It took long enough, but we finally have our own "innocent citizen tasered" incident. Take that Saratoga. Ya think you've cornered that market? How ya feel now Albany? You don't own this type of stuff either. Yeah, we knocked both of you off your high horse. Ok Rotterdam time to step up to the plate. Get them tasers charged up and go find some innocent sap who looks suspicious. Maybe you could hunt down a couple of character assassins and give 'em a taste of the "juice".
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Schenectady man Tasered after being stopped for alleged jaywalking Videos show officers using pepper spray, Taser By Steven Cook June 9, 2015
SCHENECTADY — A city man is alleging Schenectady police used excessive force by pepper-spraying and Tasering him after he was accused of jaywalking last week in Mont Pleasant.
The incident was partially captured on video by bystanders, and one of the videos viewed by the executive director of the local New York Civil Liberties Union had the official calling for an investigation, saying it appeared police escalated the incident.
That video, available on YouTube, shows the man walking away from an officer, who appears to then pepper-spray him. The man appears to try to keep walking as the officer struggles with him. Two more officers then arrive and the man is Tasered. Two points of view of the incident These videos contain graphic content and language. Video one: Video two:
City Police Chief Brian Kilcullen said his department hadn’t received a formal complaint regarding the incident, but, he said, “we’ll look at everything.”
The June 3 incident centered around 22-year-old Shaquille Parker of Forest Road, who works at The Daily Gazette as a mailroom inserter. Parker was pepper-sprayed and Tasered just after 2:15 p.m. that day in front of a house on Main Avenue, just east of Crane Street.
He was formally charged with felony second-degree assault, misdemeanor resisting arrest and violation-level disorderly conduct and marijuana possession. The assault charge relates to allegations Sgt. Dean DeMartino suffered minor injuries in the ensuing struggle.
Parker was accused of crossing Crane Street while traffic had the green light, obstructing a bus and cars. Kilcullen said officers were in the area that day to respond to constant “nuisance activities,” including people impeding traffic.
He said he couldn’t comment on the incident in depth because the case is ongoing. He also said he hadn’t seen everything yet, but his department would look at it. Kilcullen did confirm he was in the area and pulled up to the scene as Parker was being handcuffed, as is seen in the videos.
Beyond two videos taken by members of the public that were viewed Tuesday by The Daily Gazette, there may be other video of the incident. There are two street surveillance cameras at the intersection and city police cars have in-car cameras. City police officers also routinely wear microphones.
It was unclear what other videos exist, but both Laurie Cummings, a prosecutor with the Schenectady County District Attorney’s Office, and Stephen Signore, head of the Public Defender’s Office, said they were interested in all available video. Assistant Public Defender Heather Gray had at least one of the public videos Tuesday.
Parker told The Gazette the incident began when he crossed in front of the bus, which was stopped, because the driver motioned him to. Parker also said there were no cars coming.
He said he stopped for the officer and gave his identification when asked. The officer told Parker he had crossed against the signal. The officer then requested to search him, but Parker refused, Parker said. Paperwork filed in court suggested it was DeMartino who initially approached Parker.
Parker admitted to The Gazette he possessed violation-level marijuana, but officers did not know that at the time he was stopped.
He said the officer then demanded to search Parker, telling Parker to put his hands against a nearby wall. Parker responded by starting to walk up Main Avenue along the Trustco Bank building, toward his home on Forest Road.
The longest video of the incident available Tuesday picked up as Parker walked slowly past the bank and up Main Avenue, as the officer trailed behind. Parker said the officer told him to stop or he would be pepper-sprayed. The video shows that as Parker passed the end of the bank building, the officer reached his hand in front of Parker’s face. Parker said that was when he was sprayed.
Parker continues to walk and appears to briefly shove the officer. The officer then pulls on Parker’s shirt, trying to stop him from continuing to walk.
A truck passes, and Parker is then seen up against a home’s porch railing. Two other officers converge on the scene. It appears Parker is pepper-sprayed again there and officers try to pull Parker’s hands from the railing. One officer then uses a Taser, and Parker goes down.
A second video, provided by Parker’s mother, Tracy Coleman, picks up with Parker’s hands on the railing.
Parker was arrested and ordered held on $3,000 bail, which he could not meet. He remained in custody until Tuesday afternoon, when he was released on his own recognizance due to a rule requiring an indictment or a special hearing to hold someone charged with a felony longer. Neither was done, and he was released.
“It was definitely excessive, excessive, because, I mean, all I wanted to do was go home,” Parker said of the police response.
He spoke to The Gazette Tuesday evening after being released. Parker’s mother brought the incident to The Gazette newsroom’s attention.
“I was shocked, I was really shocked,” Coleman said of the videos, “because my son is a good boy.”
Parker lives with her, helping her care for her three grandchildren. Parker has no children of his own.
