14 DAY TRIAL // Monday saw the posting on YouTube of a video related to a September the 14th incident between a Utah Highway Patrol trooper and a driver that was stopped for speeding.
Filmed from the dashboard camera of UHP trooper John Gardner's car, the video shows the whole sequence that started with him pulling over 28-year-old Jared Massey on U.S. 40 west of Vernal for allegedly speeding in a construction zone. The means through which the tape had become public were not clear to any of the UHP officials that were asked about it.
After Massey was pulled over it all became weird and strange to describe, really. Gardner approached the SUV and asked for the driver's license and registration at which point Massey asked for information about the speed he had been traveling but that only prompted the trooper to repeat his request instead of answering the simple question.
At one point after that, Gardner walks back to his car and returns to the SUV to let the driver that he's being cited for speeding but Massey refuses to sign the ticket while demanding that the trooper take him back and show him the 40 mph speed limit sign:
"What you're going to do - if you're giving me a ticket - in the first place, you're going to tell me why ... " Massey says. "For speeding," the trooper interjects. " ... and second of all we're going to go look for that 40 mph sign," Massey says. "Well you're going to sign this first," Gardner says. "No I am not. I'm not signing anything." Massey says.
While walking together back to the car of the trooper, the SUV driver is asked to put his hands behind his back. The request is repeated immediately with no reply from Massey as he sees Gardner pull out his Taser and pointing it towards him.
The next thing that happened was that Gardner fired his Taser into Massey's back as he tried to run to his SUV while crying "What the hell is wrong with you?". The unfortunate driver fell backward striking his head on the highway, an impact which caused a cut on his scalp.
He was then handcuffed and put in the car while still asking for explanations for his arrest. This just goes to convince us that not everyone should be allowed to wear a uniform and be given a weapon, be it non-lethal as it is.