Speaking of human rights

Speaking of human rights

by digby

Why is this considered a substitute for a gun anymore?

Montgomery County police were called to the 8800 block of Cross Country Place just after 6 p.m. for a report of a man acting strangely.

The caller told to the 911 that an man in his 30's was standing in a parked pick-up truck. The caller reported that the man was yelling profanities, striking the truck with rocks and crawling on other vehicles.

When the first officer arrived, he found the man in the bed of the truck. He then left the pick-up truck and jumped to the roof of an SUV next to the truck. The officer ordered the man down from the SUV and he jumped off but continued to act aggressively, according to police.

After the the man did not comply with the officer's instructions, the officer used pepper spray and the man ran away. He then picked up and dropped a potted plant and a landscaping rock, said police in a statement.

The man then approached the front door of a nearby home. He picked up a child's scooter and used it to strike the front door of the residence. Additional officers arrived at the scene and ordered him off the home's front porch.

"Two officers approached the subject and deployed tasers while he was on the front porch of this residence," says Montgomery County Police Captain Paul Starks.

Additional officers restrained the man with handcuffs but noticed he was not breathing. They requested Fire and Rescue backup and began administering CPR.

Here's the videotape:

DC Breaking Local News Weather Sports FOX 5 WTTG

Who could ever have predicted than an obese, middle aged man might not survive 50,000 volts of electricity?

I get that this is a frustrating situation. The fellow was obviously uncooperative and suffering from mental illness or under the influence of drugs. But tasers aren't the answer unless you think that it's ok to kill people on the spot for being uncooperative with police while holding a tricycle.

 I'm going to guess that a whole lot of people in this country do believe that. But they should think twice. It's very likely that a friend, family member or even the individual himself could have a mental breakdown at some point, or find themselves out of their right minds for any number of reasons. They shouldn't be subject to the death penalty on the spot because of that. It's a very common part of the human condition.

h/t to Thomas Soldan

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