Seventeen-year-old Phillies fan tasered during game

It's certainly not the first time a "Taser event" has been controversial, but it's the first time police have Tasered a Phillies fan.

In this case, what makes the event contentious is the age of the miscreant. In the 8th inning, with 44,817 fans watching at Citizens Bank Park, a 17-year-old male ran around the outfield in the eighth inning. The Phillies fan was tasered when he refused to surrender to authorities.

Appearing on KYW Radio Tuesday, Police Commissioner Charles Ramsay said that "it was inappropriate for him to be out there on the field. Unless I read something to the contrary, that officer acted appropriately. I support him 100 percent."

Meanwhile, Phillies spokeswoman Bonnie Clark said the following in a statement: "This is the first time that a Taser gun has been used by Philadelphia police to apprehend a field jumper. The Police Department is investigating this matter and the Phillies are discussing with them whether in future situations this is an appropriate use of force under these circumstances. That decision will be made public."

It's expected that the Phllies fan who was tasered will be charged with criminal trespass. The police would not release his name because he was underage. While no confirmation exists that he was truly a Phillies fan, the T-shirt he was wearing seems to indicate that.

Watch an amateur video of the event:

Chicago Cop Tasered Diabetic Undergoing Seizures Eleven Times

A suburban Chicago police officer tasered a man 11 times while he was having a diabetic seizure, says a lawsuit (.PDF) filed in a federal court in Chicago. The policeman tasered the victim because accidentally lashed out and hit the officer during his seizure.

Prospero Lassi, 30, and an employee of Southwest Airlines, filed the lawsuit following an April 9, 2009, incident. Lassi was taken to hospital following a violent diabetic seizure, and being tasered 11 times while unconscious.

According to reports, Lassi's roommate found him on the floor of his apartment experiencing the diabetic seizures. The roommate called 911 for help, and police officers from the Brookfield and LaGrange Park police departments arrived to deal with the situation.

However, a paramedics attempted to move Lassi to an ambulance, the man, still in the throes of his seizures, and described as "unresponsive," involuntarily hit one of the officers with his arm. The complaint goes on:

"Reacting to Mr. Lassi’s involuntary movement, one or more of the [officers] pushed Mr. Lassi to the ground, forcibly restraining him there. [LaGrange Park Officer Darren] Pedota then withdrew his Taser, an electroshock weapon that uses electrical current to disrupt a person’s control over his muscles, and electrocuted Mr. Lassi eleven times.

"Mr. Lassi remained immobile on the floor and was unable to defend himself during this attack. None of the other LaGrange and Brookfield Defendants attempted to interrupt Defendant Pedota's repeated use of the Taser."

The lawsuit goes on to state Lassi spent five days in hospital, and "as a result of this incident, Mr. Lassi has permanent scars on his skin, including a scar on his face. Mr. Lassi has also suffered, and continues to suffer, neurological and musculoskeletal injuries, among other injuries." Lassi is seeking punitive damages for battery, excessive force, and failure to intervene.

Ten-Year-Old Tasered in Arkansas

Tasers are supposed to be used in place of lethal force when a criminal is uncooperative or combative. In this case, however, a ten-year-old was tasered when she was combative as an officer tried to get the girl into a patrol car to be taken to a youth shelter.

Ah, but it's all OK, right? According to authorities, the Tasering was "very, very short."

The incident occurred in Ozark, Arkansas. According to reports, officer Dustin Bradshaw went to the girl's home after her mother called police. According to a report filed by Bradshaw on Thursday, the officer found the girl on the floor of the house screaming and crying.

More fun facts: at this point, as the girl refused to follow her mother's instructions, the mother told Bradshaw to use his Taser. He didn't, but when trying to take her out of the house, the girl began kicking, and struck Bradshaw in the groin.

Bradshaw's report said he administered a "very, very brief" stun with his Taser. He then put the girl in handcuffs and carried her to his patrol car. She was taken to the Western Arkansas Youth Shelter in Cecil.

