Utah: Motorist Tasered Over Minor Traffic Ticket A Utah Highway Patrol dashcam tapes a motorist being tasered over a minor speeding ticket.
A Utah Highway Patrol trooper tasered a man on the side of a freeway over a minor traffic ticket. Trooper John Gardner was running a speed trap on US 40 on September 14 when he pulled over the SUV driven by Jared Massey, 28.
"You were going kinda fast," Gardner said as he approached the SUV. Massey immediately asked the trooper to tell him how fast he was going. The trooper did not answer and, instead, told Massey to hand over his license and registration. Massey believed he had not reached the 40 MPH "work zone" sign when the trooper saw him and that the trooper never actually clocked his vehicle. Massey did not want to sign the ticket without more information from the trooper, so the trooper insisted Massey step out of the car.
"Turn around and put your hands behind your back," Trooper Gardner said as he immediately drew the taser on a stunned Massey. When Massey started to walk toward his car, Gardner fired while Massey's pregnant wife watched.
"Officer you're getting a little excited, you need to calm down," Massey said after he was placed in handcuffs.
When another police officer arrived on the scene to ask what happened, Gardner responded, "Oh, he took a ride on the taser."
"How was it?" the other officer asked.
"Painful, isn't it?" Gardner said.
Before leaving, Gardner searched Massey's vehicle. Massey will fight the citation on January 12 in Uintah County Justice Court. View the full dashcam video of the incident.
A Utah Highway Patrol trooper tasered a man on the side of a freeway over a minor traffic ticket. Trooper John Gardner was running a speed trap on US 40 on September 14 when he pulled over the SUV driven by Jared Massey, 28.