Thread: Cop Tasers Teen On Bike, Runs Over Him With Police Car

Pensacola Officer Fires Taser at Teen on Bike From Moving Car and Then Runs Over the Teen « JONATHAN TURLEY


... A judge has ruled, however, that the officer responsible committed no crime in the death of Steen.
Officer Jerald Ard spotted the teen is a vacant construction site and ordered him to stop. When the teen took off on his bike, the officer pursued him and fired a taser at Steen through his car window in 2009. He then ran over the boy with his cruiser — killing him.
Here are excerpts from Ard’s disciplinary report. The report includes the following finding:

After reviewing the video evidence in this incident, I believe that the pursuit did expose the subject to unreasonable risk of harm or injury. At times in the pursuit, Officer Ard drove his cruiser so close to the suspect’s bike that it would have been difficult if not impossible for him to stop if the suspect fell from the bike. I also found it disturbing that Officer Ard attempted to tase the suspect on a bike as he rode next to him. If this action would have been successful, it is very possible that the suspect would have sustained serious injuries from the fall.

The teen was the fourth person who died in Florida in 2009 and the 57th such death since 2001. St. Petersburg was cited by Amnesty International as a city with the highest fatalities in the nation from such tasers.
The family is now filing a lawsuit in the matter.

i don't think the officer intended to run over him but he did act in a manner that put the boy at unreasonable risk and that behavior caused this kid's death. he should be punished. accidental death caused by negligence while operating a vehicle? wouldn't that be vehicular manslaughter? and yes, it seems pretty obvious he planted the gun.

Corruption in America? Shananigans!

The boy put himself in the position to be hurt. Some times the repercussions for shitty decision making choices suck.

As for planting the gun. I didn't watch the whole clip

Mmmmmm I dont know. Shooting the gun out of the car was fucking downright stupid. However, what does he do then? Runnin gover him was clearly an accident and the fact that the first thing he requested was an EMS then asked "are you alright" implicated remorse for a fuck up.

As far as planting the gun, bah. I wouldve done it too.

it makes me angry every time I see a cop.

Here in tampa is like it's open season on them. Almost every day here there are news stories of either a cop dead or wounded. I feel for their families but I have no sympathy for them.

Originally Posted by Richard Gears

Only in america will a cop do a drive by with a taser.

True. In Cuba, everywhere in Central America but Costa Rica, all of South America, and all countries in Indonesia, Malaysia and Southeast Asia, the cops would have just popped the kid with a 9mm, THEN ran over the body. The exception is Singapore, where'd they'd probably use an MP5 full auto.

One thing I've learned being out here in South LA is that you never ever run from a cop. They'll get all hyped up from PCS (post-chase syndrome) where they almost feel obligated to do something to you. Bad move every time...

If you don't want to end up like Amadu Dialo (sp?) or Abner Louima then just keep quiet and don't fight/run.

Originally Posted by IainDaniel

The boy put himself in the position to be hurt. Some times the repercussions for shitty decision making choices suck.

As for planting the gun. I didn't watch the whole clip

You might consider watching the whole clip.



From that video, the emergency personnel didn't even remove him from under the officer's vehicle and there was no attempt at CPR.





That video reveals the coroner's statement that the taser hit the teenager's shirt but never penetrated his skin.

And as Little Wing posted, the judge decided that the officer did not commit a crime.



The Florida Highway Patrol stated it would have been impossible for the officer to avoid hitting the teenager.



How about if the officer wasn't speeding in a patrol car directly on the tail of the bicycle? Would he have hit the boy then?

R.I.P. Victor Steen.

I hope the family's civil suit destroys the guilty. Yes, the boy could very well be a little jerk. And, yes, he made a mistake in riding away from the officer. But he didn't deserve to be run over and killed by an officer who didn't have control of his vehicle.

Plus there was no mention of an investigation as to whether or not the officer planted the gun on the young man. Were any of his friends questioned as to whether or not Steen was a gangbanger or possessed a handgun?

Lesson learned?

Absolutely it sucks that he died. sure the Cop made some poor choices.

However the boys actions to run, put him in that situation.

Do the results equal the punishment. fuck no. But life isn't fair.... Don't play with fire you won't get burned.

Unacceptable.

The officer went beyond simply making a "poor choice". He acted recklessly and the result was the death of a citizen. An unnecessary and unwarranted death.

Originally Posted by Richard Gears

Only in america will a cop do a drive by with a taser.

LOL, this gave me quite a good laugh, thanks.

Originally Posted by Curt James

Unacceptable.

The officer went beyond simply making a "poor choice". He acted recklessly and the result was the death of a citizen. An unnecessary and unwarranted death.

And the poor choice wouldn't have occurred if he didn't run, or get himself into a position that he felt the need to run in the first place.

By no means am I justifying the officers actions.

I just don't get why people can't be responsible for there own stupidity anymore.

^Apparently the officer hasn't been responsible for his own actions either.

• Wouldn't you have moved your car off the person after hitting him?
• Would you have planted a gun on the suspect?
• Was it provocation enough to race after the young man on the grounds that he... looked suspicious?
• Was it intelligent to race on the tail of a boy on a bicycle with a 4,000-pound vehicle?

This is indeed a case, that because of the lack of knowledge of what a tasser can do to some, but not to others. In whereas, it can make us very unaware how quickly changes can or could occur.

Jesus, ran over him! This is indeed bad, no matter that the male ran, but the additional information upon the 9 mm then planted, sounds off, but with additional background with discovery,by counsel... the gun will or should prove evident that of a plant or of a bogus stunt to make the PD more at shame.

Ran over, WTF!