Cellphone Video Shows Police Beating of Unarmed Student

A cellphone video, obtained and posted by the San Jose Mercury News late Saturday shows police officers repeatedly hitting an unarmed university student with batons and a Taser gun. The video has prompted a criminal investigation into the officers' conduct.

The video was taken during the incident by one of the student's roommates, Dimitri Masouris, without the knowledge of the police. The student, Phuong Ho, a 20-year-old math major, faces pending misdemeanor charges of exhibiting a deadly weapon and resisting arrest. While Ho admits picking up a knife as he argued with a roommate that evening, he was not armed when police arrived. The San Jose Mercury-News obtained the video last week from Ho's lawyers.

The video, though shaky and grainy as the San Jose Mercury-News admits, shows one officer hitting the 20-year-old student with a metal baton more than 10 times, including once while he is already handcuffed. Another officer apparently uses his Taser on Ho.

The San Jose Mercury-News showed the video to Daniel Katz, San Jose's assistant police chief. The police department is taking the matter very seriously, he said. The paper showed the video to other analysts as well.

Regarding the baton strike after Ho is handcuffed, Roger Clark, a certified policing expert and a retired lieutenant with the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department, where he served for 27 years, said "That's a felony."

Frank Jordan, former San Francisco police chief as well as former mayor said, "Once he is handcuffed, then he is helpless. If you can show that his hands are behind his back, and he is handcuffed, that is where you get brutality. That would be excessive force."

After the incident, the police report said, Ho was treated for a Taser burn as well as receiving staples to close several wounds, including a blow to his head.

Double Amputee in Wheelchair Tasered by Merced Police

The Merced (CA) Internal Affairs division is investigating a report that a Merced police officer twice used a Taser on a double-leg amputee in a wheelchair. The man, who is missing both legs, was carrying no weapons.

The Tasered man, Gregory Williams, 40, spent six days in jail on suspicion of domestic violence and resisting arrest. However, no charges have been filed. Meanwhile, he was released from jail last Friday.

Williams said that he was never physically aggressive toward the officers or resisted arrest. Neighbors who live in Williams' apartment complex state they witnessed the incident and support Williams' claims.

Additionally, Williams said he was publicly humiliated after his pants fell down during the incident. This too, is backed up by witnesses, who say the officers left him outdoors in broad daylight, handcuffed on the pavement, nude below the waist.

Gregory Williams added that the arrest also left him with an injured shoulder. As common sense would dictate, and as Williams said, "How much resisting am I going to do with no legs, no feet? How much resisting am I going to do? I'm not a violent person; I do not have a criminal background record."

While the official arrest report tells a (naturally) different story, the Merced Sun-Star received a short video that shows Williams on the ground with his pants down, handcuffed. The official report alleges that Williams was uncooperative and refused to turn over his 2-year-old daughter to Merced County Child Protective Services, among other things.

Racism hasn't been played as a "card" in this event, but the Sun-Star noted that the two lead arresting officers are white, and Williams is black. The two officers remain on duty.

This video is from Merced Sun-Star, broadcast Sept. 20, 2009, via RawReplay.

Tasered Mom to File Lawsuit

Audra Harmon, 38, a mother of three, was zapped with a stun gun in front of her children during a New York traffic stop. She has filed notice that she'll sue the sheriff's department involved.

The incident occurred in January, and while Harmon may not exactly been over cooperative, but did she deserve a tasering? Harmon says no, and claims Deputy Sean Andrews was improperly trained. She says a Taser isn't supposed to be used against people who pose no threat.

Well, yeah, that was my understanding. The Taser is supposed to be used instead of a lethal weapon. One would think that would be necessary only when an actual attack is imminent.

The police dashcam video shows Deputy Andrews yanking Audra Harmon out of her minivan by the arm. He then knocks her down with two Taser shots. While Harmon was charged with disorderly conduct, resisting arrest and speeding, the charges were eventually dismissed. Her lawyer says prosecutors dismissed the charges after watching the dashcam footage.

Harmon accuses Andrews of wrongful conduct in a motion filed Thursday with the Onondaga County clerk. She's seeking unspecified monetary damages.

Watch the video below, and decide for yourself.