Why chase a non-violent suspect who is the subject of a “suspicious person” call when you can just Tase him? If you don’t know that The Juice is opposed to the frequent overuse of Tasers, then you must be a new reader. When used appropriately, the Taser is a good law enforcement tool. So is a gun, but that doesn’t mean you go all Wild West with it unless you have to. In yet another case of Taser overuse, check out this report out of Florida, per News-press.com:
Responding to a suspicious person call, an officer approached Martinez [who is homeless] as he was sleeping on a lawn chair by the pool around 1 p.m. at the complex at 4904 Vincennes St.
Clearly this suspicious man, who was SLEEPING on a lawn chair was a serious threat. Why wait until he runs to Tase him? Should have done it while he was sleeping. After all, he was trespassing.
While the officer was asking him questions, Martinez bolted across the pool deck.
Okay, now he’s clearly a threat to [fill in the blank]. So …
The officer deployed his Taser, hitting Martinez in the lower back.
In the process, Martinez rolled into the canal and swam across.
The officer then found Martinez hiding in an apartment rented by an acquaintance. When officers entered, Martinez escaped through the back door and was chased down by officers, who lost hold of him because he was still slippery from the swim.
Not a good day for the boys in blue, or Mr. Martinez.
Martinez was Tasered again but continued resisting and was Tasered several more times before being handcuffed.
So that’s AT LEAST four times this suspicious man was Tasered. And lest you think he did nothing, other than trespass and run:
The tenants of the apartment also told police $8 was missing from a baby collection jar. The money was found in Martinez’s pocket and returned.
Whew. Cape Coral residents can now emerge from their closets and under their beds. The streets are safe again! And what of Mr. Martinez?
He was … taken into custody and … charged with burglary, petit theft, loitering and prowling and resisting arrest without violence.