Taser madness

Here is what happened to Malaika Brooks, a pregnant mother, as she was driving her son to school one day: Two, soon three, police officers surrounded her. The officers thought she was speeding in a school zone; she says she was not. Brooks provided her identification when asked, so there was no doubt who she was or where to find her. The officers wrote her a ticket but she refused to sign it. Refusing to sign a speeding ticket was at the time a nonarrestable misdemeanor; now, in Washington, it is not even that. Brooks had no weapons and had not harmed or threatened to harm a soul. Although she had told the officers she was seven months pregnant, they proceeded to use a Taser on her, not once but three times, causing her to scream with pain and leaving burn marks and permanent scars.

Tasering for refusing to sign a traffic ticket. That's one scary thing.

The other is that the above is from a dissent, the majority in Brooks v. City of Seattle (9th Cir. Mar. 26, 2010) having held that the officers enjoyed qualified immunity for their acts.

H/t Bashman.