Taser death ignites racial tensions

because Pikes was black and the officer who repeatedly Tasered him is white, racial tensions over the case are mounting in a place that's just 40 miles from Jena, La.---site of the racially explosive prosecution of six black teenagers charged with beating a white youth that last year triggered one of the largest American civil rights demonstrations in decades. And in a bizarre coincidence, Pikes turns out to have been a first cousin of Mychal Bell, the lead defendant in the Jena 6 case.

[DerekJ]

I don't see this as a race issue. I think the real issue is use of Tasers, period. Have we forgotten the episode of that Polish immigrant at that Toronto(?) airport last year? While this device has been touted as a harmless method of restraining a suspect, I can see nothing harmless about a technology that wreaks havoc on the central nervous system however temporary. Add in the obvious excessive use by overenthusiastic cops and you have a recipe for unnecessary deaths.

[web history]

"Pikes turns out to have been a first cousin of Mychal Bell, the lead defendant in the Jena 6 case."

looks like the victims of the j6 just can't get a break

[Billy]

The Tasers should be out lawed and replaced with an extra clip for the gun.

[True]

DerekJ wrote:

I don't see this as a race issue. I think the real issue is use of Tasers, period. Have we forgotten the episode of that Polish immigrant at that Toronto(?) airport last year? While this device has been touted as a harmless method of restraining a suspect, I can see nothing harmless about a technology that wreaks havoc on the central nervous system however temporary. Add in the obvious excessive use by overenthusiastic cops and you have a recipe for unnecessary deaths.

This is very true, I do not see it as a race issue either. Some people from out of state are really trying to turn it into one though.

[ReallyohReally]

web history wrote:

"Pikes turns out to have been a first cousin of Mychal Bell, the lead defendant in the Jena 6 case."
looks like the victims of the j6 just can't get a break

Tell me thats sarcasm, and you're saying they can't stay out of trouble....PLEASE!
No,...no....you didn't put 'victims" in quotation marks...I see no "lol"....
You're serious.
Seriously defective.
Any mention in the story as to WHY he needed to be restrained repeatedly?
Like the poor little black girl who got her arm "broken", even though her attending physician said it WASN'T, over "a piece of cake" which everyone convieniently for got to mention she THREW at the security officer?
Fk it...I'll find out for myself...brb.

[web history]

ReallyohReally wrote:

<quoted text>Tell me thats sarcasm, and you're saying they can't stay out of trouble....PLEASE!
No,...no....you didn't put 'victims" in quotation marks...I see no "lol"....
You're serious.
Seriously defective.
Any mention in the story as to WHY he needed to be restrained repeatedly?
Like the poor little black girl who got her arm "broken", even though her attending physician said it WASN'T, over "a piece of cake" which everyone convieniently for got to mention she THREW at the security officer?
Fk it...I'll find out for myself...brb.

you got me all wrong, i was rooting for the j6

[midniteangel]

Is there anything that isn't racist anymore? LOL

[bwrb]

midniteangel wrote:

Is there anything that isn't racist anymore? LOL

NO

[Morris Levy]

web history wrote:

<quoted text>
you got me all wrong, i was rooting for the j6

You're a piece of sheet Canadian Commie, Fawk you.

[truth]

well lets go over what they have 1.gun 2.metal sticks 3.(taser) 4.mace what else do you need and you wonder why people run there forced to thats why its called a police chase the police chases them.

[huh]

Don't commit crimes and you won't have to worry about the 1. gun, 2. metal stick, 3. taser, or 4. mace. If a cop stops me, I am not gonna run from him. I haven't broken any laws so why should I worry? People that run usually have something to hide. This could make them appear dangerous to the officers they are fleeing from. Instead of running, be a man/woman and accept your punishment and don't run like a coward.

[web history]

huh wrote:

Don't commit crimes and you won't have to worry about the 1. gun, 2. metal stick, 3. taser, or 4. mace. If a cop stops me, I am not gonna run from him. I haven't broken any laws so why should I worry? People that run usually have something to hide. This could make them appear dangerous to the officers they are fleeing from. Instead of running, be a man/woman and accept your punishment and don't run like a coward.

one: blacks are NOT smart enough to figure out the above themselves

two: blacks are poor and they need to commit crimes to survive

so therefore, many blacks will be tasered.

[Just Ask- N]

web history wrote:

<quoted text>
one: blacks are NOT smart enough to figure out the above themselves
two: blacks are poor and they need to commit crimes to survive
so therefore, many blacks will be tasered.

This case is NOT about Black and White , it's about Right and wrong! You need to pray and ask God to get that bitterness out of you because on the cool, you are racist !

[huh]

web history wrote:

<quoted text>
one: blacks are NOT smart enough to figure out the above themselves
two: blacks are poor and they need to commit crimes to survive
so therefore, many blacks will be tasered.

Although you make some valid points, I don't agree with #2. Blacks may be poor(as are some whites), but they do not NEED to commit crimes to live. They CHOOSE to commit these crimes. We ALL have choices no matter what our situation.

[OhNoNO]

This is just terrible. If I were black and living in this town, I'm sorry, I would tuck tail and run to another city. From reading the whole article and the similarities revealed between victims, I'd say this town has some back room with as picture of every black person on the wall with a target over their face.

"The Taser shall only be deployed in circumstances where it is deemed reasonably necessary to control a dangerous or violent subject," the policy states. It also requires that a suspect who has been Tasered should immediately be checked out at a hospital, which did not happen in Pikes' case." Seriously, the poor kid was already handcuffed. I can just see it now, the officer standing over the kid while face down on the ground, barking commands at him and then hitting the button on taser before he even has a chance to get up. Piece of shit cop, it says something about him and his "training" if his corrupt daddy committed suicide so he would have to go to jail. Cowards all of them.

[OhNoNO]

meant... "so he would NOT have to go to jail."

[oh lawd]

OhNoNO wrote:

This is just terrible. If I were black and living in this town, I'm sorry, I would tuck tail and run to another city. From reading the whole article and the similarities revealed between victims, I'd say this town has some back room with as picture of every black person on the wall with a target over their face.
"The Taser shall only be deployed in circumstances where it is deemed reasonably necessary to control a dangerous or violent subject," the policy states. It also requires that a suspect who has been Tasered should immediately be checked out at a hospital, which did not happen in Pikes' case." Seriously, the poor kid was already handcuffed. I can just see it now, the officer standing over the kid while face down on the ground, barking commands at him and then hitting the button on taser before he even has a chance to get up. Piece of shit cop, it says something about him and his "training" if his corrupt daddy committed suicide so he would have to go to jail. Cowards all of them.

His Daddy was not corupt. Now where did you get that from? That's not even if the tainted article.

[OhNoNO]

oh lawd wrote:

<quoted text>His Daddy was not corupt. Now where did you get that from? That's not even if the tainted article.

Excuse you, read again.... "--the police chief committed suicide three years ago after losing a close election marred by allegations of fraud and vote-buying."

[Honker]

Billy wrote:

The Tasers should be out lawed and replaced with an extra clip for the gun.

Amen!

[Saved01]

web history wrote:

<quoted text>
one: blacks are NOT smart enough to figure out the above themselves
two: blacks are poor and they need to commit crimes to survive
so therefore, many blacks will be tasered.

This is just uncalled for!