Audra Harmon, Mother Tasered During Traffic Stop, Files Notice To Sue (VIDEO)

SYRACUSE, N.Y. - A mother who was zapped with a stun gun in front of her children during a New York traffic stop has filed notice she'll sue the sheriff's department.

A police video captured by a dashboard camera shows Deputy Sean Andrews yanking Audra Harmon out of her minivan by the arm and knocking her down with two Taser shots in January.

Harmon was charged with disorderly conduct, resisting arrest and speeding. Her lawyer says prosecutors dismissed the charges after watching the videotape.

Harmon claims Andrews was improperly trained. She says a Taser isn't supposed to be used against people who pose no threat.

In a notice of claim filed Thursday with the Onondaga (ahn-uhn-DAH'-guh) County clerk, Harmon accuses Andrews of wrongful conduct. She's seeking unspecified monetary damages.

Andrews won't comment.

Comments

[syracusecitizen]

Is it ever okay to get out of your car and pursue a police officer during a traffic stop and then deliberately not follow instructions that he has given you? I would never think of doing this. Audra Harmon is not an innocent victim in this situation. How was the officer supposed to know if she was carrying a concealed weapon? No matter how you look at it, Audra Harmon acted inappropriately. I am too sorry that her children had to witness her being tasered. She was however teaching her children that it is okay to argue with an officer. If she was truly not talking on a cell phone, which is illegal in Onondaga County, or speeding then she should have taken it up with the judge at her court appearance.

[clearwaterclearmind]

Captain O'Hagan: "There was a time when we'd take a guy like you in the back and beat you with a hose. Now you've got your God-d@mned unions. "

seriously, you'd think the decent ones would do something about these dlcks that shame all of law enforcement and garner the hatred of the peoples.

[Matt Ochs]

Talk about major abuse of power. This is why people think cops suck.

[johnmorgan]

I wonder why conservatives always support the cops in these cases. Usually conservatives say they believe in "freedom," although I'm not sure what that word means to them. When I see cops like this one taking away our freedom with a taser, I do not support them at all.

[rezzinsickness]

So it's not alright to tase this person? If someone with a loaded shotgun comes out of the car at the officer next time, then will it be alright? The cop is to believe she is dangerous if she refuses to cooperate. You are given one chance to cooperate and then you should automatically be tased. He is protecting us. He is protecting our freedom from ignorant people such as our dear Audra Harmon. There's always a bad apple.

[clearwaterclearmind]

i hope you find hell to be hot.

[AndyWright68]

"We must create an atmosphere where the crooked cop fears the honest cop, and not the other way around.” - Frank Serpico

[AndyWright68]

This is one of the main reasons the police are more abusive to the people then ever in American history:
http://www.lewrockwell.com/roberts/roberts224.html

“Today it is becoming harder to speak out, with the inception of the Patriot Act, the president has legislated free speech to be a crime.” -Frank Serpico

[AndyWright68]

The police are out of control.

http://www.youtube.com/user/CopsOutofControl

[FabulousAt52]

Somewhat off topic--

I was a young teenager during the late 60s and into the 70's... I have a natural, inherent mistrust of cops. Sorry, but that's the way it is. I don't automatically bow to authority, nor avoid questioning its validity when necessary. Safe to say most of my generation feels the same way.

My 27 year old daughter is dating a cop for the last year. He's a nice (28 yr old) man, from a nice family; polite, dedicated, respectful to my daughter and her family as well.
But I worry about their future together. Even he admits there are "a lot of a-hole cops around"....
So how can I be sure that by the time he's got 15 years in and is pushing 44-45 that he won't be one of those a-hole cops too?
How do I know he won't turn into a cheatin' husband, or bully cop, or arrogant snob cop like the ones he admits he's surrounded by now? It's scary, believe me. I have very mixed feelings about their relationship and its future.
IMO - Cops should undergo standard psyche/personality evaluations **every two years** ... whether they do anything "wrong" or not.

[happytobeinusa]

Fabulous...I know several people who are business owners, construction workers, medical professionals, and some of them are a-holes who are "not nice" to their spouses. Some of them cheat, are bullies, etc... to their kids and wifes. The divorce rate in the US is almost 50%. I don't think it's just cops who are a-holes.

