Andrew Meyer's arrest on Monday has no doubt sparked debate about how much force officers can use. Some believe Tasering him was out of line; others think the punishment fit the crime. But before we pass judgment on anyone, consider this snippet from Florida law:
"A person is justified in using force, except deadly force, against another when and to the extent that the person reasonably believes that such conduct is necessary to defend himself or herself or another against the other's imminent use of unlawful force." -Title XLVI, 776.012.
Unless Sen. John Kerry came down from the podium and started throwing punches, Meyer had no other reason to fight anyone. However, because University Police Department officers believed he was becoming a threat to Kerry, they were justified in using their own force to restrain him.
The only exception to this rule is the use of deadly force; even then, the officers prefer saving lives to taking them, suicides included.
Monday's event has implications beyond an arrest and a jail stay.
UPD is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA) and the Commission for Florida Law Enforcement Accreditation. Ten years ago, when the department first received CALEA certification, it was one of only 14 university police departments to do so.
Yes, the officers in the orange-and-blue-trimmed cars are real officers. Because they are real officers, they are allowed to dump out your keg and give you a speeding ticket like officers with the Gainesville Police Department.
So if you get in trouble, don't say I didn't warn you.
Besides, the police do these things to protect us in the first place; this should be trivial to anyone aware of the dangers of crime. The alternatives to having any law enforcement around are ugly indeed. Imagine a campus run amok with criminals, illegal drugs and chaos.
I guarantee you no one will voluntarily go to a place like that, even if they got a full ride.
If UPD stepped over the line in restraining Meyer, it will become a black spot for campus security in general. If abuses of power become a recurring pattern, no one on campus will feel safe, which will hurt the credibility of a school that prides itself as the premier educational institution of the entire state.
Don't forget, this happened a mere five months after the Virginia Tech disaster.
It might not seem obvious, but Meyer inadvertently became UPD's first real test of policies implemented in response to April's tragedy. If he had been armed with a gun instead of his fists, wouldn't you feel relieved the cops responded as they did?
Instead, we're spending our time questioning the decision-making of the very people hired to protect us in the first place. What a tangled web we weave.
Andrew Meyer was not wrong in asking Kerry about the 2004 election. What was wrong was the way he expressed his displeasure. Hopefully, he learned a lesson about losing his temper.
Vincent Gagliano is a sophomore majoring in physics. His column appears on Wednesdays.
