Haverford Township Police Department / Shields - Use of Excessive Force with Taser

[merwood1]

psploudog there was no situation, to control,that's why your fellow cop buddy had to make up a B.S. situation,when he said that Mr. Healy had a blood alcohol content above .02 %. The blood test came back 0 for alcohol,That's the first of several lies that this cop fabricate to justify his felonies.Shield's perjured himself when he lied on his affidavid, when he swear's that Mr. Healy "physically pushing me with both his hand's on my chest". Officer Shield's and officer Gardner perjure themselves

[psploudog]

I dont understand why it says to pay attention to the look on the police officers face and not also at the driver. He looked threatnening as well and do you really expect the police officer to say please! He has to be in control of the situation. If you think that you were treated unfairly then act appropriate. You acting like that is not going to help your cause. And if the police new he had a suspended liscence and saw him driver then it how is profiling. he is breaking the law!

[merwood1]

Nobody was slammed to the ground.Mr.Healy was tasered to the ground by a 13 second taser shot. There was nothing aggressive about Mr. Healy manner. It a free country.Your allowed to ask a question.

[jcchandley]

I'm no fan of the police in general, but it appeared to me that this "suspect" was approaching the police officer in an angry, aggressive manner. You don't jump out of your car and walk towards a cop like that. This man used very poor judgement. If the man had been pulled out of his vehicle, slammed to the ground and tasered without cause, that would be brutality. but walking up on a cop who is telling you to get back in your vehicle will result in a bad outcome every time. Don't be a dumbass.

[castellania]

F troop FTW

[AznSucks]

havertown police is a buncha shit heads, they should all be shot

[merwood1]

Thankful qhfidksla2 for what.Everthing you said is a complete lie.You said officer Shields is brave,honorable and selfless.Officer Shelds is a cowardly,selfabsored.lair who lied on the affadavit of probable cause and also on the witness stand,when he justified using his taser gun on Mr. Healy.The first shot was 13 secondsThe only reward thats coming officers way is a JAIL CELL..

[ghfjdksla2]

@merwood1 maybe you didn't catch my inherent sarcasm... its hard to believe that anyone would really say "Officer Shields deserves an award for his honorable and selfess action of tasing an unsuspecting man from behind," much less call the HPD brave.

[ghfjdksla2]

I'm so thankful the brave Havertown PD is there to protect us against evil menaces to society like this man. Officer Shields deserves an award for his honorable and selfess action of tasing an unsuspecting man from behind.

[IDoNotUseFlourToCook]

I don't know the guy, but I heard he's a helimonster !

[Ssaps]

@rdrd4544 ya itwasuncalledfor man

[merwood1]

Just because officer shields tells Mr. Healy to get back in the vehicle does not give him the right to use his tazar gun on him for a total of 30 seconds.The first shot was 13 seconds.There is no way Mr. Healy posed a threat to this cop.When Mr. Healys back is turned you can see him offering his hands and the cop should have cuffed him but this coward tazared him instead no wonder the township fired him!

[merwood1]

The reason lyubov 91 speaks from experience is because your a havertown cop who profiles people from the other side 0f township line or as he calls it route 1,thats upper darby folks which has a large african american population.If I was a african american I would be wary of crossing township line in to havertown because you will get stop on some trumped up traffic violation

[Lyubov91]

Havertown cops like to do nothing better than to lie in wait for speeders along Eagle Road. I personally have no problem with this because most Havetownians are rude, discourteous drivers, especially toward those who look as if they moved there from the other side of Route 1. I speak from experience here.

[StoneyMcJuicyBuds]

This dude is a habitual offender, he tried to kick the cop in the nuts and then took a swing at him, fuck em, he's an asshole.

[bernbennett]

I understand that this man was driving with a suspended license but, why did he get stopped? Because once you have been arrested, the Havertown police do nothing but look for your car so that they can re-arrest you. That is profiling! I know because a relative of mine has a distinctive looking car and they are always stopping that person for no reason at all. One of the youngest police on the force acts like he is in control of everyone and everything.