[FabulousAt52]

Absolutely true, Happy.... but I have to consider that his job IS being a cop... and he admits he is surrounded by less-than-exemplary cops every day. Anyone can be an a-hole, this is true, but cops seem to have a disproportionately high a-hole rate because their career choice can be enhanced by such behavior. It's usually NOT the friendly, neighborhood good guy cop who moves up the ranks into higher positions of authority... it's the ball busters, the hard nose types who do. The a-holes.

But I hear what you're saying. Doesn't make me feel a whole lot better... but I hear ya.

:-)

[happytobeinusa]

This lady is another money grubber. You people are too naive to see it. When she sues the county, or when anyone sues a city or government, it comes out of THE TAXES YOU PAY!!!! Um, which means, YOUR TAXES GO UP! A cop tells you to stay in the car, STAY IN THE CAR! If you have a problem with that, go to court. You think if you confront a cop he's gonna back down. We'd live in anarchy if the cops backed down to everything. Then there would be more scumbags trying to hurt and steal from us decent people. WAKE UP FOOLS.

[FabulousAt52]

Cops are there to PROTECT and SERVE the public. They work FOR US.
Originally, giving tickets and chasing down moms on cell phones was not on the training
schedule at any police academy.
Cops do not have to, nor should "back down" from dangerous situations or criminals.
That is exactly what they are trained for (supposedly).
This woman was not a "danger" nor is she a classic thug or criminal -- even if she WAS speeding 5 miles over the limit, AND talking on her cell phone! What next? Her shoes didn't match her bag??

Please.... the cop TASERED her. Its not like he was just stern or even rude... he TASERED HER!

[johnmorgan]

So you don't believe in freedom? As far as you're concerned, one should always obey any policeman? The policeman's word is law for you?

[CaptainHowdy2]

You are the fool.

[dimplesmile7]

A lot of police forces are full of nepotism. It is not about who is qualified.

[AndyWright68]

The police are out of control. They think they can threaten us and t.o.r.t.u.r.e us into submission. They think we will obey their every order by their use of violence and the fear they instill in the people. They think they have the authority and the right to violate our rights. They think they can control us with their t.e.r.r.o.r.i.s.t tactics. They swore an oath to defend our Constitution and they don't even know what the Constitution says.

They do not protect and serve they abuse and enslave. What they don't understand is that the people will rebel and rise up against them. Just like a child who is raised by threats, abuse and fear. . They have no clue what the American people are capable of. Their days are numbered. The people have had enough of their abuse and lies. http://www.youtube.com/user/CopsOutofControl#grid/uploads

[LeftistGuerrilla]

rigid potty training? You sound like one of those crazy right wing militia nuts. It was a lousy traffic ticket. Needlessly escalated into irrational demands and threat to public safety.

[AndyWright68]

The police are out of control. They think they can threaten us and torture us into submission. They think we will obey their every order by their use of violence and the fear they instill in the people. They think they have the authority and the right to violate our rights. They think they can control us with their terrorist tactics. They swore an oath to defend our Constitution and they don't even know what the Constitution says.

They do not protect and serve they abuse and enslave. What they don't understand is that the people will rebel and rise up against them. Just like a child who is raised by threats, abuse and fear. . They have no clue what the American people are capable of. Their days are numbered. The people have had enough of their abuse and lies. WATCH: http://www.youtube.com/user/CopsOutofControl#grid/uploads

[depobleu]

Sure, she should've stayed in the car. That would have been the correct position for her to be. She probably didn't think that the overreacting officer would have let this situation go to the extremes it did. But I see a deep rooted underlying issue. Deficits in national, state, and local governments. I'd bet this officer and across the nation are being told to ticket for any and all violations. They need the money and we're breaking the law. this is the best immediate solution for there fiscal problems. 5 mph over the speed limit should never be justication of a traffic stop. But this officer had to make that quota at any expense. She was mistreated and shocked. She should be lucky he didn't pull his gun.

[Tazru]

More excuses for the Cop? Why work so hard to rationalise why somebody else made him do it?

