A man saves his friends from a fire, then gets arrested by police.

KENT, Ohio -- Michael Barrett Jr. and his friends were winding down from a typically busy Thanksgiving night in Kent.

[Hog Wash]

Figures Cops Dont Try To Calm People Down And Find Out Whats Going On They Are Kids Some Of These Cops And Are Very In Patient And Looking For Action. And Dont Say I Dont Know I Was Police Officer For Years.

I Would Have First Tried To Calm Him Down By Talking To Him To FInd Out What The Problem Is Apparently Young Cops Who Think Thay Know All And Want Nothing But Action Should Be Held Liable.

I Myself Would Sue The Hell Out Of Kent Police Department For This And The Officers Personally Since Police Officers Can Be Held Singally Responsible.

Go Get Them.

[Hog Wash]

To Continue On First Of All To New Police Officers Getting Your Haircut Short And A Pair Of Black Gloves Doesnt Get You Respect You Have To Earn It Community Policing And Talking With People Is The Best Way.

Also You Get Further By Diffusing A Situation Rather Then Escalating It Trust Me On This Fact.

I Only Arrested Someone As A Last Resort After Many Attempts Of Trying To Diffuse It Firs. To Do That Get You Further With The Person And Your Community You Just Broke Your Communitys Trust In You. Now Everyone Will Be Afraid Of Approaching A Police Officer Being Frantic Over Witnessing Something Cause You Might Arres Them Also.

You Made A Bad Decision By Doing That And Thats Going To Cause Someone To Get Hurt By The Public Being Afraid Of Reporting It.

And Also At Fires Which I Have Been To Many Most If Not All Were Frantic Wouldnt You Be.

[Hot]

That officer probably wants to become a state highway patrol trooper. They seem to have absolutely no compassion in an emotional situation and treat eveyone like they are criminals. These jerks think they're the judge and jury. They should be charged with assault.
Even if Mike Barrett was vocal and irrational he didn't deserve to be assaulted with a physical violence. We've heard it before! Taze the 80 year old grandmother for standing her ground and voicing her opinion. Given the witnesses and the situation, I think Mike should press charges of assault against the two cops that arrested him.

[BOYS IN BLUE]

This story is unbelieveable! I don't care if his tree house was on fire, I am sure Kent (along with other police departments) have some type of protocol that they need to follow in situations like this. How can u look someone in the face who is obviously distraut and treat them like this? These young cops are idiots, and are only on the squad because their "Daddy" was a capatain....I agree with Hog wash, Sue the Boys in Blue, make an example out of these loosers. They only act like this on the streets, I can guarantee that when they are behind closed doors with their families, They get walked over like the scum they are!

[jas]

Sounds like the cops need a few classes in human behavior in stressful situations. Hope they get this on their record, and are somehow punished. They are supposed to serve and protect. Big fat fail for these two!

[Jen Smith]

What this kid did was amazing , fire department was not even there yet and he risked his life to go in this blazing burning fire to save all these people . After getting people out 2 cops arrived and he asked "Can you help me , can you do something " only for the kent police to respond "MF WHAT DO YOU THINK WERE GOING TO FU DO " ! Michael who at this point is in shock walked away crying within seconds was tackled to the ground and tasered , for what reason ? Because the police feel like God because they have a badge , wow ... This isn't the first time things like this has happened with kent police but I hope this kid pursues with charges , especially to spend the night in jail and recieve no medical attention what so ever with his second degree burns instead was tasered WOW ! Also as the night went on Officer Wheeler who is one cop hat was involved in this alter cation looked at his sister as she stood crying and looking at her burning house and just laughed in her face , seriously uncalled for that just shows what kind of power trip these kent police are on !!!!!!

[Heidi]

A hero gets tasered. I realize he was a little loud and maybe angry but his family is his world. A crime my butt. He really wasobstructing anything if the firefighters weren't even present since law enforcement were doing anything but verbally antagonizing the victim. Mike Bartlett ura HERO!!!!!!!!!

[Jen Smith]

This kid is a hero had he not gotten these peopleout they would have died . The fire department wasn't even there yet . KPD are unbelievable , especially "Officer Wheeler" who not only helpedtasered mikey and have him arrested but as his sister stood there watching her house burn down , crying he had the nerve tolaugh in her face WOW ! Michael recieved 2nd degree burns and a cut on the face from police throwing him down spent the night in jail and never recieved medical attention ! Even the fire department says he performed a heroic act.

