When I heard about three police offers who wound up using a taser on a pregnant woman in Seattle, my first thought was that the story was some kind of a joke. Cops tasering a pregnant woman? In some sort of attempt to subdue her? For real?! You gotta be kidding me.
Apparently these three officers became enraged when they pulled Malaika Brooks over for a moving violation while driving her 11-year-old son to school, and she refused to sign the ticket they gave her because she didn't want to admit being guilty when she didn't feel she'd done anything wrong. But in the state of Washington, it's a crime to refuse to sign a ticket -- so they proceeded to arrest her. When Malaika then refused to get out of her car because she was in her last trimester of pregnancy, the cops must have felt really threatened -- because that's when they tased her on her leg, arm, and neck.
And that's where this case gets even crazier. Not only was she convicted for not signing the ticket, but after suing the officers because of pain and scars the taser left behind -- the circuit court ruled in their favor! But apparently getting away with using a stun gun on a preggo wasn't enough for these guys, because now they've appealed their case to the Supreme Court in the hopes of getting a final ruling that they were not in the wrong by tasing Brooks. (Whaaattt?)
Who exactly do these guys think they are? First they use a stun gun on a woman who was carrying a child in her womb, and then after being told it was ok, they want additional justification for their actions?
It sounds to me like this has much more to do with these officers' egos than with whether or not using the taser was right or wrong. Honestly, were they really that afraid of this woman making a run for it and getting away from them? I was lucky if I could make it up the stairs in my house during my last trimester, and there's definitely no way I could've outrun a cop. Don't these men realize that by shedding more light on the incident, they are only making themselves look like a bunch of wusses?
I guess we can only hope that the Supreme Court finds their appeal as laughable as most people will. They had their day in court already, and it's time to let it go. But just to be on the safe side, I'd suggest complying with cops if you are unfortunate enough to be pulled over during your pregnancy. Signing a ticket is definitely a better option than getting tasered.
Do you think these cops had any other choice but to taser Malaika Brooks?
Image via LizMarie_AK/Flickr
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Comments 315
Uhm... wait, what? Yes, they did have another choice, that choice being NOT TO TASE THE PREGNANT WOMAN WHO POSES ZERO THREAT TO YOU!!!!
We ALL make decisions that come w/ consequence's! So, had she JUST signed the ticket, NONE of this would have happened. Should a pregnant woman be tased? I guess it just depends, because had she had a gun she would have been SHOT, no matter if pregnant or not, If you act like a criminal you will be treated like one. She brought this ALL on herself, by not signing a damn ticket, then refusing arrest. Sounds like to me, she doesn't think the law is the law... I hope for her unborn babies sake, he/she was ok, because I could go a step further, and say SHE caused HARM to her unborn baby, by her actions. Not to mention her other child learned a lesson on how to act w/ authority!
i can't believe i live in a country where a pregnant woman can get electrocuted for not signing a piece of paper. I am doubly ashamed to live in a world of SHEEP who have been brainwashed into thinking that somehow that is ok. cops are just people in a fancy suit, and nine times out of ten, they are pretty full of themselves. can someone at least tell me why at the very least they didn't just zap her the ONCE. I could just about look the other way over ONCE, but THREE TIMES??? has any of you ever been hit with a taser? i assure you, ONCE is enough!
They shouldn't have tased her. That was just too over the top.
Thats madness and also 2 wrongs don't make a right she should have signed the ticket and the cops should not have tasered a pregnant women that is just morally wrong seeing as how she didn't have a weapon of any sort. I also hope the child is ok I have no idea what that could do to unborn children.
While I truely believe 3 armed officers could have easily gotten her out of the car and detained her in a different way she did break the law. Personally if I was the officer and she was pregnant tasing would most definently be my last option. I do say this if there was anything wrong when that babys born she has one hell of a lawsuit!
What in the world hope God forgive those idiots for trying to kill a baby and yes they seen she was pregnant! 3RD TRIMESTER!!!! There were other way of dealing with that not by being shot with 3 stun guns! What about the 11 year old was he in the car watching all this going down??! Police think they are justified to do anything and hide behind a badge!! Check your options first!! Prayers to the lady and her unborn baby!
So here is the update on this situation.
A U.S. appeals court in San Francisco yesterday ruled that the Seattle woman was the victim of excessive force when Seattle police Tasered the then-seven-months-pregnant Brooks with a stun gun three times. But the court also said the three officers involved cannot be sued by Brooks in U.S. court. They have qualified immunity from any legal action because laws regarding stun-gun use were unclear at the time of the incident. Brooks' Seattle attorney Eric Zubell still hadn't been able to reach Brooks late yesterday to ask whether she wanted to continue the lawsuit, but there's a chance she could. "At least the appeals court agreed the police were clearly out of line by Tazing her," Zubel says. "We could still pursue a civil assault-and-battery claim in the state courts if she so chooses."