TASERs, lawyers and media.

I'm a bit of a masochist in that I read the daily propaganda rag of Houston, the Comical, err Chronicle. I only get the electrons during most of the week, while I get the hardcopy on Sunday. Beth loves them coupons.

Now the Chronicle has little real journalism, like most papers, but pushes an agenda. The paper is not a fan of law enforcement. In the last few years it's come out against police pensions, saying they are not sustainable (But for some reason pensions paid into for 20 plus years are not affordable, but the Chron is not against the full pensions HERONORDAMAYER and the city council get after six years). Last few weeks it's been going on use of force. It was really interesting on how they covered a police shooting of an "unarmed man". Yes, the man was unarmed. He was also trying to push the officer off a bridge 50 feet over US-59. They can't seem to understand if you throw a man from that far up onto a highway with cars that will hit him you can be assured the officer will suffer at least serious bodily injury, if not death. And that is the legal standard for use of deadly force.

But never let facts get the way of the story.

With that as background, here is the top of the front page of this morning's Chron.

Banning Tasers in Texas schools urged

State police commission asked to prohibit nonlethal weapons after Bastrop teen hurt

By James Pinkerton

The ACLU and six other civil rights groups Wednesday asked the state’s police commission to ban Tasers and pepper spray in Texas schools, following a brain injury to a Bastrop high school student who fell after he was shocked and remains in a coma.

Instead, the group suggests police officers use de-escalation techniques and crisis intervention tactics, such as separating students in a fight, talking with them and waiting for the situation to calm.

“Tragic incidents like this one demonstrate why the state should not grant police free rein to wield weapons in schools for the apparent purpose of maintaining order,” said Terri Burke, executive director of the ACLU of Texas. “Schools should be safe havens from this type of police use of force. I hope the commission will heed our call to end use of Tasers and pepper spray...”

You know Ms Burke, they should also be a "safe haven" from fights, narcotics, etc. They ain't. That's why there are police there.

...On Nov. 20, a Bastrop County sheriff’s deputy working at the Cedar Creek High School used a Taser on Noe Nino de Rivera, a 17-year-old student who witnessses said was breaking up a fight between female students and was obeying officer’s commands, his attorney said. De Rivera went limp and fell to the floor, hitting his head. He was taken by helicopter ambulance to an Austin hospital, where he remains in a medically-induced coma, said family attorney Adam Loewy...

...Sheriff: No comment

Bastrop County Sheriff Terry Pickering had no comment on the request, said a department spokeswoman. The department has said the student was acting aggressively and intervened in the fight.

Look at how this the way this is written. The author implies that there is something wrong with the sheriff making no comment, but a legal action is pending against his department. So why should the sheriff make a comment that will be used against his department and twisted, taken out of context and otherwise distorted. When the Chronicle is sued, I assure you they don't make comments before the case is settled.

...The request to bar nonlethal weapons was made by the ACLU, the Texas Appleseed group, along with the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Disability Rights Texas, Texans Care for Children, the Texas Criminal Justice Coalition and the National Alliance on Mental Illness Texas.

The use of Tasers and pepper spray was defended by Chief C.A. “Chuck” Brawner, of the Spring Branch Independent School District police force, who said nonlethal weapons are necessary so officers don’t have to use firearms or nightsticks on unarmed students. His officers do not use Tasers but carry pepper spray and have used the caustic agent twice on students since 1987, Brawner confirmed.

“When you take away the pepper spray and you take away the Taser, what do you have left?” Brawn-er said. “What if there are several people and you have one officer and they can’t control them and they could get away and cause other problems, how do you stop them? When you start taking away other options other than a firearm or a nightstick, what else are you going to use?’’

Gee, those really sound like mainstream organizations who only want the best for kids, not leftist hacks wanting a payday from the taxpayers.And the chief is right, as the idiot writing this is not. In case you haven't noted pal, these kids can get big. You put three football players against one cop and this can escalate quick. And I don't know if you been keeping up on reality Mr. Pinkerton, teenagers are not very agreeable to de-escalation techniques. Remember being young and stupid, 18 and knowing everything. Guess what, nothing has changed.

Now what this is all about.

...Attorney Adam Loewy, with Jesus Rivera, the boy’s brother, have sued the Bastrop school district, a deputy and the county on behalf of the teen’s family.

I'm sorry the young man has been injured, but I know this is propaganda is slanted against the cops. It may shock you Mr. Pinkerton, but the "witnesses" you quoted are quoted were presented to you by the ACLU et all. In other words, not very reliable. So yes, this is crap. But it's typical.

And for some reason I will keep reading it. Then again I always read the enemy's propaganda.