Deputy Sees Nothing Wrong In Tasering Mom In Front of her kids

video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9vmwTvbyVro

A New York sheriff’s deputy has defended his actions in tasering a woman in front of her two young children, and says that the decision to suspend him for thirty days came only after the story made national headlines earlier this month.

Sean Andrews, a deputy in Onondaga County, tased Audra Harmon twice after pulling her over for driving 50 mph in a 45 mph zone last January. Her two young children were strapped in the back seat of the vehicle.

Harmon was charged with resisting arrest, disorderly conduct and speeding, however, all charges against her were subsequently dismissed and she announced she would sue the sheriff’s department in early August.

Now, in an email, reportedly intended for friends and family only, leaked to and published by the Syracuse Post-Standard, Andrews says was right to stun Harmon because she refused to follow his orders, claiming he could not see her hands at all times.

“I drew my Taser on her because we are trained in the police academy and throughout our careers that all people are considered a threat on a traffic stop… Anyone with hands can kill a cop, it doesn’t matter how old they are.” he writes.

Andrews also states that his sheriff is pandering to public pressure by suspending him without pay for one month and asking him to resign, following an administrative hearing last week.

“It is no mystery that this was a completely political move on the sheriff’s part because he realizes that the video alone with no explanation does not look good and he feels his job will be in jeopardy,” Andrews wrote.

Harmon and her legal representatives have stated that Andrews’ justification of the incident is incorrect owing to the fact that she posed no physical threat to the sheriff’s deputy and her hands are clearly showing at all times in the video.

Andrews could face further disciplinary actions over the Jan. 31 incident.


http://www.prisonplanet.com/sheriffs-deputy-sees-nothing-wrong-in-tasering-mom-in-front-of-kids.html

How sad that so many Americans still trust these hoodlums with badges and weapons.

Well, I wouldn't generalize, I got some friends in the police department, but it is always worth to mention criticize those who are only joining the police force to balance his inferiority complex.
Obviously the guy can't handle a woman, the reason she is resisting arrest is not because she is a criminal, but because the deputy is highly unprofessional. People don't want to listen to authority if they are unprofessional. I know, I worked with cops (security officer) for 4 years in a very busy mall.
They need to be human first and see the suspect as a fellow human too, and then apply the laws.

I agree...

I'm gonna most likely tick some off for this but oh well. Without seein the video I can't make an assumption either way. Here's a point of view, better he tasered her than shot her, don't u agree? I've been a deputy. I've got friends who are in law enforcement. There are good an bad. Bottom line, more than a few officers have been killed durin a 'routine' traffic stop.


A buddy of mine couple years ago did a "routine" traffic stop. He ended up in a fight for his life over his gun. He managed to keep the gun in his possession an shot the guy. The public wanted to hang the officer from the courthouse without even havin heard the whole story or seein the dashcam video. The guy lived by the way an was only in the hospital for a couple days.

He is lacking to be able to assess the situation. A 30 or 40 something woman with 2 kids strapped in the backseat of a van, getting pulled over for going 5mph faster than the speed limit is the least likely to be some sort of a criminal, and just watch the video how he jerks her around, obviously he enjoys the situation of being the authority and being stronger, because he is a man with a gun.

Better to taser than to shoot her? Interesting. I have to wonder how old this guy was and if he even considered the trauma to her kids in what he did. If her hands were showing at all times during the video, something doesnt' sound right.

with all due respect...I can't judge one way or another. the video only shows what the driver had to say. and even by her words...the officer had to repeated ask her to get back in the car. he ASKED her...not ordered. I don't see how he was unprofessional to begin with. when pulled over...you don't get out of the car...she could have had a gun or weapon. and YES even mother's with kids in the car could have a gun. or never know these days. there are moms killing their kids or not giving a rat's azz about them in the world. when making a stop, the officer doesn't know if they have a weapon or would do something. as far as the tazering...since I don't know what was really said (only her side) I won't comment on that part

I missed that part of only 5 miles over the speed limit, suprised he even stopped her for that. Generally here they don't stop you for that small amount over the limit. And we have some badass cops here who wouldn't thin twice about roughing up a woman.

again...not knowing the entire story boo...the video even showed snow on the ground...so 5 miles could be dangerous in those conditions. I don't even get out when that kind of weather is in Texas because we get ice badly.

my first ticket was going 3 miles over the speed limit while I was going down hill. 3 miles!!! BUT I was over the speed limit anyway and it was my own fault.