[bernbennett]

Once you get arrested in Haverford Township you are forever followed by the cops. They constantly look for your car so that they can re-arrest you and make up stories so that they can justify their actions. They are disrespectful to women and make sexual remarks when they know they cannot be heard or recorded. I know because I've witnessed it several times in the past year.

[marcus7618]

95%These Havertown cops are fucking racist assholes..there are some cool police officers like officer Rondalone and their supervisor!!!!

[mdoc151]

Thank you officer shields..and thank you to the Haverford Township Police....I drive these roads with my kids..thanks for making them safe!!!

[epohnopulse]

@mdoc151 And that's why you and your family will be "detained" and placed in FEMA camps.

[pedro911212]

he looks like marty crane from frasier

[bts277]

Havertown cops are rediculous. I live in Haverford township and last year the Havertown cops had to tell little kids on my block that they had to take down a lemonade stand because they were distracting drivers. This was on the back roads of Haverford Township (drexel Hill). And yes shield is a scum bag. I've dealt with him numerous times.

[MC222]

@bts277

Bill Shields is no scumbag. All he ever tried to do was his job. Stop slinging mud. The guy deserved what he got and a jury agreed. This in no way was excessive and Bill has always tried to do his best for the safety of the town..

[65Wildkat]

I am not outraged at all! These cops get away with so much. If you see a car stopped on West Chester Pike you can bet that the person(s) are black ! They are so guilty of profling just like this cop said "I have had run ins with him before" Once you are on their bad side they will bust your chops when ever they can! This is why other police forces around that town call Havertown Cops F-Troop!!!!

[marcus7618]

@65Wildkat this is soooo true..i was just stopped yesterday and told to get in the house like i was a child while i was walking out of Wawa i asked for what and they tried to say its past curfew..i am clearly older then 16 years old with a full beard.. These cops in Havertown are racist assholes

[jimp194spd]

Havertown taxpayers should be outragged that they had to pay to defend an Officer that did nothing wrong.The taxpayers should be able to recoupe the cost of the defense lawyer from Healy.If these people that bring these BS lawsuits to court and tie up peoples time and money they should have to pay when they loser.Pillegi you should be ashamed of yourself that you took this case and your brother is a state Senator.Your a disgrace to the bar!!

[jimp194spd]

Great job Officer Shields.Haverford Twp lost a true protector of the township when you retired.God speed on your retirement!!

[nightvisionmonocular]

The officer was found NOT GUILTY in all counts of the civil lawsuit. There you have it!! A jury of their peers found that the officer did the correct thing. Not to say that failing to stop for an officer, while driving on a suspended license, getting out of your car to confront an officer, or resisting arrest isn't justifiable. It's definitely the police who caused this to get out of hand. Would love to have seen a more physically imposing officer (Haverford has a few) handle this idiot

[MrSchoey1]

Add failure to signal to this clown's charges. Follow the officer 's

[padrebill]

Face it...ALL cops are dirty. Whens the last time you saw a cop arrest another cop? NEVER! So if the "good" cops turn a blind eye they are guilty by association.

[PublicJoke]

@padrebill You would be very bsuprised

[Franchise70]

If any of you actually lived in Havertown you would know that the police force is corrupt and breaks the law. I'm not saying all officers in the township are bad but I've been in a car where we were pulled over and the Officer gave my friend a warning for turning on a no turn on red. The only problem is that there was no "no turn on red" sign and the only reason he pulled my friend over was because he caught him with a gram of weed the week before in the same car.

[devinemae]

JIM - I KNOW IT WASN'T YOU DRIVING THE OTHER DAY!!!!!!!!

Big brother is watching!!!!!!

[violetville21229]

I thought you said the police used excessive force. The guy that wouldn't pull over and then would not obey orders was a danger to the police. They used the exact right amount of force.

[gotgank]

Good arrest. Driver is lucky he didnt get shot.

