Merry Christmas Black Man and Black Woman you have been tasered while black! Well that's what Madison Police Department must have been thinking when they tased a black man and woman in a mall for no reason other than for being black in a mall. See video.
You see Police used a stun gun on an unarmed man are defending their use of force, even as the man's family threatens a lawsuit against the department. MADISON - Police who used a stun gun on an unarmed man are defending their use of force, even as the man's family threatens a lawsuit against the department. An officer used a Taser on a man identified as Major T. Lemon, 44, after police said he resisted attempts to escort him from West Towne Mall in Madison. The incident occurred Christmas Eve about 1:20 p.m. in the mall's food court, which was packed with holiday shoppers. Police Sgt. John Rife said officers escalated the situation only when they had no other choice. "People are going to form their own opinions on whether that was reasonable or not, but hopefully they can say that we tried to get as much information as we could and do it as safely as we could," Rife said. Tara Emery-Walls, the general manager at the nearby Arby's, felt that officers overreacted. "I didn't think it was right," she said. "A bunch of people were in here shopping.
There were kids in here." Officers were called to the mall after someone reported seeing a man with a gun. Police found a man fitting the suspect's description and tried to escort him out, according to an incident report filed by Police Sgt. David Samson. Lemon had his hand in his pocket and began to physically resist, the report said. "The suspect then made statements that he was going to punch an officer," the report said. The officers tried to take Lemon down and a scuffle ensued. Another officer who saw the struggle fired a Taser at Lemon. One of the stun-gun probes hit Lemon and the other hit his wife. Both were handcuffed but the wife was later released with no charges or injuries. Lemon told authorities he had a heart condition so the Madison Fire Department brought him to an emergency room, where he was evaluated, cited for resisting and obstructing arrest, and released. No weapon was found. More HERE
Madison Police Department should be held accountable. What do you think?
4 comments:
As a resident of Madison, WI I fully believe that the MPD need to be held accountable for this. . .I dont know if you guys have other articles from Madison, but there have been other instances. . .I believe back in September or August there was a mother that was tased while at her son's high school (i believe other members of the family were arrested along with the mother), a few years ago the police had went to,coincidentally the exact same high school, to arrest someone, they got the wrong kid and as he ran away they tasered him.
I have just started doing research on the use (abuse) of tasers by the MPD for a documentary, and if you guys have any other articles that I have missed (they dont report everything in the news and newspapers unfortunately) if you could send them to me or let me know where on your site i can access them I would be most appreciative.
MsThomasScott
The webpage where the info about the mother and her family getting arrested and tase is this:
wkow.madison.com/News/index.php?ID=14617
Sorry I was mistaken, the mother was not tased the daughter was, but they were all arrested, and the daughter was white, not black sorry about that. Regardless of race though, tasers are still misused and definately do Not belong in a school setting or anywhere for that matter.
Tenley, thank you for the comments and your work in Madison. Please share any updates you may have with us.
Tasered While Black
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