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A nearly seven-minute video, which was recorded by an onlooker with his cellphone, shows Officer Terry Mahan tasing Viola Young in the back Tuesday as she walked away from him in the middle of a city street in broad daylight. Young went motionless before falling face-first onto the pavement.

Police Chief Michael DeLeo held a middle-of-the-night news conference to announce the measures taken against Mahan. The department also released the cellphone video, posting it to the department's YouTube channel.

The incident, which happened about 5:20 p.m. in Frenchtown, sparked vocal outrage among those who witnessed it. One woman can be heard on the video repeatedly screaming, "Oh my God!"

"They just tased a lady for nothing," one man can be heard saying on the video. "They wonder why they're hated."

DeLeo, in the news conference, said that based on the video, he had "enough concerns" to place Mahan on leave and conduct an internal investigation.

"We will conduct a thorough investigation into this incident," he said. "We want to be transparent with the community by sharing what we can at this point. The investigation will determine if the officer's actions were legal and if those actions were consistent with the expectations I have set for our officers in terms of how we respect and treat our citizens."

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DeLeo, hired late last year, has since been trying to repair the Police Department's relationship with the community. TPD also changed its use-of-force protocols, calling for officers to "de-escalate" encounters with citizens or suspects.

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ORIGINAL: ThirdWheelWanted

The only thing I have to say regarding this is that the woman had been told she was under arrest, decided that she didn't feel like being arrested, pulled away from the officer and started walking away. It might be nice if people stopped acting as if they're immune from the repercussions of ignoring the police. However, you would think that two officers should have been able to make the arrest without resorting to a Taser.

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ORIGINAL: ThirdWheelWanted

It might be nice if people stopped acting as if they're immune from the repercussions of ignoring the police.

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ORIGINAL: BamaD

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ORIGINAL: ThirdWheelWanted

The only thing I have to say regarding this is that the woman had been told she was under arrest, decided that she didn't feel like being arrested, pulled away from the officer and started walking away. It might be nice if people stopped acting as if they're immune from the repercussions of ignoring the police. However, you would think that two officers should have been able to make the arrest without resorting to a Taser.

The only argument for Taser vs subduing by more direct means would be if they thought they were less likely to injure her with the Taser, and that is pretty thin.

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ORIGINAL: thishereboi

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ORIGINAL: BamaD

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ORIGINAL: ThirdWheelWanted

The only thing I have to say regarding this is that the woman had been told she was under arrest, decided that she didn't feel like being arrested, pulled away from the officer and started walking away. It might be nice if people stopped acting as if they're immune from the repercussions of ignoring the police. However, you would think that two officers should have been able to make the arrest without resorting to a Taser.

The only argument for Taser vs subduing by more direct means would be if they thought they were less likely to injure her with the Taser, and that is pretty thin.

They could have grabbed her but then there is the chance that she would fight back and then people would be crying that those big bad cops beat up that poor women. Pepper spray is hard to control and depends on the wind. It would be a difficult situation no matter what they did. The taser stopped her and she walked away from it so she might consider herself lucky and the next time a cop tells her to stop maybe she will listen. I also think it's great that the admin acted so quickly. It will be interesting to see what they do next.

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ORIGINAL: thishereboi

They could have grabbed her but then there is the chance that she would fight back and then people would be crying that those big bad cops beat up that poor women. Pepper spray is hard to control and depends on the wind. It would be a difficult situation no matter what they did. The taser stopped her and she walked away from it so she might consider herself lucky and the next time a cop tells her to stop maybe she will listen. I also think it's great that the admin acted so quickly. It will be interesting to see what they do next.

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ORIGINAL: eulero83

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ORIGINAL: thishereboi

They could have grabbed her but then there is the chance that she would fight back and then people would be crying that those big bad cops beat up that poor women. Pepper spray is hard to control and depends on the wind. It would be a difficult situation no matter what they did. The taser stopped her and she walked away from it so she might consider herself lucky and the next time a cop tells her to stop maybe she will listen. I also think it's great that the admin acted so quickly. It will be interesting to see what they do next.

So they used the taser to be sure that people would complain about it.

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ORIGINAL: ThirdWheelWanted

The only thing I have to say regarding this is that the woman had been told she was under arrest, decided that she didn't feel like being arrested, pulled away from the officer and started walking away. It might be nice if people stopped acting as if they're immune from the repercussions of ignoring the police. However, you would think that two officers should have been able to make the arrest without resorting to a Taser.

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ORIGINAL: Gauge

It normally never goes well.

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ORIGINAL: stef

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ORIGINAL: Gauge

It normally never goes well.

Play stupid games, win stupid prizes.

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ORIGINAL: MrRodgers

.....but on what charge ? Police still cannot just arbitrarily arrest someone for what is reported, just asking questions about someone they had questioned or arrested.

What the courts will likely decide is that without a very good reason to arrest the woman the officer may face an assault conviction and the city...a lawsuit.

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ORIGINAL: eulero83

So they used the taser to be sure that people would complain about it.

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ORIGINAL: ThirdWheelWanted

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ORIGINAL: eulero83

So they used the taser to be sure that people would complain about it.

Because people wouldn't have complained if two white cops had restrained her? Or had to bring her to the ground by force? This just seems like another unwinable situation for the police, anything they could have done would have been wrong and they'd have been branded as racist thugs.

