UF Student Tasered And Arrested At John Kerry Speech

Andrew Meyer, a University of Florida student, was pulled away from the microphone and tasered by six cops after attempting to question former presidential candidate John Kerry regarding why he did not contest his loss to Bush in 2004 and about his membership in Skull & Bones, a secretive society at Yale University that counts Bush I and Bush II among its many noted and notorious alumni.
News and video of the arrest immediately was posted on Meyer's blog by his friends. According to witness accounts, Meyer was in line at the microphone set to be the last to give Kerry a question, but he protested when the moderator told the person in line in front of Meyer that his would be the last question taken by Kerry. Meyer complained and Kerry agreed to an additional question. When Meyer exceeded his time limit but would not relinquish the microphone, the police attempted to remove him. As seen in the video, Meyer resisted, resulting in his arrest. What is not apparent is why with six cops on top of him, the police felt the need to taser the handcuffed Meyer several times, as his screams on the tape attest as audience members shouted "police brutality!"

Today Kerry issued this statement: "In 37 years of public appearances, through wars, protests and highly emotional events, I have never had a dialogue end this way. I believe I could have handled the situation without interruption, but I do not know what warnings or other exchanges transpired between the young man and the police prior to his barging to the front of the line and their intervention. I asked the police to allow me to answer the question and was in the process of responding when he was taken into custody. I was not aware that a taser was used until after I left the building. I hope that neither the student nor any of the police were injured. I regret enormously that a good healthy discussion was interrupted."

Meyer has been charged with disturbing a public event and is to be released by Alachua County police today. An investigation will be launched into whether the police used appropriate force. This story has been getting major play in the right-wing blogosphere today as "proof" of stifled dissent among liberal ranks.