WhereTheyLive.org

“Our purpose is, and has always been, to ensure a civil and safe environment where the many types of campus activities and open discourse can occur,”
- Police Chief Linda Stump

Wednesday, October 24, 2007
From the Associated Press:

GAINESVILLE, Fla. - University of Florida police were justified in using a Taser against a student who refused to stop questioning Sen. John Kerry on campus last month, according to a state investigation released Wednesday.

Some had questioned the use of force in using the stun gun against Andrew Meyer, leading to the investigation by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. A summary of the agency’s report was released Wednesday.

“In short, the FDLE determined that our officers acted well within state guidelines,” university President Bernie Machen said in a letter to students, faculty and staff members.

Two officers who were placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation were reinstated Wednesday, Machen said.
[Read more →]

Victim:
Andrew Meyer, 21

Power Abusers:

• John F. Kerry, age 63: 19 Louisburg Square, Boston, MA
• Sgt. Eddie J. King, age 45: 1816 Southwest 68 Terrace, Gainesville, FL
• Officer Nicole Lynn Mallo, age 30: Magnolia Place Apartments, Gainesville, FL
• Officer William L. Wise
• Others? Send us any names we’re missing

When:
September 17th, 2007

Where:
Gainesville, Florida (University of Florida)

What:
From Wikipedia:

On September 17, 2007, at 12:00 p.m. ET, U.S. Senator John Kerry addressed a Constitution Day forum at the University of Florida in Gainesville … Toward the end of the question and answer period, University police forcibly removed Andrew Meyer, a 21-year-old fourth-year undergraduate telecommunications student, from the forum, restraining him through direct force and drive stunning him with a Taser.

Video evidence:

• Video by Clarissa Jessup - shot with Meyer’s camera from beside him, shows his question and police response
• Video by Gainesville Sun
• Footage from front of room

For more info:

• Extensive coverage by the Independent Florida Alligator
• Wikipedia entry
• The Police Report

If you have any information regarding the abusers of power in this incident, please email it to info@wheretheylive.org.

WHERETHEYLIVE.ORG is founded in the spirit of Thoreau, Gandhi, King, Abdul-Ghaffar Khan, and the many other heroes of principled nonviolent resistance. It will publicize the home addresses of those who are alleged to have seriously abused their power over others, for the purpose of facilitating legal, NONVIOLENT demonstrations on public property outside those home addresses, in accordance with the people’s right to petition for redress of grievances as guaranteed by the Constitution of the United States of America, international law, and principles of universal justice.

Each posting will include a summary of the evidence that the individual whose address has been posted has seriously abused his or her power over others, along with the home address and a call to nonviolently picket that address. While WHERETHEYLIVE.ORG will attempt to publish accurate information, we cannot guarantee against occasional mistakes. Posted power-abusers should be viewed as suspects who are considered innocent of specific crimes or cases of abuse until proven guilty—that is why we are shaming them nonviolently, rather than bringing in the law to lock them up. In many cases, these individuals should be charged with crimes, but cannot be due to pervasive power imbalances in the legal system. It is hoped that WHERETHEYLIVE.ORG will contribute to redressing these power imbalances, and gradually become less necessary than it is now.

It is the responsibility of the user of this information to ascertain that the information is accurate and up-to-date.

WHERETHEYLIVE.ORG urges those who use this information to do so responsibly, peacefully and legally. Anyone who fails to follow these guidelines is deemed to have no affiliation with WHERETHEYLIVE.ORG and is acting counter to the purposes of this organization.