[future woman in blue]

I promise to learn from the Kent police Department. Community Policing is a top priority in any department. I truely hope the Power trip PO-PO get the badges stripped. Thank you Mike for showing us how somone with any sense would react in this situation. Fight mike get the kent police department wherethey put you IN SHOCK

[Rottenkiddz2]

Yeah, once again the thug Kent Police department has violated someones rights and just because they can handle Halloween and for the most part the kids arent causing any trouble just having fun, He saved his friends and then when he asked for help they tased him! Why cant three cops subdue a college student that has received injuries from his heroic and selfless act. Seems to me they were more into starting an incident than protecting public safety which they are paid to do. Seems to be a trend down there in Kent. They need that the University is the mainstay of the tax base in that dying town like so many others in our dying state which was once Great and a leader in many fields, including Manufacturing. THank you NAFTA, No American Free Trade Agreement. Enough is Enough.

[INSP620]

ANOTHER FINE JOB BY KENT POLICE ARE YOU KIDDING ME!!!!!!!!!!

[pistoff]

Never had personal experience with the Kentstapo before, but I keep hearing about thuggery. If it walks like a stormtrooper, and talks like a stormtrooper, .....

[Frank]

Give me a taser and let me at those arrogant cops!!.They had no right to do that to that poor guy.I hope he sues the pants off of them and wins every penny.He was a hero and this is what he gets.Imagine the pain he was in all night because those idiots didn't take him to the hospital.This is just WRONG!!

[Hog Wash]

Hog Wash Again.

I Would Like To Say To Them They Need More People Training.

I Got Called To A House Fire Once And This Woman Was Frantic Her Husband Was In There She Was BEating On My Chest Begging For Help I Embraced Her Calmed Her Down, And Thankfully He Was Not In There And Guess What She Didnt Go To Jail She Was Frightened All She Needed Was Someone To Calm Her Down And Tell Her Its Going TO Be Okay Help Is On The Way.

I Guess Kent P.D Just Will Arrest You If Your Frightened How Sick This Makes Me And It Makes The Few Of Us Good Cops Look Bad. Kent P.D Needs Better Communication Skills Taught To Them Plain And Simple They Do Not Know How To Handle People Well They Think They Do By Arresting Them.

The Other Thing That Makes Me Sick Is Denying Him Medical Care I Never Denied Anyone Medical Care As A Prisoner Thats Just Wrong And You Should Be Held Liable Any Burn Can Get Infected Real Easy How Stupid To Throw Him In A Dirty Cell Like That.

This Guy Needs A Good Attorney To Teach Kent P.D A Lesson They Need One Very Badily.

Thank You

[fine memories]

reminds me of about ten years ago. Only then it was teargas.

[Sammi]

How can a cop teaser a young man when he is saving lives? KPD you took your authority to far. You all should be banned and have to work at McDonalds asking us if you want fries with that. Mike went into a burning house to save people while you stood and watched. The right thing to do would have been to get the kid medical help and one of you POLICE OFFICERS if thats what you call yourself should have gone to make sure everyone was out, but instead you teasered this poor boy who is a HERO and cursed at himthen took him to jail. And then to have one officer to laugh in his sister's face. That is uncalled for.These officers need to realize just because you have a badge doesnt mean you are the only humans on this earth your time will come when somethng like this happens to you and you'll get teasered for no reason.

[Want Justice]

Be happy you don't live in Alamogordo, NM. Here the cops would not only have roughed you up, but arrested you for arson and attempted murder. And the courts here believe the cops without question.

[DoubleCheese]

It truly amazes me how the cops are so fast to arrest someone who just risked his life to save many others, but yet they will drive right on by all the little thugs standing on the street corners (and we all know who i'm talking about..yes, the stereotype!) Knowing that they are standing there waiting to break the law! Amazing!

[Disillusioned]

jas wrote:

Sounds like the cops need a few classes in human behavior in stressful situations. Hope they get this on their record, and are somehow punished. They are supposed to serve and protect. Big fat fail for these two!

The cops aren't going to get punished for anything. Any time something happens with a cop involved, they come back and say "Justifiable action" and it's all good. What the hell is wrong with the Kent Police Department? They've been pricks as far back as I can remember.

[NATE]

Those police officers should be ashamed of themselves and suspended. Anyone at the police station who was involved should be suspended also. Even if they had just cause to arrest him, he should have been taken to a hospital. Seems like Kent police have a hard time doing the right thing. Leaving a guy in jail all weekend with 2nd degree burns is absolutely unnacceptable. This Barrett guy should get a good lawyer and try to get the charges dropped and then sue the police department.