Supreme Court rejects Taser excessive force case

[Eugene]

Source: Reuters

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday let stand a lower court's ruling that police use of a Taser amounted to unconstitutional excessive force in a case involving a mentally ill man who died after being stunned with the electrical weapon five times in two minutes.

The justices declined to hear an appeal by the North Carolina village of Pinehurst of a January federal appeals court ruling that police can use a Taser only if officers are in immediate danger.

The village was sued by the family of Ronald Armstrong, a man with bipolar disorder and paranoid schizophrenia who died in April 2011 after a confrontation with police.

The Richmond, Virginia-based 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals found the officers used excessive force in violation of the U.S. Constitution's Fourth Amendment, which prohibits unreasonable searches and seizures.

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Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-court-taser-idUSKCN1231GK

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U.S. | Mon Oct 3, 2016 | 10:00am EDT
By Lawrence Hurley | WASHINGTON

[Scalded Nun]

1. The ruling makes sense, but then how do they justify rationalizing

reasonable force where someone with a cell phone is shot 20 times by 'I feared for my life' cops?

As much as I disagree with the willy-nilly use of Tasers, I am even more outraged by the complete disregard for human life currently on display by police with their 'shoot-first' approach to seemingly everything. Is there anything before the court addressing that completely unconstitutional practice, to include criminal charges being brought against the killers?

[Dark n Stormy Knight]

2. Good! Cowardly cops must be stopped.

Sure, it's easier to taze or shoot someone, but it's also wrong! If you want an easy job, don't become a cop!