disorderlyvision
07-24-2009, 10:11 PM
http://www.2news.tv/news/local/51404747.html
BOISE - Two Boise Police officers have been disciplined by the Boise Police Department for "serious" policy violations after a complaint was filed that officers used excessive force during an arrest.
According to the Boise Community Ombudsman's report, in early 2009 police were dispatched to a house on a report of a fight between a man and a woman.
Police say they struggled to get inside the home to speak with the man. When police managed to get inside the home, the suspect was placed in handcuffs. The complainant alleged that he was Tased three times by police - once to his wrist, the second to the small of his back and the third to his buttocks.
Click the following link to listen to a police audio recording from the arrest. http://www.2news.tv/home/video/51423092.html
The ombudsman's report states that the suspect was tased only two times after an investigation. One of those tases, however, was in the buttocks.
The use of force "was after he was handcuffed," said Ombudsman Pierce Murphy. "And it was in the most senstive, private areas, and accompanied by threats."
The suspect can be heard pleading to the police several times that he couldn't breathe when officers were on top of him.
"I can't breathe - just let me up, I want to breathe," he says.
The officer quickly replied, "If you're talking - you're breathing."
The report also states that the officers used excessive language.
"If you move again, I'm going to stick this Taser up your (expletive) and pull the trigger," the complaint said. "Now, do you feel this in your (expletive)? - I'm going to tase your (expletive) if you move again."
The ombudsman states that while officers often have to use strong language, the officer's language went too far.
"Officer No. 3, punctuated his offensive speech language by pushing the Taser between the complainant's buttocks and against his anal and genital areas," the report states. "Such speech combined with these actions was especially offensive."
Michael Masterson, Boise Police chief, agrees with the ombudsman's report.
"The behavior of Officer No. 3 in this incident is not acceptable conduct for a Boise Police employee," Masterson said. "The language and threats used by Officer No. 3 are inconsistent with the professional standard we train and expect to see everyday from a Boise Police Department representative."
Additional details about when and where this incident took place are not being made available by the Boise Police or the ombudsman.
Stay tuned for details.
PDF OMBUDSMAN’S REPORT Complaint Investigation & Findings (http://www.boiseombudsman.org/InvestigativeReports/2009InvReports/09_0014PublicReport.pdf)
BOISE - Two Boise Police officers have been disciplined by the Boise Police Department for "serious" policy violations after a complaint was filed that officers used excessive force during an arrest.
According to the Boise Community Ombudsman's report, in early 2009 police were dispatched to a house on a report of a fight between a man and a woman.
Police say they struggled to get inside the home to speak with the man. When police managed to get inside the home, the suspect was placed in handcuffs. The complainant alleged that he was Tased three times by police - once to his wrist, the second to the small of his back and the third to his buttocks.
Click the following link to listen to a police audio recording from the arrest. http://www.2news.tv/home/video/51423092.html
The ombudsman's report states that the suspect was tased only two times after an investigation. One of those tases, however, was in the buttocks.
The use of force "was after he was handcuffed," said Ombudsman Pierce Murphy. "And it was in the most senstive, private areas, and accompanied by threats."
The suspect can be heard pleading to the police several times that he couldn't breathe when officers were on top of him.
"I can't breathe - just let me up, I want to breathe," he says.
The officer quickly replied, "If you're talking - you're breathing."
The report also states that the officers used excessive language.
"If you move again, I'm going to stick this Taser up your (expletive) and pull the trigger," the complaint said. "Now, do you feel this in your (expletive)? - I'm going to tase your (expletive) if you move again."
The ombudsman states that while officers often have to use strong language, the officer's language went too far.
"Officer No. 3, punctuated his offensive speech language by pushing the Taser between the complainant's buttocks and against his anal and genital areas," the report states. "Such speech combined with these actions was especially offensive."
Michael Masterson, Boise Police chief, agrees with the ombudsman's report.
"The behavior of Officer No. 3 in this incident is not acceptable conduct for a Boise Police employee," Masterson said. "The language and threats used by Officer No. 3 are inconsistent with the professional standard we train and expect to see everyday from a Boise Police Department representative."
Additional details about when and where this incident took place are not being made available by the Boise Police or the ombudsman.
Stay tuned for details.
PDF OMBUDSMAN’S REPORT Complaint Investigation & Findings (http://www.boiseombudsman.org/InvestigativeReports/2009InvReports/09_0014PublicReport.pdf)