[PublicJoke]

Healy was not drunk but "sober" and for the comment I posted saying he was drunk I apologise. My comment was based on the film and not on what was posted before it. Having drugs in the system makes a vast difference to his ability to drive and hence shouldn't be penalised for it. Suspended licence etc? 3 times? Who needs a licence anyway. Death Race 2000 should be a reality not fiction. Who cares that this was potentially kill a kid driving? Sue the cop get him back for doing his job. Huh?

[marinesniper32]

@PublicJoke no i know the cop personally and he was being charged

[PublicJoke]

@marinesniper32 I've read the comments and this is clearly a case of when the chips are down, put in the boot as much as you can. I still hold that on the video evidence alone there is no excessive force. When cops the world over do right no one remembers when they do wrong only God forgives cos nobody else will. And when it's boarder line - the press and lawyers will make it wrong. I know!

[gove77]

@PublicJoke... There are people who couldn't drive at or below .08.

[MinuteManMaxx15]

There's a kid in my homeroom who is the son of Officer Shields. He showed this vid to use and i ws like 'are u kidding me? That's your dad?' Now i understand why he chooses not to argue with his dad!

[11SaRaH06]

@MinuteManMaxx15 ...thanks for that explanation....;)

[devinenancy]

Ha Jim - you should try running the bases with the Phillies game. We'd buy the ticket!!!

[phillaFF21]

You cannot assume that he is not threatening. the officers never know what the suspect may have on them. The man clearly approached the officer in a confrontational manner. The officer was forcing the man to the front of the car, but did not have controll of the situation. You can see the man continuing to pull away and resist. The officer applied the taser to gain total control of the incident. Was it 100 % neccisary? Possibly not, but that is up for the officer to decide

[Mrfirstnotlast]

LMAO!!1 This cop couldn't control puppy without a taser! Why are these douche nozzles who clearly command no respect allowed to carry weapons? In addition, Havertown is small and everyone knows that the "officer" was following and harrassing the guy and his family.

[violetville21229]

@Mrfirstnotlast Yet at the end of the video the guy is in the backseat in cuffs and the cop is driving. The cop just made the putz not pull over... just made him.

[pegon7]

This same cop took my son & nephew into the station bcs they had toy guns from the dollar store at manoa! They were 12yrs old. What an idiot! Thank God he's no longer on the force.

[dmoshag]

Rofl.. how can anyone possibly think this is "Police Brutality??" The dude was confrontational to start with. He did not follow instructions. He never gave up. When you taser someone it's not until they turn around. It's until you gain full control of the situation. This guy was not giving up. Think about the perception of the officer!! This guy is at least 15+ years younger than the officer. He probably outweighs him by 40-50 lbs. and the guy is about 3-4 in. taller! The guy was resisting!!

[PublicJoke]

Watch the whole thing - I heard clear instructions, a total lack of compliance. A drunk, clearly. Initiation of contact was off camera instructions still heard given. Places his hands on the bonnet (hood) to stable himself not resign. Any struggle (from an self defence view) that lasts more than 10 secs is to long. Goes off camera and struggle going on. Control is key and the officer did that. No contest - good job well executed. what you think you see is not always the case. At court you lose

[fmh1028]

...for the record, the person was not drunk......sober!

[stevienewtown132]

No force can be justified after someone has given up. The officer is wrong. Once he put his hands on the police car with his back turned in submission the officer should have cuffed him. Instead he tases him. It doesn't matter what this man did before, as soon as he surrenders you can't use any force! You can call him whatever name you like and try to justify him getting tased but once he gives up, which he clearly does, the officer can't use a taser on him. The officer did a horrible job.

[jrHamish]

I watched the whole thing, saw nothing "excessive" about it (let alone the alleged "look of utter brutality").

Thanks for posting this jerk Healy's face and truck so I know who to laugh at when I see him around town.

