The UCLA police officer videotaped last week using a taser gun on a student studying at a library shot a homeless man at a campus study hall room three years ago and was earlier recommended for dismissal in connection with an alleged assault on a student on fraternity row.
UCLA police confirmed late Monday that the officer who fired the taser gun was Terrence Duren, who has served in the university’s police department for 18 years.
Duren was named officer of the year in 2001 but also been involved several controversial incidents on campus.
More about Officer Duren and the incident — including the video — after the jump.
The UCLA police officer videotaped last week using a taser gun on a student studying at a library shot a homeless man at a campus study hall room three years ago and was earlier recommended for dismissal in connection with an alleged assault on a student on fraternity row.
UCLA police confirmed late Monday that the officer who fired the taser gun was Terrence Duren, who has served in the university’s police department for 18 years.
Duren was named officer of the year in 2001 but also been involved several controversial incidents on campus.
More about Officer Duren and the incident — including the video — after the jump.
The UCLA police officer videotaped last week using a taser gun on a student studying at a library shot a homeless man at a campus study hall room three years ago and was earlier recommended for dismissal in connection with an alleged assault on a student on fraternity row.
UCLA police confirmed late Monday that the officer who fired the taser gun was Terrence Duren, who has served in the university’s police department for 18 years.
Duren was named officer of the year in 2001 but also been involved several controversial incidents on campus.
More about Officer Duren and the incident — including the video — after the jump.
The incident occurred about 11 p.m. last Tuesday in a library filled with students studying for midterm examinations.
Mostafa Tabatabainejad, a 23-year-old senior, was asked by Duren and other university police officers for his ID as part of a routine nightly procedure to make sure that everyone using the library after 11 p.m. is a student or otherwise authorized to be there.
Authorities said Tabatabainejad refused repeated requests to provide identification or to leave. The officers decided to use the Taser to incapacitate Tabatabainejad after he went limp while they were escorting him out and urged other library patrons to join his resistance, according to the university’s account.
The student’s cellphone video shows portions of the incident, in which Tabatabainejad can be heard screaming in pain when the Taser shocks are administered.
The tape has been broadcast on You Tube and TV newscast and prompted widespread criticism both on campus and from outsiders. On Friday, more than 200 student held a march to the police station while the acting chancellor Norman Abrams tried to quell the critics by announcing an independent investigation of the taser use. Abrams said UCLA had received numerous emails and calls from concerned alumni and parents.
Tabatabainejad’s attorney, Stephen Yagman, said his client refused to show his ID because he thought he was being singled out for his Middle Eastern appearance and was hit with the taser shock five times. Tabatabainejad is of Iranian descent but is a U.S. citizen by birth and a resident of Los Angeles.
Details here from the Los Angeles Times.
Here’s the video (t’s not very clear, but Tabatabainejad’s screams are . . . .):
Join the conversation!