edited: Tasering at Club Nationals Afterparty

The big issue here is:

Is a FELONY (or any) charge necessary?

Isn't the fact that this guy got his head cracked open (I saw the blood) and tasered enough of a punishment? I would think so!

I have a friend who saw the whole thing and offered a statement. I really hope this works out for this guy, because this is situation was NOT worth any of this aftermath.

Are there any lawyers here? Is it common for police to press more/harsher charges knowing that they will most likely be reduced anyways? I am feeling scared this guy.

I think it is clear why they are pressing the serious charges: he need to justify his actions. Think about it: the cop will be asked: 'why did you throw one guy through two sets of doors, slam another into a wall and taser him, and injure both of them ? ' If you're the cop, you better have a pretty good reason better than: "one was in the ladies room and other looked at me funny." So "he assaulted me" is the best excuse for the cop. Once that is the cop's defense for his actions, then he HAS to press charges. He can't say: "he assaulted me, so I had to taser him, but now I feel bad for him, so let's let him go. " He's got to stick with his defense my pressing big charges to save his own ass.

Like that link I posed about the Atlanta Cop. He tried to press all sorts of charges against the woman he assaulted, but unfortunately for him, his little beat-down got caught on tape, the charges against the woman were dropped and the COP got fired and sued. Too bad there wasn't a video of this incident. Maybe the hotel has security cameras???

Here is what will happen.

The DA will act like this guy is Charles Manson and charge him with everything in the book. WHY? Because he knows that the police were probably out of line. Then they will agree to a lesser charge with no jail time as long as he admits guilt. He will be so scared at this point that he will agree to these lesser charges just to keep his ass out of jail and be done with it. However, this agreement to guilt will insure that he will never be able to bring suit against the city or the police officers because afterall they have the paperwork that he admitted guilt. Just wait and see.

so what went down? wrote:

While I sound like I'm siding the police, I do hope this all works out in court. Getting tagged with a felony sounds a little steep.

Hopefully anyone who was there with info, pics, videos, or whatever comes forward so that the outcome of the trial is fair and correct.

Yea if you're a friend of the guy and think we're posting cause we support the cops, and are saying things like "you add nothing to the arguement, shut up, we gave you stories"

please reread, we're simply pointing out that you have 1 side to a story and it's possible that they didn't use excessive force. But people are freaking out cause it's their friend.

All the stories use language like "thrown through the doors" or "slammed up against the wall". Anyone reading them without the other half of the story is just buying into such langauge. Were you literally picked up off the ground by this he-man cop and thrown through the doors? or did the cop push you through the doors?

We're not supporting anyone. We're just not necessarily on your side so you think.... "You're not with us? you're with them!"

Ummmm no, we just don't want to draw our conclussions based on the stories of this guys drunk buddies and a guy eating chicken wings.

This is slightly off topic, but for all the criticism I read on these boards about the choice of NYC for Marathon Trials, we can safely say that something like this would never happen in New York or any other decent-sized city. Having lived all over the country, my experience is that cops in these podunk towns are FAR more likely to overreact to nonsense than anywhere else.

Since hosting an event like this is a privilege and an economic benefit, and since it is not unreasonable that there should be a prty afterward, maybe USATF should only award these events to locations sophisticated enough and appreciative enough to assure them that they will not stage an episode of COPS over a bathroom snafu or people bringing their own beer to a lame hotel party.

Master of Obvious wrote:

This is slightly off topic, but for all the criticism I read on these boards about the choice of NYC for Marathon Trials, we can safely say that something like this would never happen in New York or any other decent-sized city.

I have seen plenty of footage (and read lots of accounts) of non-violent cyclists being unfairly beaten by New York City Cops during critical mass rides. And I believe Rodney King was beaten in L.A. That Middle Eastern kid was tased in a UCLA library. So I no we can't "safely say something like this would never happen in any decent sized city."

Furthermore, this wasn't backwoods Appalachia, it was a suburb of Cincinnati.

I'll base my opinion on the indisputable fact that Mike was taken to the hosipital where 14 staples were put in his head.

Eric B. wrote:

[quote]Master of Obvious wrote:

during critical mass rides

I would like to beat their ass. They are obnoxious, tie up traffic at times of their choosing without regard to others....f*** them they deserve everything they get.

Jim Harper wrote:

I'll base my opinion on the indisputable fact that Mike was taken to the hosipital where 14 staples were put in his head.

yeah, but according to the "the cops are always right" crowd on this thread, he deserved it for take a step in the direction of the cop.

you cannot tell me that a cop or anyone else was in danger of being harmed, or that a dangerous criminal was about to escape, because those are the only reasons for tasering anyone. throwing through doors an unresisting person who is merely asking questions is excessive force. as long as we live in a constitutional republic, we cannot tolerate police behavior such as this. the authorization of police force is entirely contingent on the nature of the threat. And I don't think that this is exceptional. I know of a person in Brooklyn who slammed his hand down on a car that ran through a stop sign when he was in the crosswalk, nearly killing him. The car stopped and undercover cops got out and slammed him against the car and knocked him around. Of course, use of deadly force against unarmed men is a common event. When are conservatives going to learn that police force cannot be unrestricted?

jonesy wrote:

When are conservatives going to learn that police force cannot be unrestricted?

Wait a minute, I am a conservative and I think this is BS. You don't have to be a liberal to hate police brutality.

This would never happen in Maine.I am insulted you even said that.Maine would just let runners be and they would not use excessive force . Crazy statement

I posted this same thing to the other thread, but can anyone tell us that Mike has actually made bail and is out of jail? Indra (and/or whoever else is helping Mike), if he's not, please let me know what can be done to help raise the cash.

-Jendzurski

Mike was released on $35,000 bond yesterday (to my knowledge). I am sure if you want to donate toward his defense fund you can email Indra or the team coordinator.

I am from Europe ...

just reading the story makes me cold blood. Best wishes to the runner. US cops are just used to behave "macho"...

here it would have been just a "guy, get off from there do not let me lose more time..."

Yes, I saw in a previous post that yesterday he had been arraigned and his bail amount was set to $35K, but it was unclear as to whether the bail had been posted and he had been released. Thanks for the update.

this is rediculous!

after reading this thread, it seems that the largest "threat" towards the cop was a step taken in the direction of the cop. BUT, was the cop physically harmed in any way? did anyone get in a punch, or a push? from what i've read, it seems as though he was in no way touched. he can't even claim "Self Defense" is no one was attacking him, in fact, it sees that HE was the ATTACKER. i don't know a lot about the police rule book in what to do with certain situations, but how can a cop justify tasering, and throwing someone through doors when the cop wasn't touched in any way.

it sounds like this guy was earger to take control of the situation, and did so by striking fear into everyone their through his aggressive and violent actions. he's playing the "bully".

i really hope this guy gets canned, because people like that do NOT belong on the streets "protecting" us. we shouldn't be afraid of our own "protectors", but it seems that we are - because if we give a cop a wrong look we might get tasered, or a ticket for something random.

this a classic case of a cop abusing his power. enough said!

` wrote:

They are obnoxious...

This doesn't quite seem like a reason for the police to beat someone with a baton. You are the maniac who ruins cycling for the rest of us. Go to anger management school.

Chill out, no one knows what happened between the guy and the cop. We have a story of a guy eating chicken wings at a table like 15 feet away, and the guys buddy who was carried out of a ladies room.