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ORIGINAL: eulero83

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ORIGINAL: ThirdWheelWanted

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ORIGINAL: eulero83

So they used the taser to be sure that people would complain about it.

Because people wouldn't have complained if two white cops had restrained her? Or had to bring her to the ground by force? This just seems like another unwinable situation for the police, anything they could have done would have been wrong and they'd have been branded as racist thugs.

ok maybe I was not clear enough, the problem (and the reason people are complaining) is the cop choosed an option that is painfull and dangerouse when the woman was not posing a threat, so when the question is "why did you choose to use unnecessary violence?" the answer "people would have complained any way, so why not?" makes you sound like a sadist because it sounds that pain you caused is a punishment for not compalining and for what I understand of your costitution this contrasts the 8th amendement.

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ORIGINAL: thishereboi

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ORIGINAL: eulero83

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ORIGINAL: ThirdWheelWanted

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ORIGINAL: eulero83
So they used the taser to be sure that people would complain about it.

Because people wouldn't have complained if two white cops had restrained her? Or had to bring her to the ground by force? This just seems like another unwinable situation for the police, anything they could have done would have been wrong and they'd have been branded as racist thugs.

ok maybe I was not clear enough, the problem (and the reason people are complaining) is the cop choosed an option that is painfull and dangerouse when the woman was not posing a threat, so when the question is "why did you choose to use unnecessary violence?" the answer "people would have complained any way, so why not?" makes you sound like a sadist because it sounds that pain you caused is a punishment for not compalining and for what I understand of your costitution this contrasts the 8th amendement.

And how would you have stopped her from walking away?

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ORIGINAL: thishereboi

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ORIGINAL: eulero83

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ORIGINAL: ThirdWheelWanted

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ORIGINAL: eulero83

So they used the taser to be sure that people would complain about it.

Because people wouldn't have complained if two white cops had restrained her? Or had to bring her to the ground by force? This just seems like another unwinable situation for the police, anything they could have done would have been wrong and they'd have been branded as racist thugs.

ok maybe I was not clear enough, the problem (and the reason people are complaining) is the cop choosed an option that is painfull and dangerouse when the woman was not posing a threat, so when the question is "why did you choose to use unnecessary violence?" the answer "people would have complained any way, so why not?" makes you sound like a sadist because it sounds that pain you caused is a punishment for not compalining and for what I understand of your costitution this contrasts the 8th amendement.

And how would you have stopped her from walking away?

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ORIGINAL: ThirdWheelWanted

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ORIGINAL: MrRodgers

.....but on what charge ? Police still cannot just arbitrarily arrest someone for what is reported, just asking questions about someone they had questioned or arrested.

What the courts will likely decide is that without a very good reason to arrest the woman the officer may face an assault conviction and the city...a lawsuit.

As I understand it, the police had arrested several boys/men on drug charges. The woman came over and kept trying to involve herself in the situation. She was told to step back so that the scene could be secured. She refused and kept trying to interfere. When told that she was under arrest, she pulled away from the officer, then turned and began walking away. So as far as charges go, failure to comply with a lawful order, interfering with police/obstructing, resisting arrest, and possibly assault. I doubt she'll be charged, too much public outcry, but that's what she could be charged with.

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ORIGINAL: Zonie63

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ORIGINAL: ThirdWheelWanted



As I understand it, the police had arrested several boys/men on drug charges. The woman came over and kept trying to involve herself in the situation. She was told to step back so that the scene could be secured. She refused and kept trying to interfere. When told that she was under arrest, she pulled away from the officer, then turned and began walking away. So as far as charges go, failure to comply with a lawful order, interfering with police/obstructing, resisting arrest, and possibly assault. I doubt she'll be charged, too much public outcry, but that's what she could be charged with.

If the police just wanted her to step back, and that's what she was doing by walking away, then why not just let her go? The charges against her will likely be dropped; no jury would convict her. The officer has been suspended and could lose his job, and the city will likely be sued. The repercussions of letting her go would have been far less than what they're facing now.

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ORIGINAL: ThirdWheelWanted

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ORIGINAL: Zonie63

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ORIGINAL: ThirdWheelWanted



As I understand it, the police had arrested several boys/men on drug charges. The woman came over and kept trying to involve herself in the situation. She was told to step back so that the scene could be secured. She refused and kept trying to interfere. When told that she was under arrest, she pulled away from the officer, then turned and began walking away. So as far as charges go, failure to comply with a lawful order, interfering with police/obstructing, resisting arrest, and possibly assault. I doubt she'll be charged, too much public outcry, but that's what she could be charged with.

If the police just wanted her to step back, and that's what she was doing by walking away, then why not just let her go? The charges against her will likely be dropped; no jury would convict her. The officer has been suspended and could lose his job, and the city will likely be sued. The repercussions of letting her go would have been far less than what they're facing now.

Except that's not what happened. She was told to step back, she refused. It was only after she was told that she was under arrest that she decided to leave. At that point, it's not her choice. Had she left when she was told to do so, that's one thing, but she didn't. You can't just decide that you don't feel like being arrested and walk away.

And you're right, she probably won't be charged. Not because she isn't guilty, but because they're afraid of a riot. She broke the law, but of course she's going to get a pass.