ZAPPED!

by Brian Dolinar

Charges recently brought against a Champaign County Jail officer for using a Taser on an inmate justify the concerns that members in the community have raised over the use of Tasers. Sergeant William Alan Myers, a 13 year employee of the Champaign County Sheriff’s Office, was charged with aggravated battery in the use of a Taser gun and with obstruction of justice for lying to his supervisor about the incident. Champaign County has approved the use of Tasers, but their use in the cities of Urbana and Champaign has been met with opposition from the public. The illegal and inhumane use of a Taser gun by Sergeant Myers is one more reason why we do not need these weapons in our community.

In February 2004, a coalition of local organizations, including C-U Citizens for Peace and Justice, Visionaries for Educating Youth and Adults (VEYA), and the Urban League, successfully rallied to stop the Champaign Police Department from purchasing 25 Tasers, saving taxpayers $30,000. These weapons, they said, were more likely to be used on African Americans. This claim was recently validated by statistics published the Champaign-Urbana News-Gazette.

According to information gathered by journalists Jim Mitchell and Mike Monson, an overwhelming 64 percent of the people in the local area shot with Tasers in 2004 were black (10/23/05).

In surrounding cities, these numbers are clearly disproportionate. In Rantoul, where 16.5 percent of the population is black, nine out of 13 people who were zapped with Tasers in 2004 were black. In Danville, where 24.1 percent of the citizens are black, 20 out of 27 people who were Tased were black.

The use of Tasers among Champaign County police has been somewhat more representative of the population. Of the seven incidents where County sheriffs used Tasers, five were white, and two involved a black resident. In three incidents where sheriffs were called by police in Urbana and Champaign, two whites and one black citizen were Tased. These significantly reduced numbers could be attributed to the liberal attitude in this midwestern college town. More likely, it is the result of continued pressure from community organizations.

No matter how much evidence is presented however, Champaign County Sherriff Dan Walsh still defends Tasers. At a press conference held the day after charges were brought against Sergeant Myers, Walsh said Tasers were still “a very effective tool of law enforcement when used properly.”

The problem is that these “non-lethal” weapons can also be used incorrectly. As local jail activist Sandra Ahten observes, “In the high-stress situations that officers face, there is an almost natural tendency for them to respond with force that is beyond what is necessary. That is just one reason not to have this weapon at their easy disposal.”

Sergeant Myers’ actions were apparently so out of line that his fellow correctional officers were the ones who turned him in. This fact alone casts great doubt upon the officer, let alone the bizarre circumstances where he Tased an inmate. Like guns, correctional officers are not allowed to carry Tasers in the jail, but have to go to a specific area to request them, suggesting premeditation on Myer’s part.

As he should, Walsh praised the “professionalism and integrity” of the correctional officers who reported the incident. While these abuses are often dismissed as the actions of a few “bad apples,” they are only a glimpse into the abuse that goes on beyond prison walls and behind police doors. This is yet another reason why we need to establish citizen police review boards so citizens can file complaints that will be investigated by an outside source.

Sergeant Myers has been suspended from the sheriff’s office and is scheduled to appear in court on Tuesday, December 6, 2005. Concerned citizens plan to meet at the Champaign County courthouse to ensure that Myers is properly prosecuted. As we saw in the recent accusations of rape against Officer Hjort of Urbana, without adequate public protest, charges of a serious nature were quickly dropped by a Special Prosecutor assigned by the State Attorney’s office. It shows the need for visible public protest to make sure that these officers do not receive special treatment.

In my mind, an officer of the law zapping an unarmed man in an empty jail cell is a more egregious crime than the inmate’s charge of stolen property. I recommend all local law enforcement get rid of Tasers. Perhaps a more appropriate use of Tasers might be to donate them to Donald Rumsfeld, who would be happy to see they are put to use on detainees in Guantanamo Bay and Abu Ghraib. Indeed, as American violence escalates in the Middle East, we are witnessing a growing movement toward harsh policing, mass imprisonment, and growing militarization within the United States.