Shown the longest available video, Melanie Trimble, executive director of the local chapter of the NYCLU, said there didn’t appear to be any reason to physically engage Parker for what amounted to a ticket. Regarding Parker’s account that the officer wanted to search him after the jaywalking, Trimble said officers can only do that if they have probable cause to perform a search. Jaywalking alone would not provide that, she said.
Regardless, she said the NYCLU recommends people announce they don’t consent to the search and make it known, but she said individuals shouldn’t resist officers. The legal issues can be dealt with in court.
Trimble said the incident needs to be looked into, however.
“This ought to be fully investigated by the Police Department, and they ought to come clean to the public what the policies and procedures of the Police Department actually are,” she said.
"I saw the best minds of my generation destroyed by madness, starving hysterical naked, dragging themselves through the negro streets at dawn looking for an angry fix,"
why not wait for investigation into the incident before coming to a conclusion?
My post was TIC, intended for those here who are going to convict the cop without an investigation, sorry you misunderstood my intent.
"I saw the best minds of my generation destroyed by madness, starving hysterical naked, dragging themselves through the negro streets at dawn looking for an angry fix,"
Watched both videos, IF the guy was "only" jaywalking he should have complied, gotten his ticket and went on his way. He clearly walked away from the officer and resisted arrest. The officers in NO way over reacted. They should have also arrested the ones making threats to the officers.
This is one of those quality of life issues. How many times have we driven down the streets of the city to have groups walking in the middle of the road and when you try and go around instead of moving out of the way you are sneered at or yelled at.
What ever happened to common sense. walk on the sidewalks
The second video will clear the officers of any wrong doing. The first video shows the crap they have to put up with.
The "leaders" of the city including ministers and pastors should take a good look at the two videos and give an HONEST opinion, NOT what they feel would be politically correct.
Watched both videos, IF the guy was "only" jaywalking he should have complied, gotten his ticket and went on his way. He clearly walked away from the officer and resisted arrest. The officers in NO way over reacted. They should have also arrested the ones making threats to the officers.
This is one of those quality of life issues. How many times have we driven down the streets of the city to have groups walking in the middle of the road and when you try and go around instead of moving out of the way you are sneered at or yelled at.
What ever happened to common sense. walk on the sidewalks
The second video will clear the officers of any wrong doing. The first video shows the crap they have to put up with.
The "leaders" of the city including ministers and pastors should take a good look at the two videos and give an HONEST opinion, NOT what they feel would be politically correct.
^5
"I saw the best minds of my generation destroyed by madness, starving hysterical naked, dragging themselves through the negro streets at dawn looking for an angry fix,"
You can see where this "let's pile on the Police" is headed , at least in urban areas...
You'll see less and less interest of getting into law enforcement, which will lower the bar even more than it is now...and of course, when crime sky rockets, those same community "leaders" will whine about the police not doing their job.
"Arguing with liberals is like playing chess with a pigeon; no matter how good I am at chess, the pigeon is just going to knock out the pieces, crap on the board, and strut around like it is victorious." - Author Unknown
sorry this happened..the new normal??...sadly i believe we will start to see the end of the"rule of law" in our time....
awkward question but now where do we find out how many"jaywalking"tickets were issued in the last year in the city....for the officers sake i hope this wasent the first
There is a difference between jaywalking and impeding traffic. Jaywalking is crossing where you shouldn't as it could be unsafe. Impeding traffic is walking in the street making it hard or unsafe for cars to pass.
Oh no problem. I am after all a 68 year old smart a**. I am a bit surprised and encouraged by the other posts on this thread though. Not what I expected at all given some of the past history here.
"I saw the best minds of my generation destroyed by madness, starving hysterical naked, dragging themselves through the negro streets at dawn looking for an angry fix,"
gee ignore a police command&get tazered? wheres the surprise there?? the perp was/is/will always be an idiot IMHO
I'm surprised that there hasn't been a rush to judge the police officer as somehow being the criminal here. It's been the M.O. for many here on this board for years.
Of course the perp was an idiot, probably didn't want to pay the fine for the bag of weed he had. Ya can't fix stupid and ya?
"I saw the best minds of my generation destroyed by madness, starving hysterical naked, dragging themselves through the negro streets at dawn looking for an angry fix,"
gee ignore a police command&get tazered? wheres the surprise there?? the perp was/is/will always be an idiot IMHO
Surprised they haven't introduced taser's into the classroom. And start conditioning the children of what will happen if you do not obey arbitrary commands. Shock therapy works in conditioning the mind and behaviors. If we start this at a young enough age, the mere sight of a taser will paralyze people with fear and anxiety. That would really bring order to this world. Pain stimulation is the best way to assure obedience. I think we're really going in the right direction in this country.
Don't spank your kids if they misbehave, it's child abuse. But,,, a little bit of electricity through the body should get their attention.
Seriously though...The person walking away didn't appear to be a threat to the public. He wasn't tazed because he was violent and a potential threat to the public, he was tazed because he didn't follow a command. The cop could have followed him home and issued him his jaywalking ticket.
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