Deseret News | Attorney given report on Taser death

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Attorney given report on Taser death

Publicwatcher | 12:36 p.m. Nov. 9, 2009

Of course this will be white washed by the authorities. The police in Utah get a free pass on killing people. In the last ten years;
Police, 9 Civilians, 0.

sheepdog | 1:04 p.m. Nov. 9, 2009

How easy is it to sit on a chair and critique everyone else. Publicwatcher? Sounds like you got your own agenda.

Smithinone | 1:05 p.m. Nov. 9, 2009

All you reported is old News, what was in the Report. I want the Information and Story.

Comments continue below

Re: Publicwatcher | 1:08 p.m. Nov. 9, 2009

What a terrible thing to say.

This whole incident is unfortunate. Cardall was not responsive to police demands, thus the tasing. Police did not know of the reasons for his behavior and had to follow protocol, thus the 2nd tasing.

More than anything this points to the lack of trust any of us can have of any other. The world is becoming a poorer place, with our lack of trust leading the way.

brokenheart | 1:08 p.m. Nov. 9, 2009

This , and many other incidents, brakes my heart, and any trust we have taught our children to offer the police. It is a sad day when our kids are afraid of the officers that are here for their saftey.

Greg | 1:17 p.m. Nov. 9, 2009

One per year in the whole state? That's pretty good if you ask me.

Elsie McClellan. | 1:18 p.m. Nov. 9, 2009

Police need to be trained more and have a better understanding of people with these kind of health issues.

Anonymous | 1:21 p.m. Nov. 9, 2009

Very sad that we are seeing far too many instances of law enforcement, meant to protect our public, handling emergency situations and enforcement of law violations with tazing in the very early stages of these situations. Why is this happening? Are the officers just becoming lazy and choose not to use their intelligence and best judgement? You know--like the old days before tazers.

Jerry Puckett | 1:55 p.m. Nov. 9, 2009

Still, I think of how little we really control in our world. My thoughts and prayers to the family in their loss--been there myself and I know that grieving is forever.

Anonymous | 2:30 p.m. Nov. 9, 2009

Yeah. and in the old days before tasers there were a heck of a lot more officers getting injured in the line of duty. I really don't understand why you people trade an officers safety for the offenders safety. How easy it is for everyone to sit back and judge when they really have no clue how often the officers really have to deal with this type of situation and how little the tasers are really used.

MediaBug | 2:37 p.m. Nov. 9, 2009

Idiots. Police were trying to HELP this man by using the non-lethal force that has saved the lives of countless law enforcement officers. The fact that Cardall had a rare reaction to it is highly regrettable. Police have the right to protect themselves from harm from uncontrolled individuals. In doing so they prevent those individual from doing harm to themselves and others.
You'd feel a lot different if one of your loved ones was out there in law enforcement every day protecting us.

re: media bug | 3:51 p.m. Nov. 9, 2009

Whenever you hear "I am from the government and I am here to help you" run away really fast.
There were other options to control the situation. The police just choose to to use it.
This time it was a mentally ill man that was working on a graduate degree.
There are serial killers that do not receive the death penalty.
Lets be honest the cops that get hurt are usually the ones that are not keeping themself fit for service.
Tasers seem to be way overused by the police.
There needs to be an independant review of each use.

FACTS | 4:25 p.m. Nov. 9, 2009

One of the earlier reports explained the 911 call from his wife stating that "he is unarmed"...Honestly, I do believe there is a time for tasers, but a naked man out there by himself? There was VISUAL evidence he was unarmed! Now, if he busts out some karate or MMA moves and starts beating officers, OK, then use the tasers! Terrible judgement, especially to do it twice.

@re: Media Bug | 4:48 p.m. Nov. 9, 2009

"Whenever you hear "I am from the government and I am here to help you" run away really fast." Especially if it is Jack Bauer that is saying it. I love Jack, but would never trust him with my life.