[stevienewtown132]

I guess most people posting our police officers because there is no way that using a taser was necessary. This man clearly gives up. Yes, he does walk towards the officer, but he is in no way threatening at all. You can hear him asking why he is being pulled over and then totally gives up! Pause the video at 1:02 and 1:04. He even puts his hands on the car and I'm pretty sure if your going "by the book" that's not resisting. No force was needed at that point and any judge will see that.

[cgravines]

Everything by the book and force used correctly. Great job Officer Shields. This is not excessive force. A taser is actually lower on the force scale than hard hand strikes. Healy was resisting arrest, he confronted a police officer, and he was dealt with appropriately and accordingly.

[fmh1028]

Clearly, this video and pending lawsuit has sparked alot of debate....what saddens me is the viciousness of some of the comments mostly directed toward Mr Healy. Scumbag, A--hole, dirtbag......Of course there are valid reasons to support the officer but the "lynching" attitude toward the other side is crazy....Shame on us for not being able to discuss the matter a little more adult-like!

[domd31]

That guy was a complete idiot. First off, As soon as the siren came on is when he should have pulled over. Second, you dont get out of your vehicle and walk towards a cop unless directed to. If I was that cop I would have done the same thing. Oh and mikerotch, what kind of face did you want the cop to have when in an altercation with a drunken idiot? Would you prefer a smile on his face as he was tazing him?

[fusion3710]

Its funny that during this video you can see Officer Shields assult Mr. Healy but you cannot see Mr. Healy lay a hand on him. I know that alot of what took place was out of view of the video camera, but when Officer Shields begins tasing Mr. Healy he has his back to the officer and his hands on the hood of the police car. If Mr. Healy assulted Officer Shields off camera why did he wait till then to use the taser? Obvously another case of abuse of force by a police officer!!!!!!!!

[patroleman]

It wasn't Ofiicer Shields doing the assaulting, it was Healy. Healy refused to pull over when he heard the sirens, continuing on and making several turns, Healy was told at least 6 times to get back in the vehicle as he approached in a threatening manner...Healy refused to listen. Then he struggled with two officers before being put into custody. Assholes like this should be charged for filing a baseless suit. Good job Officer Shields!

[cgravines]

@fusion3710 you know nothing about excessive force clearly. This was by the book and appropriate use of force.

[cadet545]

Can you say drunken ( | ) hole ! deserves everything he gets !! Cudo's to Officer Shields ,Just wish i could have seen the taser hit him Lmao . One less drunk on the road !!!!

[claboss]

Billy Shields is a first rate classy guy, A by the book style police officer and a true gentleman ! COUNTERSUIT I SAY !!!!

[largefrog19036]

Hwy there, mikerotch9521, it looks like this little video backfired on you. mikerotch9521, you are truly a useless asshole!

[largefrog19036]

He's lucky that he is not digging a bullet out of his stupid ass. His asshole lawyer should be beaten for even bringing such a bullshit lawsuit against the Police. I hope Officer Shields and the Haverford PD sues this asswipe and takes his vehicle and any other vehicle he is caught driving for the rest of his life. Apparently, suspending his license has no affect on his behaviour.

[cdjcn]

People should applaud this officer's arrest! How many prior arrests does this dirtball have , I would bet a ton! This cockroach is looking for a payout. Damn shame this case has any merit at all to reach a court of law. What a waste of time & money as a taxpayer and a citizen of Delaware County. I would love to be on this jury. Learn your law skills in jail it appears you will need those for some time to come you filth.

[rosarian4]

mikerotch9521 is a dirtbag just like the criminal that was tazed.

[bobgallop]

that's what happens when you jump out of your car and walk right up to a cop that's pulling you over. How's the cop supposed to know you don't have a weapon??

[stevemick1323]

couldnt agree more

[nobleheight]

That's not excessive force. This guy is guilty. He failed to follow the officer's instructions. This guy is representing himself in court. There is no way he's going to win. He's a trouble making. Take your punishment like a man, and leave the Haverford cops alone.

[KINGLIVESATHOME]

Shields is a coward. One shot with a Taser is all that's needed. Witnesses say that Mr. Healey never laid a hand on him.

