Tasering a student

A student was tasered in the UCLA library by campus police. The student was unable to produce a student ID while using the computer lab. It was late at night. Here is a story in from the Daily Bruin. Video is also available from YouTube. Warning, I found the video disturbing.

According to the article in the Daily Bruin, the student was asked to leave after not being able to produce a student ID card. This is normal in bigger libraries, especially computer labs. This is a way to ensure the safety of other students. It can also be a legal issue if students are using databases purchased by the library and university. But according to eyewitnesses, the student did not leave immediately, and officers returned to escort him out. By this time, the student was making his way towards the door.

Here is a more detailed account from NBC4 in LA.

I don't know what caused the officers to taser him. The YouTube video starts with him yelling at the officers "Don't touch me!" According to the NBC article, he went limp after police tried to escort him out. But student witnesses (in the same article) said they felt the student was leaving on his own will when officers were holding him and then had him on the ground. The same witness said it was so disturbing to watch, he isn't sure, but he said the student appeared to be more than willing to leave.

Security in a library can be tough. You have a lot of people in one building. There is a lot of expensive equipment not to mention students who can be harmed, items to be stolen etc. I know there have been cases of sexual assault in some large academic libraries.

I don't know why this student was tasered. I don't know if he threatened the officers. If he threatened students. Did he just refused to leave? I can't think of many things that would make officers taser someone as many times as they did this person. When he failed to stand up, he was tasered repeatedly. I think it would be difficult for me to stand up after I had been tasered, too. Student witnesses told officers to stop. They followed the officers and students out of the computer lab. I don't consider this gawking, I consider this witnessing.

Students began to ask for officers badge numbers and yelling (more) at them to stop. They questioned what was happening. And they had every right to. This is their library. This is their space. If this can happen to one student, many may wonder if it could happen to them.

I don't know what to say about this. I would be mortified if this happened in my library, and I would demand to know why it happened. The student was not able to comply with library/computer lab rules and was asked to leave -- this is a normal protocol for many libraries. But what caused this next step? What brought on the tasering? Why was it necessary?