Reader comments
Police wrong in use of Taser

Speaking for the Law Enforcement profession, Tasering isn't the first option that Police use. Just because he was clearly unarmed, doesn't mean that he didn't pose a threat or try and run, or resist, or etc. The fact is this story is completely one sided and we don't know what Brian did. Maybe his actions warranted being tasered. Not to mention less than .5% of people have any type of severe reaction to being tasered. Don't read into this one sided story against police, especially without the facts and the rest of the story.

Wow. I have never seen anyone with less knowledge on a subject write such a biased article. The autopsy will almost certainly show the subject was experiancing excited delirium, and while sad that he died, he would have died no matter what they did.

Police Officers can't force medicine down someones throat and you can't expect them to summon a small army on the side of the road to muscle the guy into submission.

People suffering from excited dilirium have super human strengh and while the taser might not have been the best tool at time, maybe it was.

No one will have the answers until the brain tissue is analyzed post autopsy. But if it was excited dilirium, he would have died anyway without immediate medical help that Police Officers just can't give on the side of the road.

In the cicumstances the medical response unit should have been notified. (CAT Team or Crisis Assessment Team. They are on alert at any emergency to assit where physical intervention is unnecessary or where limited restraint is required in such situations. Medical intervention can be given at the scene where necessary. The fact is "Known" he had a "Medical condition". The wife "notified' the police of that condition. Yet in total ignorance and in typical "police response"-"Everything is a perceived threat" (just watch all the television cop shows and read the daily newspapers. If theres a threat theres an equal response (usually force). No consideration for the medical condition,the family or the individual. We now ask questions at the morque or the funeral when responsible Medical expert teams should have been notified at the scene not at the morque.
As a former law enforcement student, the evidence is obvious, an innocent naked man (who may have run") is now dead, when discretion and proper attention was warranted. Unfortunaelay I expect to see more of this in or headlines as ignorance prompts force

Im saddened to see the comments being made on this board. No one, including Mr. Benson was present at the time police decided to use the taser. To make such bold statements that police were wrong on this situation is irresponsible. We do not have any details of what was happening. Was Brian being combative with police? Was Brian fighting with police? These two questions alone should tell everyone to hold off judgment. We do not know what happened!!! Until ALL the facts are available in this situation no one should make such hurtful comments. I am sure the officers involved in this situation are hurting just as bad as the family who lost a son, husband, and father. Please hold judgment on this situation until all facts are available!!!

Too many police officers are heavy handed, and they want to use all the stuff they have been given. I don't know the facts of this situation, and I hope it isn't swept under the rug, but I do know something about cops.

I am an attorney and have been a certified legal instructor at Utah Peace Officer Standards and Training for many years. I have taught classes on the use of force in the basic academy and to in-service classes.

While the death of Mr. Cardall is tragic, the facts necessary to assess the actions of law enforcement under the applicable legal standards are not set forth in Mr. Benson's editorial. Until the facts are known, it is inappropriate to pass judgment.

Don't get me wrong on this; the police have a tough job to do. The fact is, Tasers sometimes kill. Brian Cardall was certainly not jeopardizing anyone's life out there running naked down the road. How can there EVER be justification for using a potentially lethal method of subduing someone in order to medicate them? Tasers should NEVER be used if there is no lethal threat. So, in this case and an ever-increasing number of others like it, the police had better be able to show a lethal threat. America will be watching. This is so sad. Condolences to this wonderful family. And I'm also sad for the officers and their families involved in this senseless tragedy. CHANGE THE TRAINING!

I agree with Benson. I also have no doubt that a "thorough investigation" applying the existing "legal standards" will clear the cops. But all that tells me is that we need to revisit the legal standards.

At the very least, tasers need to be reclassified as lethal force. I know they're not supposed to be lethal, and many times are not lethal, but the fact of the matter is that sometimes they are lethal. They need to be treated as such.

Certainly not surprising that a KSL columnist would write the story this way, but regrettable since his work is usually on point. Shame on you. Mr. Robinson is right; without the facts, it is totally improper to use the space as a personal attack on our police officers. Lee - you just lost this reader for good - and I doubt I'm the only one.

The ONLY justification for the Taser in this case is if he posed a lethal threat. Trying to run or resisting (as you say) is NOT a reason for a potentially lethal Tasering. Do other posters agree or disagree?

