Our plan, to track all incidents of taser torture against black folks....

Have you or a member of your family ever been tasered by the police? Was it reported in the newspaper, police report, or other news outlet? Write: TasedWhileBlack@gmail.com and tell us what happened. Want to make a donation to Tasered While Black? Write us at: TasedWhileBlack@gmail.com We will be glad to hear from you.

Saturday, November 7, 2009

Suit charging excessive force with Taser settled out of court

What We Think About Taser Abuse 

According to RCG.com, a Reno man who charged excessive force against law enforcement officers at a local concert will receive a settlement of $108,000 from Lyon County and the City of Yerington as an agreed settlement of a lawsuit the man filed.  

However, local law enforcement representatives aren't happy with the system that makes it cheaper to settle a lawsuit than to fight it, as they disagree with the allegations in the suit.

The suit was filed in federal court by Cody Herbst, 25, and charged two Lyon County Sheriff's Office deputies with using excessive force in arresting him at the 2006 Night in the Country concert, a fundraiser of the Boys & Girls Club of Mason Valley.

As part of the settlement agreement, Lyon County is paying $100,000 ,while the City of Yerington, which had two off-duty officers providing security listed in the suit, is paying $8,000.

The Boys & Girls Club of Mason Valley was initially included in the lawsuit but was later dropped, reported Chief Professional Officer Travis Crowder, who expressed surprise with the settlement, but pleasure the situation is over.


"I'm glad it's behind us," Crowder said. "It's time to move forward."


However, he said the BGCMV still plans to use sheriff's office personnel for security for its annual concerts.
Herbst, who has local family members, charged that LCSO deputies grabbed him from behind, threw him down, used pepper spray on him and tasered him several times.

Represented by Terry Keyser-Cooper and Diane Vaillancourt, Herbst also charged he wasn't given proper medical care after being arrested on trespassing charges, as he is an epileptic.



Lyon County Sheriff Allen Veil said any time there is a charge of excessive force, his department conducts a thorough investigation, and no wrong-doing was found in this case. 

Read more HERE

What We Think About Taser Abuse



Tasered While Black Publisher says: It’s less than one month away from the “Stop Taser Torture, blogging for Justice Day scheduled for December 4, 2009.  Our goal is to unite the world’s bloggers in posting about the same issue on the same day – Taser Torture in America, Canada and throughout the world.

I want to personally urge you to join us on December 4th. “Stop Taser Torture, blogging for Justice.” as we raise awareness and trigger a global discussion.

I urge you to contact us at: StopTaserTorture@gmail.com to register your blog.

Don’t forget to support the petition to the United States Congress calling for public hearings on the systemic human rights violations occurring with Federal funding for the use of Tasers® against American citizens.

The United Nation’s Committee against Torture has declared that Taser use can constitute a form of torture, while USA: Amnesty International has an on-going concern about the use of tasers on American citizens.

Here is the link: http://www.petition2congress.com/2/1822/taser-torture-in-america-call-congressional-hearings/

Have a question? Need additional information? Want to participate? Register via email: StopTaserTorture@gmail.com

Also, don’t forget, please make a $10 or 20 dollar secure Pay Pal donation to this cause: http://aapp.chipin.com/stop-taser-torture

If we don't address this tasering issue, no one else will. 

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