[smarsh67]

fuck all havertown cops

[stevemick1323]

fuck all assholes who condone criminal behavior.

[marinesniper32]

@smarsh67 fuck you

[jobwelldonebsheilds]

"Healy was charged with aggravated assault, three counts of DUI, resisting arrest, fleeing or attempting to elude an officer, driving with a suspended license and with a BAC of .02 under a suspended license, and failure to yield to an emergency vehicle....A toxicology report found evidence of marijuana in Healy's blood." It's time to get these SCUM BAGS off the streets and out of danger to our children. A job WELL done by Mr. Shields. Like the first comment "ANOTHER BOGUS LAWSUIT"

[hobo59]

Oh in that case your right since this man was already guilty of all these things when the officer pulled him over. Then by all means the officer had every right to act as judge jury and executioner.

[bigmac3354]

Nice work by the Police Officer. Another bogus lawsuit. Remember this guy plead guilty to all charges. An innocent man doesn't plead guilty.

[marinesniper32]

i know him very well he would never hurt anyone

[dancerxchickk]

Officer Shields was very nice and he didn't pick on kids like other cops. He always sat outside the bars on our street but he never bothered us when we hang on the corner.

[marinesniper32]

i can clear see mr healy swing at the cop on the reletions on the tailgait of his truck

[fmh1028]

I am a little confused...how is this eluding? Trying to find a place to pull over? Ok, he should not have gotten out of the truck but to taser the subject? , Where is the just cause for DUI? ...."this cop followed his "subjects" all over Havertown including Mr. Healy's wife...would wait for her as she would go into the bank and continue to follow her around Havertown. ...This cop is clearly out of control with power disguising it within the letter of the law.

[hilary0571]

He should have pulled over in the gas station - but i guess he wanted to be in a familiar lot (Gaslight)! Let's keep this piece of dirt off the streets! Will it take the death of a child to keep him from another DUI. Oh - and the wife has escaped DUI's a number of times - Fairlamd can't wait til the lot are shipped back to Dublin!!!!! He's lucky Officer Shields didn't shoot him. God Bless our Havertown Police!

[stevemick1323]

well when this idiot or some other similar drunken moron kills someone you love driving around intoxicatedmmaybe you wont have so much sympathy for people like this when that happens

[BlancheBleak]

According to Judge McDermott:

"Reasonable force may be used by the authorities before; or during an arrest; but no force is ever justified after an arrestee has submitted; and there can be no defense for trained professional police to inflict thier version of a penalty because of prior resistance. Thus; authorities are only empowered to use that reasonable force which is necessary to effectuate thier legitimate purpose. It is clear that the arrestee has submitted to to the police officer."

[99irishal]

i grew up in havertown and this does not suprise me at all. These are the same cops who chase around kids. They abuse there power all the time and pick on hard working blue collar havertownians. I hope this person sues them and gets paid. these cops seserve it. Especially officer Shields. A real low life

[stevemick1323]

sounds like the lowlifes are the "hard working blue collar havertowians". you dirtbags are the first ones to call the cops for your little domestic disputes and whatever else. you dont like it move out you white trash scum.

[gove77]

So the rest of the story is that this guy plead GUILTY, was convicted of, and served time for all of the crimes he committed here. I can't find the newspaper article but it was like, Eluding, Aggrivated Assault, Driving while suspended DUI, Driving while Impaired (Pot)...way to go James Healy

[right0606]

This cop did nothing wrong. The bottom line is you do what a cop tells you to do PERIOD !!!!

[gove77]

How does a police officer defending himself against an idiot rise to the level of excessive force. Mr. Heally is an idiot!

[MC222]

I'm all for police officers being held accountable - but by no way is this excessive force. He is pulled over and comes right at the police officer. I don't see the problem. Why would you come right at a cop after being pulled over - doesn't make sense.

[stevemick1323]

people are stupid as hell but thats no excuse. he was dealt with accordingly and if you ask me, the cop went easy on him