Originally Posted by Nightowl

This is indeed a case, that because of the lack of knowledge of what a tasser can do to some, but not to others. In whereas, it can make us very unaware how quickly changes can or could occur.

Jesus, ran over him! This is indeed bad, no matter that the male ran, but the additional information upon the 9 mm then planted, sounds off, but with additional background with discovery,by counsel... the gun will or should prove evident that of a plant or of a bogus stunt to make the PD more at shame.

Ran over, WTF!

The coroner actually determined that the taser hit the boy's shirt but never penetrated his skin.

The judge decided that the officer committed no crime, however there was a lot that was totally messed up about this scenario.

The officer did a U turn, swerved to the wrong side of the street, and drove on the sidewalk in his attempt to apprehend the young man. An investigator was suspicious enough of what he had seen in the video to ask the officer if he had planted the gun.

Again, I hope the guilty are destroyed by the civil suit.

Someone explain to me why an individual would become a cop ?

It can't be for pay.

Maybe it's a job for people who never could earn respect for themselves so they go into a career where people are forced to respect them ?

maybe they just want to hurt another human being and it be "legal"

Originally Posted by Curt James

^Apparently the officer hasn't been responsible for his own actions either.

• Wouldn't you have moved your car off the person after hitting him?
• Would you have planted a gun on the suspect?
• Was it provocation enough to race after the young man on the grounds that he... looked suspicious?
• Was it intelligent to race on the tail of a boy on a bicycle with a 4,000-pound vehicle?

I am not disagreeing with anything against the officer. Poor choices and he should be held accountable.

He made a stupid choice to run from the officer. Repercussions from those actions don't have bounds. Be a law abiding citizen and you wont deal with this shit.

Originally Posted by ROID

Someone explain to me why an individual would become a cop ?

It can't be for pay.

Maybe it's a job for people who never could earn respect for themselves so they go into a career where people are forced to respect them ?

maybe they just want to hurt another human being and it be "legal"

In some areas it is for pay. While not a lot of money to some for the local beat, CHP(california highway patrol) make upwards of 75K within their first couple years. Retirement is 90% of their highest paid year. Imagine retiring making 65K a year after doing your 20.

For others, it is their chance to give payback on all the other kids that excelled in school

Originally Posted by suprfast

In some areas it is for pay. While not a lot of money to some for the local beat, CHP(california highway patrol) make upwards of 75K within their first couple years. Retirement is 90% of their highest paid year. Imagine retiring making 65K a year after doing your 20.

For others, it is their chance to give payback on all the other kids that excelled in school

Or maybe it is an opportunity to be a positive influence and role model in your community.

Pay is definitely a plus... Job security, good pension.

Originally Posted by IainDaniel

I am not disagreeing with anything against the officer. Poor choices and he should be held accountable.

He made a stupid choice to run from the officer. Repercussions from those actions don't have bounds. Be a law abiding citizen and you wont deal with this shit.

good point.

You know I am numb to this shit anymore, people getting all up in arms because a cop did something to someone who was being a total idiot in the first place.....the cop could have pulled up and blew his brains out for all I care, maybe it's because I have a migraine today I don't know but it just seems like I can't figure out why we get all watery eyed over someone dumb enough to try to outrun a cop on a bicycle in the first place....

Ok........if the suspect commited a felony, the officer was justified in his actions. If it was just a MM,he was not. You can always catch the suspect another day.

Originally Posted by IainDaniel

I am not disagreeing with anything against the officer. Poor choices and he should be held accountable.

He made a stupid choice to run from the officer. Repercussions from those actions don't have bounds. Be a law abiding citizen and you wont deal with this shit.

Can you rephrase that for me? Because I believe I'm misinterpreting what you actually mean.

They most certainly should have bounds.

An officer asks you for your license and registration.

You refuse.

He shoots you.

Is that okay?

No bounds? You sure about that?

Then he pulls a package from his patrol car and five minutes later your dead body is discovered in your car slumped over your steering wheel with a 45 caliber pistol on your lap.

Originally Posted by maniclion

You know I am numb to this shit anymore, people getting all up in arms because a cop did something to someone who was being a total idiot in the first place.....

He was a teenager riding his bicycle.

Call it "resisting arrest" if you must, if the letter of the law allows that, but I call it a kid on a bike.

One of the YouTube videos - unless I missed the part where the kid was dealing drugs, shooting up the neighborhood, raping kittens, and eating souls - stated the officer thought he looked suspicious.

Originally Posted by maniclion

the cop could have pulled up and blew his brains out for all I care, maybe it's because I have a migraine today I don't know but it just seems like I can't figure out why we get all watery eyed over someone dumb enough to try to outrun a cop on a bicycle in the first place....

One narrow alley instead of that open lot and the child might still be alive.

Hopefully there will be a follow up that reveals the teen as a murderer or a rapist. That will somehow make me feel better about that judge deciding no crime was committed.

Originally Posted by dg806

Ok........if the suspect commited a felony, the officer was justified in his actions. If it was just a MM,he was not. You can always catch the suspect another day.

I'd like clarification or some additional details there. It's my understanding that all the officer had was a kid on a bike, riding away from him.

i thought he just meant there's no guarantee things will not go heinously wrong. like deciding to sky dive.

^"Repercussions from those actions don't have bounds."

That's why I asked him to rephrase it. What I took from it was that an officer has no bounds on his response.

the death would not have occurred if the officer didn't act stupid. he should be punished. i think there are laws that you can't endanger a citizen in a pursuit unless certain requirements are met. it's disappointing this man won't be held accountable. i don't see any disagreement with that. it's stupid and dangerous to run. if he hadn't he'd be alive. he's responsible too. his death was accidental but either of them could have prevented it.