401)

  > trial for assault.
  Battery [wikipedia.org].

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• Re:Fired? Re:Fired? (Score: 2, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday October 07 2015, @01:12PM

  by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday October 07 2015, @01:12PM (#246428)

  Battery is a criminal offense involving unlawful physical contact, distinct from assault which is the act of creating apprehension of such contact.

  Screaming at an unarmed person to leave their house or get shot with the less-lethal weapon currently pointed at them isn't creating apprehension of unlawful physical contact?

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  • Re:Fired? (Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Wednesday October 07 2015, @04:25PM

    by Runaway1956 (2926) on Wednesday October 07 2015, @04:25PM (#246493) Journal

    I threaten to punch you in the nose. I've committed assault.

    I then punch you in the noxe. I've committed battery.

    Now, which is the more serious charge? If you have to choose whether to see me convicted of assault, or battery, which would you go with? I suspect that you'll forget about the assault, and charge me with battery. In actuality, I would probably be charged with "assault and battery". The assault part of that charge helps to establish that I didn't just accidentally bump your nose while putting on a jacket or something - I did threaten you before battering you. But, it's the battery that will get me some jail time, not the simple assault.

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• Re:Fired? (Score: 3, Informative) by hemocyanin on Wednesday October 07 2015, @03:07PM

  by hemocyanin (186) on Wednesday October 07 2015, @03:07PM (#246462) Journal

  That distinction between assault and battery is not universal and varies between states. For example, in Washington State, there is only the crime of assault and if you look at the definitions, assault in WA is what you are calling battery.

  http://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=9A.36.011 [wa.gov]

  (1) A person is guilty of assault in the first degree if he or she, with intent to inflict great bodily harm:
            (a) Assaults another with a firearm or any deadly weapon or by any force or means likely to produce great bodily harm or death; or
            (b) Administers, exposes, or transmits to or causes to be taken by another, poison, the human immunodeficiency virus as defined in chapter 70.24 RCW, or any other destructive or noxious substance; or
            (c) Assaults another and inflicts great bodily harm. [note: this is what you call battery, but here called assault]
            (2) Assault in the first degree is a class A felony

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