Priorities for Justice About Us Meetings are every Saturday at 4 PM in the Independent Media Center in the downtown Urbana post office building.		ZAPPED! by Brian Dolinar Charges recently brought against a Champaign County Jail officer for using a Taser on an inmate justify the concerns that members in the community have raised over the use of Tasers. Sergeant William Alan Myers, a 13 year employee of the Champaign County Sheriff’s Office, was charged with aggravated battery in the use of a Taser gun and with obstruction of justice for lying to his supervisor about the incident. Champaign County has approved the use of Tasers, but their use in the cities of Urbana and Champaign has been met with opposition from the public. The illegal and inhumane use of a Taser gun by Sergeant Myers is one more reason why we do not need these weapons in our community. In February 2004, a coalition of local organizations, including C-U Citizens for Peace and Justice, Visionaries for Educating Youth and Adults (VEYA), and the Urban League, successfully rallied to stop the Champaign Police Department from purchasing 25 Tasers, saving taxpayers $30,000. These weapons, they said, were more likely to be used on African Americans. This claim was recently validated by statistics published the Champaign-Urbana News-Gazette. According to information gathered by journalists Jim Mitchell and Mike Monson, an overwhelming 64 percent of the people in the local area shot with Tasers in 2004 were black (10/23/05). In surrounding cities, these numbers are clearly disproportionate. In Rantoul, where 16.5 percent of the population is black, nine out of 13 people who were zapped with Tasers in 2004 were black. In Danville, where 24.1 percent of the citizens are black, 20 out of 27 people who were Tased were black. The use of Tasers among Champaign County police has been somewhat more representative of the population. Of the seven incidents where County sheriffs used Tasers, five were white, and two involved a black resident. In three incidents where sheriffs were called by police in Urbana and Champaign, two whites and one black citizen were Tased. These significantly reduced numbers could be attributed to the liberal attitude in this midwestern college town. More likely, it is the result of continued pressure from community organizations. No matter how much evidence is presented however, Champaign County Sherriff Dan Walsh still defends Tasers. At a press conference held the day after charges were brought against Sergeant Myers, Walsh said Tasers were still “a very effective tool of law enforcement when used properly.” The problem is that these “non-lethal” weapons can also be used incorrectly. As local jail activist Sandra Ahten observes, “In the high-stress situations that officers face, there is an almost natural tendency for them to respond with force that is beyond what is necessary. That is just one reason not to have this weapon at their easy disposal.” Sergeant Myers’ actions were apparently so out of line that his fellow correctional officers were the ones who turned him in. This fact alone casts great doubt upon the officer, let alone the bizarre circumstances where he Tased an inmate. Like guns, correctional officers are not allowed to carry Tasers in the jail, but have to go to a specific area to request them, suggesting premeditation on Myer’s part. As he should, Walsh praised the “professionalism and integrity” of the correctional officers who reported the incident. While these abuses are often dismissed as the actions of a few “bad apples,” they are only a glimpse into the abuse that goes on beyond prison walls and behind police doors. This is yet another reason why we need to establish citizen police review boards so citizens can file complaints that will be investigated by an outside source. Sergeant Myers has been suspended from the sheriff’s office and is scheduled to appear in court on Tuesday, December 6, 2005. Concerned citizens plan to meet at the Champaign County courthouse to ensure that Myers is properly prosecuted. As we saw in the recent accusations of rape against Officer Hjort of Urbana, without adequate public protest, charges of a serious nature were quickly dropped by a Special Prosecutor assigned by the State Attorney’s office. It shows the need for visible public protest to make sure that these officers do not receive special treatment. In my mind, an officer of the law zapping an unarmed man in an empty jail cell is a more egregious crime than the inmate’s charge of stolen property. I recommend all local law enforcement get rid of Tasers. Perhaps a more appropriate use of Tasers might be to donate them to Donald Rumsfeld, who would be happy to see they are put to use on detainees in Guantanamo Bay and Abu Ghraib. Indeed, as American violence escalates in the Middle East, we are witnessing a growing movement toward harsh policing, mass imprisonment, and growing militarization within the United States.