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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU to not give a toss that Moat was tasered?

162 replies

DetectivePotato · 21/07/2010 20:24

May be a sensitive issue so I appologise if it upsets anyone.

Have looked at the front of todays paper and Moats family are paying for a 2nd inquest because they think he was killed by taser.

I am sorry (actually I'm not) but I don't give a flying fuck if the police tasered him.

He killed someone and seriously wounded 2 others. He went on the run and he could have hurt/killed many more people. What were the police suppose to do? Offer him a cuppa and a sit down to talk about his troubles? He clearly showed that he hated the police, he could have shot many more of them. What choice did they have but to try and disarm him.

FFS!!!!!!!!

OP posts:
Alibabaandthe40nappies · 21/07/2010 20:25

YANBU.

secunda · 21/07/2010 20:25

I don't either. If you rampage in public with a gun, you must admit it's a distinct possibility that you may be tasered.

Shaz10 · 21/07/2010 20:26

I'm with you on this. I think you give up your rights when you behave as he did.

SirBoobAlot · 21/07/2010 20:26

YANBU, I agree.

Though isn't one of the main issues that the tassers hadn't been authorised for use yet?

catherinewho · 21/07/2010 20:27

YADNBU

DemonChild · 21/07/2010 20:27

YABU. Moat was undoubtedly guilty of murder and you might not care if the police killed him with a taser. But if they did, the next person they do it to might be innocent.

It's not about what the 'criminal' do, it's about what we (and by extension, the police) do.

BeerTricksPotter · 21/07/2010 20:28

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Message withdrawn

MaamRuby · 21/07/2010 20:29

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

chaosisawayoflife · 21/07/2010 20:29

YANBU. In almost any other country in the world he would have been shot as soon as he was seen. We spent 6 hours trying to persuade him to give himself up to face trial and hundreds of thousands of pounds of taxpayers money to pay for him to rot in jail. And now we are spending thousands of pounds on inquests and inquiries and all sorts of other bullshit. It's shocking.

Lifegoeson · 21/07/2010 20:29

YADNBU - I saw a photo of the blinded police officer coming home today... I'm sure he feels lucky compared to Moats ex's girlfriends partner who died...

Kewcumber · 21/07/2010 20:29

I accept your point Deomn but I really really can;t raise myself to be concerned about his personal demise even with a greater possible issue at stake. My thoughts are entirely with the victims and their families.

Lauriefairycake · 21/07/2010 20:30

Not sure.

I think if its possible to take someone down without killing them then I would be happier if they did and he spent the rest of his life in jail.

What I wouldn't want to be suspicious of is a cover-up (I'm not suspicious - stupid fucking media) as if it was true we could be living in a police state where he was executed - and I don't want that.

moonstorm · 21/07/2010 20:30

YANBU

scurryfunge · 21/07/2010 20:31

Typical underclass that can't accept authority and the fact that their lawless violent relative was not a victim in any way.

prozacfairy · 21/07/2010 20:32

I'm not bothered if he was tasered or not either but if his family want to pay for another inquest or whatever, let them. It might help them get closure.

Its the thick twunts who think he was a legend that rile me more. Let them have their stupid site, free speech and all that, just stop giving them free publicity.

They're all so ignorant I doubt any of them know what the definition of legend is anyway- certainly not a thug who assaulted a child so badly he was jailed for several months!

BeerTricksPotter · 21/07/2010 20:33

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AgentZigzag · 21/07/2010 20:33

I think that possibly YANBU, but I'm a bit uneasy about the everyday use of tasers on the general population.

I understand the argument that it's a non-letal way of stopping someone, but it's the inbetween grey areas of using them that worry me.

For example when the police in America believe it is acceptable to use it against 'unruly' 10 year old children. How long before the solution to more and more situations are seen as using a taser on the person?

I think it might be pushing the boundaries of policing by consent.

OrmRenewed · 21/07/2010 20:35

I do!

I don't give a flying fuck whether he 'deserved' it or not, it was a violent act by those tasked to maintain law and prevent violence. It may be that they had no choice as you say but it is important to establish why and how it happened to the satisfaction of all concerned.

SirBoobAlot · 21/07/2010 20:35

You know, I'm sick of this constant criticism of the police. If they hadn't tassered him, say he had managed to escape and kill a shit load more people. What do you reckon the outraged public would have been saying then? "Why didn't they stop him?" "The police need to sort it out." etc.

It winds me up no end

It was the same bloody thing with Jean Charles de Menezes - if he had been a suicide bomber, and the police had let him through, can you imagine the uproar?

Considering the level of diplomacy we have in this country, and the fact we are lucky enough not to have a corrupt policing system, I think we need to - as a nation - stop pissing and moaning about it.

Alibabaandthe40nappies · 21/07/2010 20:36

It has nothing to do with him being a member of the 'underclass'. In fact it has nothing to do with anything, apart from the fact that he was a murdering bastard.

DemonChild · 21/07/2010 20:37

Umm, I don't think they did have much choice, and normally I would have less problem with taser, except this was in a rainstorm so I would have hoped they would try other methods first.

I should have been more clear, I believe the inquest will prove that they had exhausted all other options, but I think having the inquest is a good idea and if I were the family I would want it too.

What I really really don't want is for the UK to become like the US where we shoot first and ask questions later - and I think putting the brakes on and checking this sort of situation will stop things escalating to that sort of situation.

ilovemydogandMrObama · 21/07/2010 20:38

The issue for the family though is that any further inquests would need to be done before the body is buried/cremated, so now would be the time to ensure any investigation is done.

Is the cause of death important? Yes, I think it is, not because what the police did or didn't do, but rather once the whole set of circumstances are put into context, then hopefully it will be the end of the matter.

It would be horrible for the ex girlfriend of Moat, her dead boyfriend's family and the policeman who was shot, for this to be brought up again, say in 10 years time because of a new piece of evidence.

Get all the evidence/issues on the table and they can be explained/investigated now.

expatinscotland · 21/07/2010 20:38

YANBU.

If they had money to pay for an inquest why did they not pay to get their family member some psychiatric help privately?

The cop he shot will never see again.

Can you imagine that? He's only 42.

MaamRuby · 21/07/2010 20:42

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

tokyonambu · 21/07/2010 20:43

They didn't kill him with a taser. They shot him with a taser after a six hour standoff, and the allegation is that the taser caused, by some mechanism that is not quite clear, the illegally held sawn-off shotgun he had pressed to his head to go off. A 12 bore at point blank range is usually fatal. Had he not had an illegally held sawn-off shotgun pressed to his head, he would be unlikely to have died.

The lesson here for young men is that by and large shooting yourself in the head with an illegal shot gun will give you a substantial headache, and is probably best avoided.