UCLA student tased for refusing to show ID -- civil rights violation, or policing as usual?
On Tuesday, November 14th, UCLA campus police arrested Iranian-American student Mostafa Tabatabainejad for refusing to leave the premises of Powell Library after he failed to show his student ID. Although the video is blurry and hard to make out, it has been established that Mostafa was tased (a stunning mechanism that can cause one to lose muscle control for up to 15 minutes) at least four times, despite the fact that he was handcuffed and on the ground. Mostafa can be heard shouting “Here’s your Patriot Act!” as other library patrons repeatedly ask the offending police officers for their badge numbers. “I’ll Taser you too!” one police officer says, refusing student requests for his badge number. Mostafa, who could very well be paralyzed, is repeatedly asked to “just stand up already!” and is then tased again each time he cannot bring himself to stand.
To be sure, it is clear that Tabatabainejad is resisting arrest in the footage, screaming at the police officers and attempting to get others to join in his conflict with the police. It is also incredibly difficult to make a snap judgment of what went on, as we cannot directly observe Tabatabainejad’s behavior before he was asked to leave the library. Yet it is also clear that Tabatabainejad was repeatedly physically injured, even after he was handcuffed and even after it was clear he could not have possibly been a threat to other Powell Library patrons. I also find it incredibly disturbing that patrons who simply wished to know the names and badge numbers of the police officers in question were threatened with arrest. How could this possibly not be a breach of the students’ civil liberties? Supporters of the police have claimed that Tabatabainejad deserved what he is getting for his obnoxious behavior and vitriolic speech, but I fail to find the connection between “obnoxious behavior” and “deserving of repeated assault.”
What do we think, readers? Blatant violation of the Eighth Amendment? Or perfectly reasonable response from the UCLA campus police? I’m curious to see how the rest of this case unfolds.
In any case, I am glad that this incident was videotaped by some intrepid library patron—isn’t it amazing that we have immediate access to footage of the event, thanks to the wonders of the Internet? As former Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis famously said, “Sunlight is the best of all disinfectants.” In the spirit of that great justice’s words, I’d consider this video a hefty dose of sunshine.
ETA: The LA Times is reporting that several bystanders in Powell Library are disputing the official police story that Mostafa resisted arrest, and instead claim that Mostafa was already leaving the library when the police began to Taser him. The plot thickens…
Comments
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bacci40, Nov 15, 20:06:
where do you see him attempting to bring others into the fray? i see him screaming in pain
Jessica, Nov 15, 20:12:
The UCPD claim that he was trying to involve others in the incident; it isn’t clear if that is true from the video. I’ve heard there are other videos taken by other library patrons—perhaps seeing all of the footage will clear up Mostafa’s guilt (if any).
Christopher Penn, Financial Aid Podcast, Nov 15, 23:18:
Glad to see others are noticing this – come talk about it!
Click here to read what’s been said by others and join the conversation!
Urban Flamingo, Nov 18, 10:52:
I really like your take on this.
I feel the reaction of the police was violent and appalling. Tasing someone four times when it was obvious he was no threat and couldn’t stand after the first time is disgusting and I am horrified that a human being would be treated in this manner.
However, I can’t help but be honestly puzzled as to why Mr. Tabatabainejad did not leave the library in a timely manner, and why he felt the need to “go limp” and “resist” when he was repeatedly asked to go.
Of course, that in no way justifies the excessive brutality used against him. However, I feel he was out of line in not leaving the library in the first place. Were I to ever forget my ID and was asked to leave a building as a result, I cannot see refusing to do so, screaming and going limp as a justifiable and appropriate reaction to the request.