Taser Incident on ABC Action News

I just heard about the taser incident (mishap) on the news. Hopefully they wont blow it out of proportion.

Apparently SPPD staged a mock taser scenerio with some Tampa Bay Bucs. Unfortunately, not everyone at SPPD new this was staged. When a radio transmission went out stating they were getting ready to make an arrest, two unknowing officers responded to assist. Upon arrival they saw someone raise a golf club as if to strike, so one of the responding cops tasered his butt (not recognizing that the subject with the golf club was a plain clothes cop).

According to the news they're trying to saya lieutenant should have made sure everyone knew. Anymore info on this one?

It's a good thing nobody got killed, the use of force matrix would have justified deadly force if it appeared that the guy with the golf club was about to hit someone...

[Gladiator]

Lets hope that the staff keeps this incident in perspective. Sure it was poor judgment, planning and execution. One of those incidents that should be looked at and learned from as a mistake. It dosen't need to be a long drawn out micro-investigation that results in the near execution of everyone involved. Live with it, learn from it and move on.

Unfortunately, our staff has a history of taking the smallest of hills and making them into a mountain of everest proportion. I've already heard rumor of the A/C making statements relating this incident and how Tasers are deployed on the street.

Regardless of the circumstances surrounding the incident, there is one thing for certain....the Taser was appropriately deployed and worked just as advertised. If this had been a real situation the officer would have been commended for using his Taser to resolve the situation instead of resorting to deadly force. This should not be a debate over the Taser and its use.


Best of luck to all involved and I'm glad nobody was seriously injured.

[Picasso]

Here's another perspective:
A couple of BUC players ask for and get get a ride-a-long. They're just out for a ride for the night.
Do You really expect that SPPD was going to recruit them.
Oh my god I think I just $hit myself !!!
All these guys just wanted to see what the Streets of St Pete really are like.

Isn't there enough going on in District 3
The Department has to go out of it's way to SET-UP a senerio to get them involved. Oh yah! If everything worked out ~ there would be lots of HAHAs all around. Flash me a BUCs flag.

But it went FUBAR.

WHY........
Just another example that :

AND City Council Listen:........

There is No COMMUNICATION within this department !!!

We all like to laugh now and then. But this senerio could have gone over the edge. The responders could have used their firearms.

I'm wondering what the Bucs think of US Now....
But then again "Chunky" you had final approval of this....through your chain of command. Just like the Citilife photoshoot !!

Deny Deny Deny


This is just another side of the politics being played out here in our city.
Whatts Amatta Aint We Gotta Enough Crime Going on !!!
Chuck it's Resume time.... UltraSlim & salads
It Ain't lookin' good ~ And Omali's been outta town

Luke's been sitting Quiet
Got a new set of suits
And just waiting............ :lol:

Okay....it took how many officers to dummy up this phony joy ride for two Buc players? If the mystery Lt. can't find things for a few of these officers to do, maybe the LT can get shipped out with Chief Peter Principle to Kenneth City or some equally deserving garden spot. For those of us who have called for service and been told no officers are available, this smells. How about naming names on the Sgt and Lt involved? I'd like to know who is wasting my tax dollars! FUBAR is right!

[Picasso]

The fact is: The Lt would not have approved it if "Chucky" didn't give it a green flag. Chumley is a MICRO~ MANAGER !!! Nothing happens here @ SPPD without his A-OK .... The Senerio went FUBAR ~ $hit happens ~ but It happens here TOO MUCH ~~~So we burn the SGT and the officers involved??? I think not.

Take a look at how far up the line this matter went before any action.

Citizen this is your tax dollars at work.
Chief Chuck, the all of the current System need to go !!

[Doc]

The problem with this whole thing is this. All involved did not adequately warn all of the players. How many times have we ALL been involved in a training situation during our career? From the time you hit FTO, (which by the way is one of the worst units I have seen on this department), Traffic, DUI, etc. If you cannot see the calls, scenarios are written or performed so that others may make judgements based on the scenario. This scenario got out of hand quick, but forntuately for us, the end result did not hurt an officer.

Unfortunately, we look silly again

As silly as the administration looks for not looking into the FRAUD and CORRUPT investigation of Foster...NO

As silly as we looked on other videos (Mark Williams, Tony Rolon)...No

Good thing there was not a video on this one!

A contrived scenario
A testimony to the effectiveness of the newest intermediate weapon
Now the chain of command fun begins with an internal review
It don't get any better than this at the rodeo...and this is free!

This incident has been portrayed as a "training scenerio". Fact is that this had nothing to do with a training scenerio. Even at the SPPD training is only done in a controlled atmosphere out of public view under the direct control of certified instructors and safety officers. There would be no training scenerio that involved the use of live weapons unless it was at a training facility and any communications over the radio would periodically be interupted with warnings that a training excerise is taking place.

This also has nothing to do with the deployment of the Tasers. Had this been a real situation it would have been a perfect example of the Taser being effective when deadly force could have been used. Earnest Williams wants a review of the Tasers because they have been used 37 times since January. Make sure you compare that to the number of physical force, injury reports and workers comp claims that it has prevented. Typical bandwagon response from someone that is uninformed.

Take this incident for what it was. An attempt by the officers involved to show some excitement to the ride alongs. It was a mistake due to poor judgement that should be dealt with accordingly.