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Cops Taser Seven-Month Pregnant Woman For Driving Offence

Posted: Updated: 17/05/2012 11:45

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When the US police officers who tasered seven-month pregnant Malaika Brooks three times won their right ‘not’ to be sued last October, you might have expected them to thank their lucky stars and creep away.

But no. Unhappy that the court highlighted their use of excessive force when they tasered a Seattle mother, stopped for driving 32 miles per hour in a school zone (the speed limit was 20) as she took her 11-year-old to school - the three Seattle police officers have asked the Supreme Court to hear an appeal that will establish whether their actions were ‘constitutional’.

The New York Times states: While the ruling left the three officers in the clear, it did put them and their colleagues on notice that some future uses of Tasers would cross a constitutional line and amount to excessive force.

Although they have already avoided being sued - as the court decide the law on the question was not clear - the cops are still keen to protect with they call “a useful pain technique”.

See Also: Alzheimer's Man 'Tasered' By UK Police

According to jezelbel.com, in the cops' defence, they thought Brooks was not pregnant, but simply ‘fat’.

After Brooks refused to sign the notice issued by the cops, assuming wrongly that signing was an acknowledgment of guilt, she was arrested - but would not leave her car.

They put the taser in "drive-stun mode," which delivers a "localised pain compliance option," which they said they knew was safe for pregnant women from their training. They then tased her once in the thigh, once on the arm, and once in the neck, reports Jezebel.com

Happily, in the months that followed, Brooks gave birth to healthy baby girl.

Speaking to The New York Times, the mother's lawyer, Michael F. Williams, said: “The officers are trying to defend inexcusable conduct. They inflicted enormous pain on a woman who was especially vulnerable over what was essentially a traffic violation.”

The justices of the Supreme Court are due to make decision on whether to hear the appeal next week.

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When the US police officers who tasered seven-month pregnant Malaika Brooks three times won their right ‘not’ to be sued last October, you might have expected them to thank their lucky stars and c...
When the US police officers who tasered seven-month pregnant Malaika Brooks three times won their right ‘not’ to be sued last October, you might have expected them to thank their lucky stars and c...
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Blessed999
1 Fans
03:16 PM on 06/08/2012
As a woman, and normal hard working citizen, i have to say that i see police as a highly stressed out bunch of men that cannot be fully trusted anymore. Whatever is causing their Dr Jackyl-Mr Hyde symptoms, they have to remember few things: I am the one that pays their wages from my tax so they depend on me for food. Second: if you have anger issues, and cannot be talked to normally, then please go and do Thought Field Therapy. I dont want to be tazered because police do not know how to distinguish dangerous criminals from pregnant women. Police today are dishonoring us.
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ginadeoliveira2008
Seen a shooting star tonight and I thought of you
661 Fans
09:24 PM on 05/27/2012
Using a taser three times on a woman who did not want to leave her car. What the f*****g kind of police is that?!
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Urbane Worrier
384 Fans
01:56 PM on 06/06/2012
lol!
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lokiesteve
72 Fans
12:19 PM on 05/18/2012
Speeding in a school zone then not cooperating with the police, sounds like she needs more than just a taser. I've seen a bone sticking out of a girl's leg due to drivers like her.
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jrainspe
26 Fans
11:26 AM on 05/18/2012
Likely NEXT story.

Cop - "Well your honor, the baby just wouldn't quit screaming so we thought we'd give it some 'pain compliance' treatment. Unfortunately, the assailant refused to submit and we turned the tasers up. We didn't know an infant's heart would stop just from tasering."

Judge - "Oh, well, that's a different story. I can understand your actions now. Perfectly justified."

