POLICE REPORT STUDENT TOLD THEM: 'YOU DIDN'T DO ANYTHING WRONG'
BY ALICE WALLACE
The Gainesville Sun
September 18, 2007
5:52 p.m.
Original LinkGAINESVILLE - Police have released the incident report detailing the Tasering of a University of Florida student during a campus forum with Sen. John Kerry Monday, and the officer who actually Tasered Andrew Meyer wrote in the report that Meyer later told police, "You didn't do anything wrong."
In the 12-page report, which gives accounts of the incident from the perspective of eight different officers who were present Monday afternoon, Officer Nicole Mallo writes that Meyer would only resist officers when cameras were present.
"As (Meyer) was escorted down stairs (at the University Auditorium) with no cameras in sight, he remained quiet, but once the cameras made their way down stairs he started screaming and yelling again," Mallo wrote.
Mallo was one of two officers who actually rode in the vehicle as Meyer was escorted to the Alachua County jail, and she said said he told them during the ride: "I am not mad at you guys, you didn't do anything wrong, you were just trying to do your job," according to Mallo's account.
Mallo also wrote in her report that he asked, at one point, if cameras would be present at the jail.
The report details the events leading up to Meyer's arrest, saying that Meyer was in line to ask a question of Sen. Kerry when it was decided that no more questions would be allowed.
Meyer continued down the aisle toward Sen. Kerry angrily, according to police, saying he wanted the senator to answer his question because he had been waiting for two hours.
Though Sen. Kerry directed that Meyer be allowed to ask his question, police reported that Meyer did not ask any specific question and instead "badgered" the senator, and at one point said something about President Clinton being impeached over a sexual act.
At that point, police reported that ACCENT Director Max Tyroler turned off Meyer's microphone and asked police to escort him out of the auditorium, saying, "He had said enough," according to Officer Mallo's report.
Officers then proceeded to attempt to remove Meyer from the room, but when he resisted, they placed him on the ground and tried to handcuff him. The six officers who actually took part in holding Meyer down while he was being handcuffed reported that they were only able to get a handcuff on his right hand because he was squirming so much.
The supervising officer, Sgt. Eddie King, attempted to Taser Meyer on his chest, but he reported that his Taser would not deploy. He then instructed Mallo to Taser Meyer, and she Tasered him on his shoulder, according to one of the officer's report.
The officers were then able to fully handcuff Meyer and escort him from the building. Each of the six officers reported that Meyer yelled things like, "They're going to kill me," and, "They are giving me to the government," while he was being taken from the room.
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FRIENDS SAY STUDENT ARREST NOT A STUNT
By Megan Rolland
The Gainesville Sun
September 18, 2007
6:37 p.m.
Despite humorous videos, pictures and acts attributed to Andrew Meyer online, friends of the University of Florida student insist his arrest Monday at an appearance by Sen. John Kerry was not any sort of publicity stunt.
"I think he just got scared," said Jon Levy, who identified himself as a student and a friend of Meyer's. "He is a funny person, but he is a funny person who really wants political change.
"He went there to ask some tough questions," Levy said.
Another friend and UF student, Michael Goldman, said he didn't believe Meyer intended for anything unusual to happen.
However, one of the many videos circulating of the incident was shot with Meyer's own camera.
Clarissa Jessup, who was standing near Meyer just before UF Police Tasered him and took him into custody, said Meyer asked her to film him asking Kerry a question just before he approached the microphone.
That has given rise to rumors that Meyer, who aspires to work in the national media, was hoping to get arrested or videotaped as part of some sort of elaborate stunt. But Jessup, who says she never met Meyer prior to the forum, says she thinks he simply wanted a video of himself talking to Kerry.
"I don't even know this kid," said Jessup, rebuffing any notion that she'd collaborated with Meyer to film an incident he knew would escalate.
Additionally, some content on Meyer's Web site, TheAndrewMeyer.com, suggests that Meyer is a bit of a prankster.
For example, one post written by Meyer recounts a time that he wore a funny hat and a blue tank top to a nice restaurant. He said his friends should have been, "accustomed and expecting of my uncanny ways." The post also says: "There is no wiggle room in the world these days for the dancing jester. There are specific social mores that must be upheld no matter how silly the place, the rules must be followed."
A video titled "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder" features a man dressed in drag who becomes an attractive blonde after a few drinks.
Friends said Meyer didn't create all of the movies on the site and weren't sure which ones he had.
One of the posts on his Web site is a described as a "disorganized diatribe."
It criticizes media content, especially about the Iraq War.
A major theme in the post is lack of media coverage of important issues like the War in Iraq and the media's focus on entertainment issues.
One excerpt from that article reads: "The news is designed to keep viewers watching and sedated and not thinking bad thoughts about America, because that would be bad for the economy. Stories about a severely unbalanced budget are out, train wrecks like Paris and Anna are in. A train wreck may be senseless and pointless, but Americans sure do love to watch."
Levy said that he feels most news media are missing the issue that Meyer's incident should have brought up.
"The issue he was trying to get at was getting people to be more informed and willing to ask questions," Levy said, adding that he had talked to Meyer earlier Tuesday.
He mentioned what he called the irony that Meyer was asking a question when the scuffle with University Police began.
Meyer was a student writer at one time for the Sun-Sentinel in Fort Lauderdale. A description on the Sun-Sentinel Web site written by Meyer says: "Andrew tries to write mostly whimsical nonsense columns about nothing in particular, yet occasionally finds himself angry enough to rain down fire and brimstone on an unsuspecting politician or celebrity."
He also expresses his disdain for referring to himself in the third person, yet in most of his posts and on his Facebook.com profile he refers to himself as The Andrew Meyer.
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MACHEN: 'WE WANT TO HAVE CIVIL DISCOURSE'
By Diane Chun
The Gainesville Sun
September 18, 2007
2:40 p.m.
GAINESVILLE - University of Florida President Bernie Machen told members of the media assembled at a campus news conference that UF officials will take a number of steps following Monday's incident in which student Andrew Meyer was Tasered during an on-campus speech by Sen. John Kerry.
"This is a university, and we want to have civil discourse," Machen said. "The fact that it didn't occur is as troubling to me as it is to our students."
Meyer was restrained by several University Police Department officers after he refused to leave the microphone during a question-and-answer session following Kerry's talk.
When he continued to struggle while being removed from the auditorium, he was subdued with a Taser.
Machen said that two UPD officers involved have been put on paid administrative leave pending an investigation.
He also said he has asked the State Attorney's Office to "act expeditiously" in deciding whether to bring any charges in the incident.
Machen said that he did not see the incident and will wait for a full report before making any further decisions.
"We will make our decisions based on the external review," he said.
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Related Links:
YouTube Video 1YouTube Video 2Slideshow Of Andrew Meyer Arrest & TaseringAndrew Meyer WebsiteExcerpt from "Armed Madhouse" quoted by Andrew Meyer
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PREVIOUS NHNE WAVEMAKER ARTICLES:
GREG PALAST COMMENTS ON STUDENT ARREST & TASERING (9/18/2007):
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/nhnenews/message/13488
KERRY CONDEMNS HECKLER ARREST (INCLUDES VIDEO LINKS):
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/nhnenews/message/13486