Like I said, I haven't seen the video so I don't think I can make an assumption. However, I can speak from experience of workin as a deputy myself an talkin to friends in law enforcement. Anyone is capable of violence against law enforcement. Women can be just as violent, sometimes even more violent than men. Havin kids in the vehicle doesn't matter to those kind.

Bottom line, bein in law enforcement is dangerous an very stressful. An yes there are some who have no business wearin the uniform. But, there are more good ones out there then bad. Ones that get into not because they're on some kind of power trip but to help people.

well 5 miles over can depend on the weather and other circumstances, yes, so I would agree with that. It's very easy to go 3 miles over doing down hill. I know especially here where down hill is straight down almost vertically. I would not have stopped you at 3 miles over.

well...it was a small town with nothing to do BUT I was speeding. I came home crying (it was my first ticket) and then started laughing about it.

my take on the video (and keep in mind you don't hear what was actually said...only the driver recounting what happened)

-the officer pulled her over for speeding (snow on the ground)
-he was heading back to his car with her DL and insurance (most likely to check for warrants and may have let her off with a warning)
-as he was going back to his car...the driver gets out of her car
-she even states that the officer ASKED her 2 times to get back in the car
-she was determined to see the video of it (I may be wrong, but I don't think the video shows the 5 miles over. so why she wanted to see it is beyond me)
-she refused to get back in the car
-the officer pulled the taser and said she was under arrest for resisting and not following orders
-she THEN decides to get back in the car (how would the cop know she wasn't going for a weapon or going to drive off?)
-he pulls her out to arrest her
-she tried to get back in the car
-the officer tasers her


the video shows nothing about the officer being out of line. IMO she was the one causing a scene in front of her kids by insisting (after being told to get in the car) to see the video. Not knowing exactly what happened....I can't say one way or another if tasering was the best option

she could have driven off and started a high speed chase. the officer doesn't know if she is dangerous or not...and that would have put the driver, officer, the kids in the car and others in danger

but that is JMO

It was mentioned that it was part of his training to use the taser as a means of defense at a traffice stop.

However, aren't officers trained to restrain people with little use of force. If she truly needed to be arrested, why wasn't she physically detained.

I personally think detaining someone with a taser, is no better than detaining someone with the threat of a gun.

Yes, clarily from the video she could be see resisting arrest. As soon as the officer stated that she was under arrest, she should have complied. However, it does go to say that just because an officer recounts an incident one way, doesn't mean that's how it occurred.

Some thing smells.....

Since when do you get arrested for a 5 mph violation...imo should not even have been pulled over...

that isn't why she was being arrested. a lot of officers will pull people over and check for warrants then let them off with a warning. no one knows if that would have happened.

I'm sorry but I didn't see anything unprofessional about it. She didn't comply with his directions. She got out of the car when she wasn't supposed to, she tried to get back in the car when she was told not to. Those officers are there for our protection, if one pulls you over, you wait and do what you are told. The time to fight a ticket is NOT when he's telling you he's going to taze you. It was her own stupidity that put her where on the ground. I also did not see any undue force, even as he was pulling her back out, he did not throw her to the ground. I just don't see this as a case of cop brutality.

if you live in a place where you get pulled over for 5 mph...it is time to move....

Would those of u so quick to jump to her defense be as quick to jump to the deputies defense if he had been killed??? This is a hypothetical people, I'm not sayin this was her plan.

read my previos posts. I was pulled over for 3 miles over the speed limit going downhill. but guess what??? I was still speeding I certainly didn't react the way this woman did.