CViehweg | 5:05 p.m. Nov. 9, 2009

You have to wonder about officers, who while using
their technology fail to respond to an immediate need
that would have saved a life. An unarmed man that
needed to be rescued from the road. I always wonder
about police policy versus common sense.

Bucco | 5:15 p.m. Nov. 9, 2009

Its easy to be a critic. So put a badge on and do a better job.

To Media Bug and Public Watcher | 6:11 p.m. Nov. 9, 2009

Clearly, you both have an axe to grind against law enforcement in general! The officers were dealing with an out of control, (VERY OUT OF CONTROL) individual, who was extermely irrational, violent, and creating a situation wherein others on the highway that day could have been emperiled by his actions. Your monday morning quarterbacking, the second guessing of the officers actions (who were trying to keep this nut job away from harming himself or others by using, what is based on their training and experience, non-lethal force), shows a complete ignorance on your part of the challenges the officers face daily. Second, to assume there will be a "white wash" (as opposed to your witch hunt based on a complete lack of intent and facts to back a prosecution), again demonstrates a fundamental lack of understanding of the real world. Spare us your anti-government diatribes and save it for your next constutionalist rally!

@5:05 | 6:13 p.m. Nov. 9, 2009

An man ignoring orders that was acting in a manner that could be threatening to himself or an officer. What would have happened if he was just acting that way for an officer to get close to him?

Man grabs a gun and starts indiscriminatly shooting at people? Or himself, then you would be mad that the police didn't do more then as well.

Being a police officer is so easy right?

Old Cop | 8:07 p.m. Nov. 9, 2009

In the days before pepper spray and tazers, Cardall would have been restrained by a nightstick or a sap. In fact, with only one officer on scene at the time, the officer might have had to shoot him in self defense. The difference between then and now is that the public used to support the police. It was a society that place responsibility on the individual. To feel sorry for Cardall is okay. But to blame a police officer who used the minimal force necessary to control him is inexcusable. I am sure all of you out there commenting on the excessive action of the officer would have gladly stepped forward and confronted Cardall in his ravings, right? With public support like yours, I am glad I retired.

Dave | 9:14 p.m. Nov. 9, 2009

I'm sure everyone would have been more comfortable if the police had done a complete psychoanalysis before taking any action. Unfortunately, things move too fast for anything that approaches this. Cardall could have been killed in traffic if the officer had not followed accepted procedure and taken the action he did.
There as far too much Monday Morning Quarterbacking going on in the above posts.

Smif | 1:07 a.m. Nov. 10, 2009

Of course this mans death is a tragedy, think about the cop who has to live with it on his mind for the rest of his life, I think it is a lose -lose situation.

Tasers are completely harmless, so harmless in fact that most police agencies require their officers to be tased before carrying the less-lethal weapon.

There has been many lawsuits over taser deaths. According to my knowledge they all lost. According to testimony and studies the taser CANNOT KILL.

yeah whatever | 10:29 a.m. Nov. 10, 2009

according to TASER who has millions of dollars to fight these lawsuits they cannot kill. Talk to the over 350 people who have died because of them since 2002 and get their opinion if they can kill or not. They have become a crutch.

re: smif | 11:05 a.m. Nov. 10, 2009

Since June 2001, more than 351 individuals in the United States have died after being shocked by police Tasers. Most of those individuals were not carrying a weapon. Amnesty International is concerned that Tasers are being used as tools of routine force -- rather than as an alternative to firearms.

cachesoul | 12:35 p.m. Nov. 10, 2009

the bottom line is they did not take the time or effort to assess the true risk, nor did they try and understand the situation of mental disorders.

I like the idea of a review every time a tazer is discharged. Following this case every officer should be provided with sensitivity training to better assess the situations.

I dong know the cops involved here but I recall the incident in unita basin where it was an agressive hick cop picking on someone. We need to get rid of this mindset among our law enforcement and hire more compassionat people rather than tough guys.

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