Bad Taser Judgement from Officer Slager

This is from back in 2014. This is not a good use of a Taser. It actually makes cuffing him harder. The two really hard parts — getting a guy out of a car and getting hands out from under a resisting person — are done.

This the guy is still resisting, so it’s probably legal and departmentally justified. But it’s morally and tactically wrong. He was seconds away from being cuffed.

I also just heard some rumor regarding the S.C. shooting (and I don’t know if it’s true) that Slager somehow ended up with a taser dart in himself. I only this mention because even if Scott had Tased Officer Slager, it doesn’t matter. And I don’t think that did happened Based on the video, if a dart did end up in Slager’s leg, it seem more he somehow tased himself. But it’s irrelevant because it doesn’t change the issue about pulling the trigger on a man who was not a threat at the time you pulled the trigger. I’m curious about what led up to the shooting, naturally, but it doesn’t matter. Slager was dead wrong.

3 thoughts on “Bad Taser Judgement from Officer Slager

  1. FYI according to my most recent Taser recertification, use of a Taser simply to stop someone fleeing is NOT a justified use of the tool. My UOF policy says they must be an imminent threat. I guess *maybe* if they struggled and he attempted to Tase him during the struggle that might qualify. But if Slager Tased him while he was running, even Taser themselves don't see that as justified.

  2. Can I ask what state or region of the country you're in? The courts have made rulings in California or thereabouts saying as much. I don't think it's yet law of the land. But it's still probably good practice

  3. Video appears to show "drop gun" type action by Officer Michael Slager:

    abcnews.go.com/US/police-shooting-witness-officer-drop-walter-scotts-body/story?id=30187376

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