2008 Woodie Awards
Florida Student Acted Out of Turn
Campus police officers should not be criticized for student's arrest.
Issue date: 9/26/07 Section: Opinion
It would have been an atrocious blow to our civil rights when a University of Florida student was subdued with a stun gun last week after asking Senator John Kerry a question during his speech at a campus forum.
It would have been, had 21-year-old telecommunications major Andrew Meyer not asked for his punishment. Almost literally, had his statements been perceived as reverse psychology when he almost tauntingly said to one of the arresting officers as he physically fought back, "Don't tase me, bro!"
In a highly-circulated video from the September 17 incident, Meyer can be seen composing himself unprofessionally as he rudely commented to students and police officers standing behind him before becoming upset when his microphone was turned off.
According to several witnesses and reports, the officers were already watching Meyer due to him pushing and forcing himself to the front of the student line formed to ask
Kerry questions.
After refusing to leave when his allotted time was expired, two officers stepped in to escort him out of the auditorium. Next, Meyer can be seen blatantly and physically resisting his escort, providing the officers with a cause to subdue and arrest him. He then began resisting arrest, staring straight into every camera he could see, then screaming to the students around him to help him, and loudly asking "What did I do?" in order to make his arrest seem to be in reaction to the investigative questions he asked Kerry.
Kerry can be heard in the background acknowledging and expressing intent to answer Meyer's inquiries, as they were "very important questions."
It's a very sad state of affairs when a publicly misperceived enforcement of the law calls the infringement of civil liberties onto the hot seat, when the event itself had nothing to do with the freedom of speech.
Meyer was given a chance to ask his questions even after forcing his way to the front, and was only apprehended when he became irate. He was subdued with a stun gun for continuing to resist arrest after being audibly warned.
It would have been, had 21-year-old telecommunications major Andrew Meyer not asked for his punishment. Almost literally, had his statements been perceived as reverse psychology when he almost tauntingly said to one of the arresting officers as he physically fought back, "Don't tase me, bro!"
In a highly-circulated video from the September 17 incident, Meyer can be seen composing himself unprofessionally as he rudely commented to students and police officers standing behind him before becoming upset when his microphone was turned off.
According to several witnesses and reports, the officers were already watching Meyer due to him pushing and forcing himself to the front of the student line formed to ask
Kerry questions.
After refusing to leave when his allotted time was expired, two officers stepped in to escort him out of the auditorium. Next, Meyer can be seen blatantly and physically resisting his escort, providing the officers with a cause to subdue and arrest him. He then began resisting arrest, staring straight into every camera he could see, then screaming to the students around him to help him, and loudly asking "What did I do?" in order to make his arrest seem to be in reaction to the investigative questions he asked Kerry.
Kerry can be heard in the background acknowledging and expressing intent to answer Meyer's inquiries, as they were "very important questions."
It's a very sad state of affairs when a publicly misperceived enforcement of the law calls the infringement of civil liberties onto the hot seat, when the event itself had nothing to do with the freedom of speech.
Meyer was given a chance to ask his questions even after forcing his way to the front, and was only apprehended when he became irate. He was subdued with a stun gun for continuing to resist arrest after being audibly warned.
Viewing Comments 1 - 2 of 2
Li
posted 9/26/07 @ 1:49 PM PST
Sham on you!!!
He did nothing wrong before police came to arrest him.
There is no need for police intervention in the first place !!!
The point at which the line was crossed was when the campus police decided to grab the kid and escalate the situation to physical confrontation. (Continued…)
Ivor Barry
posted 9/27/07 @ 11:30 AM PST
When I'm running a program, I always look to see who is in line. If there's someone in line who could be a "trouble maker", I just end the question period as they get to the front of the line. (Continued…)
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