Good column. I support the police. The fact remains they made a mistake. If this had happened with the officers I knew growing up, the young man would be alive.
The world is different now, and the attitudes of everyone, including the police, are far different.

Boy, this is a tough one, isn't it? Mr. Benson has laid it all out here with both sides of the situation and has given us his opinion, which I respect greatly. At the same time, he and I and everyone else was not there at the time and don't know all the particulars as to the situation and how it came to play out. My heart goes out to the Cardall family for the loss of their son, brother, and husband. Nothing worse than the loss of a son (speaking as a father). My heart goes out to the officers in Hurricane. They will spend the rest of their lives, both personally and professionally, living with their actions and the result of those actions. One question no one has asked is "Why was he not on his medication?" Did it run out or did he choose to not take it/stay on it? We can all say this situation could have been avoided. How far back in time do we go back then to say "This (or that) should have been done..."

Bensen accuses the police of doing exactly what he is doing... jumping to a conclusion. Fortunately for Bensen, although his conclusion is wrong (IMHO), nobody will die from it. When the police have to make a snap decision (without Bensen's grand omnicient hindsight, I might add) someone could get hurt or die. They have to protect the public and themselves. Had Brian gotten into the road and killed by a car, or had they used another method to subdue him and he had died, or, heaven forbid, he had reacted violently and killed an officer, Bensen would still condemn their method. There is no pleasing some people.

Let the police do their investigation. Let the video and other evidence come out. Sadly if it shows the police having acted the best way they could, Bensen will be loathe to appologize.

BTW, uncannygunman, tasers are NOT in the same class as firearms, and in 99.99% of the cases are not lethal. Peanut butter sandwiches kill more people than tasers...

First off I can't belive the amount of garbage that people say on these things... excited delirium?! Are you kidding me. That's so rich the DesNews should place that on their wall of fame... u can't be serious. I have to agree with the guy you wrote to all the pro-police posters. Never have I seen a tool so ill-advisedly used. It's said because it could be a great tool. I can understand using the taser when you feel seriously threatened, but using it as a way to make people subissive is inappropriate.

Like most of the previous posters say, it is hard to make an argument for or against the use of the taser in this case without the facts involved. Here in lies the problem. Like the writer says, the police lawyered up in a hurry. Everything is mum until the "investigation is complete" as they say. In my opinion this is hold the info til we all get our stories straight. You can bet your sweet rear that if the victim had been hostile and presented a threat to the officer, it would have been on video and audio, splashed on every media sourse available within hours of the incident. Sorry but something setting right here.

Another point that hasn't been made is that the wife called asking for HELP. Even if he wasn't posing a threat to anyone else, running down the road in a state of insanity might have been dangerous to HIM. What road was it? We don't know (at least I don't). Very, very, very few people die from tasers. It was probably MORE likely that he'd die from being hit by a car, and perhaps if other methods didn't work (and we assume police tried other methods), maybe tasering was the safest thing for HIS SAKE. In retrospection, we know the taser killed him. But at the time, it might have seemed like the safest thing to do.

Either way, we don't have the facts and can't pass such critical judgement on our public officers until we do.

When exactly, did Lee Bensen become an expert on this subject?

with the 1st post by Police Cadet. The general public and media do not have the full story and should not rush to judgment. From what I understand Mr. Cardall was acting erratic on the road side and posed a risk to police, the public, and more importantly himself. It seems that the Mr. Cardall's safety was being considered. In no way should an officer go hands on with someone in that condition. It could be bad for all involved. It is my guess, and that is all it is, that the taser would have been deployed to controll the situation and prevent Mr. Cardall from possibly entering the road and being hit by a passing car. It is never documented properly, but tasers have saved several lives or serious injury if other means were used. The taser is not meant to be a punishment, just a means of control, and control is paramount for police out there if they are expected to keep everyone safe. To simply say the taser never should have been used is ignorant without knowing all facts surrounding the incident. My condolences go out to the Cardall Family.

Lee Benson does not claim to be an expert. He's giving an opinion - to which he is entitled. This debate is an important one, and we all have the right, including "So... 10:02am", to participate in this civil discussion. BTW, Mr. benson is employed to offer opinions in the DN. I hope that by the time I need a police officer to rescue me or a family member, there will be NO Taser used unless lethal threat is imminent and this is the best choice.

It's just a sad situation, I don't think we need to place a blame.