Tazered UCLA student now claims racial profiling and is filing a lawsuit

[Terminator]

LOS ANGELES- A student who was shocked by a campus police officer's Taser gun after he refused to show ID at a UCLA library thought he was being singled out by the officer because of his Middle Eastern appearance, his lawyer said.

Attorney Stephen Yagman said he plans to file a federal civil rights lawsuit on behalf of the U.S.-born student, Mostafa Tabatabainejad.

Tabatabainejad, 23, was shocked Tuesday night after arguing with a campus police officer who was conducting a routine check of student IDs at the University of California, Los Angeles Powell Library computer lab.

Yagman said his client declined to show his school ID because he thought he was being targeted for his appearance. His family is of Iranian descent.

Police have said Tabatabainejad encouraged others at the library to join his resistance, and when a crowd gathered, the officer used the stun gun on him.

Yagman disputed that, saying Tabatabainejad started yelling to draw attention after the police officer pulled out the Taser.

Tabatabainejad was arrested for resisting and obstructing a police officer and later released on his own recognizance.

The incident, recorded on another student's camera phone, showed Tabatabainejad screaming while on the floor of the computer lab. It was the third time in a month in which police behavior in the city was criticized after amateur video surfaced.

UCLA's interim chancellor, Norman Abrams, urged the public to withhold judgment while the campus police department investigates.

Several civil rights organizations, including Amnesty International and the Council on American-Islamic Relations, have called for an independent review.

[10-42Adam]

I hope he loses and wastes all his time and money. He didn't cooperate with the Officers, he deserved what he got. Enough said!

[TacticalTim]

Do as I say your going to flop on the floor like a fish. I hate, yep I said hate the ACLU. Another "I was targeted because of" lawsuit to waste of our time. Really doing what your asked to do by a man/woman with a gun, tazer, handcuffs, baton and spray should be a no brainer!

[Buttercup]

I hope he loses and wastes all his time and money. He didn't cooperate with the Officers, he deserved what he got. Enough said!

I agree.

[OFK]

What really pisses me off is that people should be fucking grateful that police are doing their job and trying to keep it safe and when they try and do their job, it turns into something like this shit. Had this person actually been a threat and something happened, who is the first to be blamed? Of course the cops for not doing their job.

[General Patten]

...go figure...

[Piggybank Cop]

“Tazered UCLA student now claims racial profiling and is filing a lawsuit “

Completely incorrect it was stupid profiling.

Stupid is not an endangered species.

[Aegis]

I heard somewhere that in Canada if you file a lawsuit and lose, that you are required to pay damages.

Any of our Canadian members able to confirm/deny/clarify that for us?

That would be a great way to curtail some of these B.S. lawsuits in the U.S.

[TheOldRhino]

I agree, Aegis. I've always said our courts should be changed so that the civil court is on a "Loser pays" system. Which means if you are the loser in the civil case, you are responsible for the other side's attourney fees- seperate from anything awarded by the court.

It would certainly cut down on a lot of the bullshit lawsuits that are clogging up the system today.