An AP story identifies the student as Mostafa Tabatabainejad, 23.
The incident occurred about 11 p.m. Tuesday after police did a routine check of student identifications at the University of California, Los Angeles’ Powell Library computer lab.
“This is a long-standing library policy to ensure the safety of students during the late-night hours,” said UCLA Police Department spokeswoman Nancy Greenstein.
She said police tried to escort Mostafa Tabatabainejad, 23, out of the library after he refused to provide ID and would not leave.
Tabatabainejad, who was arrested for resisting and obstructing a police officer, was later released on his own recognizance.
“As the officers attempted to escort him out, he went limp and continued to refuse to cooperate with officers or leave the building,” Greenstein said.
Instead, Greenstein said, Tabatabainejad encouraged others at the library to join his resistance. When a crowd began to gather they used the stun gun on him.
The arrest was recorded on another student’s camera phone and showed Tabatabainejad screaming while on the floor of the computer lab. The video also showed the student shouting, “Here’s your Patriot Act, here’s your … abuse of power,” according to the campus newspaper, the Daily Bruin.
There is no phone listing for Tabatabainejad and neither he nor his attorney could be located for comment.
Acting Chancellor Norman Abrams promised that an investigation of the incident and the officer’s action will be “thorough, vigorous and fair.”
This incident has inspired the new Facebook group Fuck UCLA PD, which offers as its description:
Fuck those dirty racist rent a pigs who tazered an innocent person of middle eastern descent Mostafa Tabatabainejad, because he was leaving the library to early. This racism was caputred on tape.
There are a couple other new groups, I hate DPS sometimes, but at least they dont taser us… repeatedly…, and UCLA’s UCPD Brutality.
Although I believe the university rent-a-cops were wrong to use a Taser on a student that wasn’t causing any real threat, I think the whole incident could have been avoided had the student left per the 11 PM library rules rather than causing a scene. He could have avoided much pain had he simply produced a valid student ID. This is not an unnecessary request by an officer. A lawsuit is not needed or warranted for this incident, but a reprimand and better training of the officers is definitely in order. A Taser should only be used if the officer is physically threatened, which they clearly were not.
i hate the LAPD, They have been critisized before of being the most racist PD in the U.S. Even in the movie, Crash. the point is, if he did try to be ruid to the police, he still did not deserve to be Tazed six whole times!