Protest for Tasered Student Continues

Kristin Smith
First Coast News
Thursday September 20, 2007

GAINESVILLE, FL -- Students at the University of Florida are still protesting after a classmate was tasered by police at a political event.

Andrew Meyer was asking Senator John Kerry a question at a forum when police asked him to wrap it up. In video from the event, you can see a struggle and then one of the six campus police officers uses a taser on him.

Tuesday, students held a rally on campus. Wednesday, they protested again.

Protesters are supporting Meyer and their own right to free speech.

"We want charges against Meyer dropped, the police officers involved punished, more than just being given a paid vacation, and tasers taken off campus," said Benjamin Dictor, a U.F. student and protester.

Two of the officers involved were put on paid administrative leave.

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University police are getting an earful, not just from students, but from the community and beyond.

"We've gotten hundreds of phone calls, letters, and emails from the community and people in Canada and California, all over the place. Most of them are on the negative side, but it runs the gamut," said Captain Jeff Holcomb, with the U.F. police department.

Meyer faces several charges including resisting an officer with violence and disrupting a school function.

"It's about getting subpoenas to get people to testify, gathering all the evidence and information before making a decision on what to charge him with," said Spencer Mann with the Alachua County State Attorney's Office.

According to the police report, before Meyer started the questioning, he asked a friend, "Are you taping this? Do you have this? You Ready?"

But for the protesters, that tape is part of Meyer's defense.

It could be a couple of weeks before a decision is made on whether to file charges against Meyer.