A friend just asked me in a Gmail chat if I’d heard about the UCLA student being Tasered by police late Tuesday night. Apparently he was asked to leave the UCLA library but from there it gets murky. The report in the Daily Bruin, the UCLA student newspaper, identified the student as being Iranian-American, and eyewitness accounts implied there was an element of racial profiling in the vigorousness of the police officers’ actions.
The incident was captured on cell phone video — when my friend mentioned that in his "chat", the first thing I thought, and the first thing I asked him, was, "Is it on YouTube?" He didn’t know, but twenty seconds later I had my own answer: it was — several different ways.
Here’s the video, on YouTube, in a post that concentrates on the alleged racial aspect of the incident.
"Citizen journalism" strikes again.
That was absolutely horrifying.
Comment by Abby — November 16, 2006 @ 4:49 pm
I couldn’t see much in the YouTube video, but telling by the shrieks and screams, it sounds pretty traumatic. What is the story there? Why was he taken out? I can’t imagine it being because he’s Persian. I live in Westwood, and go to the UCLA library quite often when I go home. Both UCLA and that part of Los Angeles has an extremely large Iranian population. I know a lot of Iranians that go to UCLA, who I actually went to high school with. I just want to know what really happened! Crazy stuff. Thanks for bringing that up in your blog.
Comment by Celia Soudry — November 16, 2006 @ 5:02 pm
Yes, I found it absolutely horrifying, too. In fact, I wasn’t able to watch the whole video. I ended up turning off the sound, because his screams and cries were the most chilling part.
In answer to your questions, Celia, here are excerpts from the Daily Bruin article:
“Mostafa Tabatabainejad, a UCLA student, was repeatedly stunned with a Taser and then taken into custody when he did not exit the CLICC Lab in Powell Library in a timely manner. Community Service Officers had asked Tabatabainejad to leave after he failed to produce his BruinCard during a random check at around 11:30 p.m. Tuesday.
UCPD Assistant Chief of Police Jeff Young said the checks are a standard procedure in the library after 11 p.m.
Young said the CSOs on duty in the library at the time went to get UCPD officers when Tabatabainejad did not immediately leave, and UCPD officers resorted to use of the Taser when Tabatabainejad did not do as he was told.
Tabatabainejad was also stunned with the Taser when he was already handcuffed, said Carlos Zaragoza, a third-year English and history student who witnessed the incident.
Tabatabainejad was walking with his backpack toward the door when he was approached by two UCPD officers, one of whom grabbed the student’s arm. In response, Tabatabainejad yelled at the officers to “get off me.” Following this demand, Tabatabainejad was stunned with a Taser.”
Tabatabainejad was released from custody after being given a citation for obstruction/delay of a peace officer in the performance of duty.
Comment by Jane — November 16, 2006 @ 10:19 pm
Library Cops Take Things WAY Too Seriously
My friend blogged about this yesterday: http://janerichard.typepad.com/jane_r...
Comment by tribe.net: janerichard.typepad.com — November 17, 2006 @ 3:15 pm