Comments about ‘Officer did nothing wrong’

Very excellent summation of the entire situation. I agree completely.

why did he LIE to the deputy about what happened?

I tend to agree with Mr. Paxton. Although I think the trooper could have done a better job of communicating with the driver the bottom line is this: The trooper was effecting a lawful arrest and the driver was not complying with his orders.

Was the force used "reasonable and necessary"? Who knows? None of us were there and none of us knows what the trooper may have perceived as a threat. I will leave the answer to that question up to the Highway Patrol's internal affairs unit and the jury in the civil case (if it goes that far).

More evidence of a society in decline.
I want to be a cop.

The only command the man failed to follow was signing a ticket. That is it. The other commands came AFTER the officer ORDERED Massey from his vehicle in order to arrest him. Of course, the officer never told him that, never warned him "sir i will taser you if you do not comply" (even though he told the other officer that he did say that, we see that is false in the video). If the officer had even said sir, I will arrest you if you do not sign it is likely Massey would have grumbled about it, but signed the ticket. No warning from the officer of any kind. That is not professional.

The officer is expected to keep the PEACE. There is no obligation to arrest someone who does not sign a ticket. Sure it is within the officer's rights, the law says he can. But is it wise and prudent to escalate a situation where the man is OBVIOUSLY distraught already? No.

Maybe Massey was having a bad day already. It happens. Where is mercy from the officer in all this?

Just give him the ticket and walk away. All done, no one gets hurt.

Officers fault.

the words "excessive force" comes to mind. How about the 68 year old woman in Provo that was tasered? Walking away from a cop is not grounds for using excessive force for a misdemeanor or infraction. The taser has just become the electronic billy club of the past.

It's a sad testimony of our society when things like this have to happen.

Absolute power corrupts absolutely.
The wrong type of person seeks out a job where they can get away with this sort of thing.

I could understand that someone would be sympathetic to the trooper, but to say that "The trooper did nothing wrong" defies logic.

The trooper in question needlessly escalated the situation. Then, after blundering through the entire episode, finished by taunting the now handcuffed man in front of a county sheriff and then lied to the sheriff about the details of the confrontation.

I will say it again, an objective law enforcement professional could find a dozen things the trooper did wrong during that stop.

I am afraid that defending the actions by this obviously power-mad officer is a sad indicator as to how far authoritarianism has taken hold for so many.

You make several statements about what the man did wrong and then summarily conclude that the Officer did nothing wrong. Nobody is saying the guy is completely innocent, we are just saying the cop is partially to blame. I have previously detailed the numerous incorrect and unacceptable actions of the police office that led to the escalation of violence, so I won't repeat them, but we have become so complacent with regard to our security as American citizens that we allow government officers to detain us, force us to sign a document without an explanation, arrest us if we refuse sign without first receiving an explanation, and tase us into compliance when we become confused at an officer's irrational and power-toting demands. The Officer could have explained the ticket to the man, told him what speed he was being cited for, written "refused to sign" on the ticket, and sent him on his way. Instead he decided to irrationally demonstrate the extent of his government given power over the citizen presumably to teach the man a lesson. That is unacceptable.

TN has it exactly right, in a land of Liberty, a peace officer by necessity needs to explain their actions to the citizens within which they come in contact with. Officers are not the minions of autocratic demogogues forcing their will on the population, but are public servants tasked with preserving the peace.

Another lesson that might be learned:

In today's hyperparanoid world, it is more likely you will be targeted by a law-enforcement officer who is willing to use potentially deadly force for a minor infraction.

Whether they are pounding on Rodney King, electrocuting people with tasers, or rounding up Jewish people in Germany, you will always find police officers going too far in any authoritarian culture.