All it took was a snitch to say that Stuart Wright was a felon on the run and the police ran up in a community basketball game and tasered him on the court!! It turns out Stuart Wright was Stuart Wright, not the man the snitch claimed he was…. as for the police? They thought Mr. Wright was going to hit a deputy.
Surveillance Video Shows Feds Taser Metro Man in Mistaken ID Case
Wait for the commercial to end then the video will play… MUST SEE!!!!!!
http://www.fox4kc.com/news/wdaf-story-taser-mistake-marshals-041609,0,4275021.story
GRANDVIEW, MO – A metro man and father of four found himself caught up in a case of mistaken identity after he was yanked off a community center basketball court and tasered by U.S. Marshals.
Surveillance video released on Friday shows Stuart Wright, 30, was playing basketball at the Grandview Community Center when U.S. Marshals, acting on a tip from an informant, surrounded him with guns drawn and hit him with a Taser.
“I just heard all this commotion and screaming, and as I turned I heard this gentleman screaming and he had a gun pointed at me,” said Wright. “And as I put my hands up I guess he was screaming the gentleman’s name who they were after, and I said my name is Stuart Wright, that’s not my name and I heard pop,pop and I felt my body tense up, and I was on the ground.”
Officials with the U.S. Marshals Office says that an informant told them that their suspect was at the community center playing basketball, wearing a jersey with the number 23 on the back and with braids in his hair. That description fit Wright, who happened to be given that particular shirt for the game.
“I honestly think it was poor planning and strategy, and I think somebody didn’t do their homework,” said Wright. “I think they were out of control.”
Pip Dukes, who organizes the men’s basketball league, says he was working the scoreboard when the U.S. Marshals entered the gym, telling him to stop the game.
“Those guys just bum rushed the gentleman, and it was maybe 8 of them and they had their guns out and where they approached him at it was a stand behind him full of kids,” said Dukes. “I’m still disappointed because it was a stand full of kids.”
The U.S. Marshals Office admitted that entering a crowded community center with guns drawn was not an ideal situation, but they said that the man they were looking for was armed and dangerous.
Officials with the agency said that they thought Wright, who works for the Wyandotte County Unified Government, was going to hit a deputy who had grabbed his arm. They say that’s why he was tasered.
“It just humiliated me,” said Wright, who says he hopes law enforcement will learn from the incident before they act in the future. “I was so embarrassed, honestly.”
April 23rd, 2009 at 8:23 PM
it does not say if they identified themselves as marshalls to the guy. Is it really expected that some random person can walk up to you, physically assault you and expect you to just comply with that persons orders. These guys are just out of control. 8 Guys with tasers and guns. I mean really. I cant imagine what type of incident its going to take for there to be sweeping reforms in law enforcement across this country, but cops need to operate within the same laws they claim to be upholding.
June 20th, 2009 at 1:46 AM
Isn’t this one of those situations where you sue them for like 50 million and you stash it in a swiss bank account ?
June 20th, 2009 at 8:37 PM
You would think it would be that type of situation, but the police are actually trying to say it was the victim’s fault for not immediately complying with orders from armed men in plainclothes running and yelling at him. Basically, if you’re confused or feel that you have any right to refuse to comply because you are totally innocent you will be assaulted with no apology.