[depobleu]

LAck of training in police work or any job, unemployment at high levels, wages large enough to feed, house and cloth a family. Taking care or protecting your job means doing as your are told. So easy to apply oneselfs views to someone elses situation. Empathy for the situation, understanding part or all of the circumstances help make informed opinions. No excuses. unfortunately they both could have acted within a more civil behavior but alas not.

[PostModernPatriot]

On the other hand, with the recession and people out of work, citizens find that paying hundred dollar tickets is an extreme hardship and if they feel they really weren't doing what they were accused of, and being basically law abiding, they may be under the mistaken impression that they can have a reasonable conversation with the police about the alleged infraction, and thus avoid being ticketed.

Many here have said, just take the ticket and fight it in court.

Honestly, that is most likely what I would do, but taking the ticket and then going to court may mean having to take a day off from work, or more than a day,etc. The citizens are under just as much stess these days as the local governments & the police are. They certainly deserve better than what this woman got, and I have no respect at all for the posters here who say she deserved this. It's wrong, this is not America.

[LeftistGuerrilla]

this is a joke, right? 5 mph over? Cops don't have to stoop that low, plenty of people going 15-20 miles over the limit. You know how many tickets I have not gotten when I should? Countless.

[Steven Anderson]

Gee you learn something new everyday. The next time I want to try and get away with breaking the law and disrespecting the policeman doing his job I just have to make sure I have some kids with me and, "poof", everyone will feel sorry for me. She should have thought about the consequences with her kids there and not the policeman.

[Tazru]

Wow, that is a very disturbing view you have there.

[Steven Anderson]

Why, because I don't agree with people using their children as human shields or scapegoats.

[Tazru]

Where IS that Shovel I usually use for those yapping ankle-biters?

[PostModernPatriot]

"breaking the law"

The DA dismissed both of the tickets upon seeing the dash cam video.

You are aware that this was about an accusation that she was talking on a cell phone & driving five miles over the speed limit?

You feel she needed to be tased, jolted with more than 50,000 volts of electricity that knocks you to the ground, over a speeding ticket? 5 mph over? Amazing.

[qdog112]

When somebody's black teenage son, who did the same thing as the woman, lay dead on the side of the road - you'd say THE COP WAS JUSTIFIED.

[qdog112]

Steven I agree and we are in the minority, but right.

[johnmorgan]

Maybe the policeman should have thought about the consequences. Oh that's right, American policemen never have any bad consequences to torturing Americans with tasers.

[AndyWright68]

p1
Watch a few of the over 30,000+ videos of police violating the law, misconduct, abuse, and the brutality of the people. People need to see that there is more than just a "few bad apples". It's not the few that give police a bad image it is the majority that have been militarized and trained to treat us like we are all dangerous. They too often treat people disrespectfully and escalate minor issues by demeaning people. The other so called "good cops" refuse to turn in the bad ones so they themselves are bad cops. There are no good cops.

Police have nightsticks, Mace, Tasers, guns and a a gang mentality. they commit crimes when they abuse the people, they cover for each other and they are rarely charged with a crime. Citizens who have legitimate disputes with an officers actions are being tasered and arrested on frivolous charges that are almost always dropped. The charge of disorderly conduct is simply a tool the police use to punish people that disagree with them or the cop just does not like. All of this. puts the police above the law and that is too much power for anyone to have over the people. This is not an "evil agenda" it is a result of low hiring standards, poor training, lack of oversight, no accountability, the blue wall of silence and police cover ups. All of which can be improved greatly if the people demand it.

[eden4barack08]

Excellent comment and so on point AndyWright68! Faved!

[AndyWright68]

Thank you. It's all from the heart. When I see these victims and then the attitude of these bully, uncaring cops it just makes me sick. Subscribe here to help stop police brutality and support police reform.

http://www.youtube.com/user/CopsOutofControl

Plus there is the full uninterrupted dash cam of this particularly disturbing incident.

Take care.

[AndyWright68]

Thank you. It's all from the heart. When I see these victims and then the attitude of these b.u.l.l.y, uncaring cops it just makes me sick. Subscribe here to help stop police brutality and support police reform.

http://www.youtube.com/user/CopsOutofControl

Plus there is the full uninterrupted dash cam of this particularly disturbing incident.

Take care.