Story in Higher Ed, Library Journal, International Herald Tribune. This video of the incident is really viscerally repulsive. Maybe it's because I identify with the student and something like this happening in the UM Library seems so unthinkable.
First: What sort of police society assumes that people are going to always have ID with them? "Where are your papers?" -- Hmmm....remind anyone of Apartheid South Africa/Nazi Germany/Soviet Russia....? I certainly don't always have my student ID when I'm in the library
Second: Library administrators agree, fairly universally, that libraries should be open-access--a public university library, in particular, should not feel like there are "no trespassing" signs. The UM library is restricted to students after midnight, but that is mainly because there is not enough staff to keep it open to everyone.
Third: Repeatedly tazing a student after he has already been handcuffed (while trying to leave the building), when he couldn't possibly fight back, just because he won't stand up, is simply brutal. I wouldn't want to go with a couple of police officers who wouldn't identify themselves, either.
Fourth: I, personally, find racial profiling repulsive. I know many Americans disagree with me.
Fifth: Thank goodness for cell phone cameras.
Ultimately, it seems the cops just didn't like the attitude to authority the student was displaying. My brother thinks most cops go into the business because they are power-hungry and dumb. Maybe he's right. No one should get tazed because of an attitude.
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