I'm in contempt of court without going in one.
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motoroes
10 Fans
10:47 AM on 05/18/2012
The whole police force needs a major overhaul and an attitude adjustment.
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lemonfairydust
8 Fans
09:36 AM on 05/18/2012
Common sense would dictate that it should be against the law for police to use any weapon on a member of the public unless they are deemed a dangerous threat - armed or aggressive etc. Last time I checked it was not OK for someone to taser you because you refuse to leave your car?! The world has gone mad. Would it be OK for me to taser a policeman because he didn't do something I asked? No, I thought not. Yet again, one rule for the supposed 'law enforcers' and another for everyone else.
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palusila
0 Fans
06:57 AM on 05/18/2012
why should we be surprised? Here in England, over the past fifteen years or so, we have had the police shoot a man "armed" with a table leg in a carrier bag 'cos he "refused to put the weapon down" Another was shot, naked in his own bedroom, in the early hours of the morning, as the police burst in and he responded to being woken by people bursting into his bedroom, by leaping out of bed. the police said they thought he was armed! In neither of these cases was any officer deemed to have done anything wrong, so why should the USA be any different? Non compliance has, in the eyes of the police , become an offence. why should compliance be automatic and unquestioning though? that sort of "just following orders" mentality can be very dangerous!
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Makalha
Opinions are not facts.
110 Fans
10:38 AM on 05/18/2012
If the man was innocently walking along a road with a chair leg wrapped up in a carrier bag, why did he refuse to put it down when asked ? How are the police supposed to know that it was not a sawn off shotgun . The man naked in bed , I don't know why the house was being raided but I think it fair to assume the police thought he was a criminal especially as armed officers were there . . It isn't unheard of for criminals to take weapons to bed ! In the USA I am sure the police will assume that most people are armed .... I have seen clips of police approaching a car that has been stopped for speeding and the driver pulling a gun and shooting them. Maybe the police thought tazering a pregnant woman was less of a risk than trying to manhandle her from the car .
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jrainspe
26 Fans
11:23 AM on 05/18/2012
When the police raided a 69 year old womens home THINKING it was a drug distribution site, they kicked in the front door because the state had a "no knock" law. Well, the little old lady blew away the son of the head of the vice squad with a shot gun. Hmmm. Too bad. All the city could do was replace her front door and apologize. Maybe we should all use her as a role model. There's more of us than them, and there aren't enough of them to arrest everyone. They need to remember they are public SERVANTS.
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brinberlin
176 Fans
12:00 PM on 05/18/2012
The contortions you go through to 'justify' to yourself you abhorrent opinions would be hilarious if not so sad.
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stix158
18 Fans
03:50 PM on 05/18/2012
The police appear to take action against those that don't cooperate. Self preservation?, shoot first, ask questions later - Most people confronted with armed police would operate in compliance... self preservation.
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bigfletch
20 Fans
06:19 AM on 05/18/2012
Police...."Sorry your honor, we thought she was fat".....Judge....."Oh, I see. Thats ok then" !!!!!!!!!!!
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artisannes
34 Fans
 
02:14 AM on 05/18/2012
Tasers should only be used to quash a violent act from a suspect that might harm a police officer or an innocent passer by. A pregnant woman, sitting in her car surround by three armed policemen presented no danger to the officers (unless you count drowning if her waters broke) and they should feel ashamed of themselves. Police they may be, but they are not what constitutes a men in my eyes. It is to protect and to serve, not to taser and to send electric volts through an unborn child.
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Awura Adjoa
6 Fans
12:03 AM on 05/18/2012
This story defies belief!
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Whyalwaysme
34 Fans
12:33 AM on 05/18/2012
Only in America
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Markp2k
10 Fans
10:58 PM on 05/17/2012
why did she simply not conform and help to protect her child?
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edgeman au
61 Fans
11:41 PM on 05/17/2012
People are not always rational when under pressure , tazing a pregnant woman for non violent non-compliance is excessive force in my book , especially as the tazer is intended to replace lethal weapons in a confrontation not be a cattle prod for "do as i say" problems.
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niascot
0 Fans
01:14 AM on 05/18/2012
Well it said it was a misunderstanding, as she didn't want to sign a form issued, thinking it meant she was confessing and was guilty. Because she refused to sign and get out of the car immediately, they tazed her. I don't think she knew they would use tazers, she probably didn't even think she or her children would be in any danger
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Alleycatt
26 Fans
09:54 PM on 05/17/2012
i thought the idea of tasers, were for violent non compliant arrests, to be used as a last resort ?? now we have cops tasering mothers outside a school.. if she was heavly pregnant and there were 3 of them how do they need to use it at all? especially for a motoring offence !!! the police need to be brought in check...
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priveteboy
6 Fans
08:49 PM on 05/17/2012
on the one hand they say they though she was fat not pregnant then they say they set there taser in drive stun mode as there training says for pregnant woman,,,,, how can it be both they new she was pregnant and set there taser accordingly or they though she was just fat but set taser for a pregnant woman according to training lol
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
Steve Lane
130 Fans
08:46 PM on 05/17/2012
Why does every cop now think he is Judge Dredd? It is not their job to issue summary physical punishment.
It is time for a law that allows a suspect a defence if they use force to defend and protect against unreasonable police violence. It has been demonstrated time and again that there is no effective way to bring out of control police to account.
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