Toronto police use Taser on wayward deer

Published on November 24th, 2009

Posted by John C Dvorak in Ecology, General

CBC News – Toronto – Toronto police use Taser on wayward deer.

A wayward deer that wandered through downtown Toronto before stopping to rest near a busy intersection has been stunned and captured.

They could have let the deer go on its merry way, but noooo.

Found by Robb Murray.

42 users responded in " Toronto police use Taser on wayward deer "

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# 1 bobbo, we are all connnected in crime, perversion, and Darwinian Competition said, on November 24th, 2009 at 11:25 am

Really bad kneejerk reaction of the day: “They could havelet the deer go on its merry way, but noooo.”

Ever seen the effect of a wandering deer on city traffic? How many car accidents are worth the deaf/dumb/blind policy you recommend????

Silly.

# 2 BigBoyBC said, on November 24th, 2009 at 11:46 am

“Don’t taze me doe!”

Ok, I said it…

# 3 The Monster's Lawyer said, on November 24th, 2009 at 11:54 am

#2, yes you did.

# 4 duh365 said, on November 24th, 2009 at 12:14 pm

Until cops are put under the same scrutiny for using a taser as they are a firearm or baton, they will continue to use it for anything and everything. I wonder if they’ve been able to open bottles with it?

# 5 bobbo, we are all connnected in crime, perversion, and Darwinian Competition said, on November 24th, 2009 at 12:18 pm

#4–duh==let me make the opposite uninformed assumption: cops ARE put under the same scrutiny on any use of a taser, in fact, much higher scrutiny than that required for use of a baton which is ZERO.

Let me further assume the reason we don’t hear much about it is that unlike a baton or gun there is usually little to no damage so not much fuss it made about it by most folks involved.

Let me ask you: would you rather be:

1. Shot by a gun
2. Hit by a baton
3. Stunned by a taser?

I’ll take a taser every time. You?

# 6 moondawg said, on November 24th, 2009 at 12:31 pm

#5,

Depends on who’s swinging the baton.

# 7 TooManyPuppies said, on November 24th, 2009 at 12:34 pm

Well, it was probably faster than calling in animal control. That’s what we were trained to do, call animal control and try to keep the animal were it is so it doesn’t wander and interfere with traffic or harm some dipstick walking around.

Taze it, tie it, stuff it in the back of the patrol unit, then drive it to a place out of the way to let it go.

Orrrr…. Shoot the damned thing in the head, and eat it!

# 8 duh365 said, on November 24th, 2009 at 12:36 pm

#5—I would beg to differ about the taser. We hear plenty about tasering these days and if you take a gander at youtube, there are plenty of police tasering antics caught on video. It comes up in “about 16,200″ search results and I’m sure most of which are tagged rather loosely. I think for the very reason it doesn’t leave a mark, some cops go the extra mile to jolt a suspect or soccer mom that doesn’t quiet down. If the cop isn’t caught on tape, the officer can do whatever he or she wants and it’s the word of the tasered against theirs. How many times have cops said they have done no wrong until a video hits youtube?

And regarding your question, it’s kind of a silly question because it wouldn’t be up to me + a cop still carries all three. It’s not like the taser replaced the gun and baton.

# 9 bobbo, we are all connnected in crime, perversion, and Darwinian Competition said, on November 24th, 2009 at 12:41 pm

#8–duh. Where to begin?

What is your source of information for opining the police are under less scrutiny when they use a taser? — same question re baton and gun?

IN THE MAIN===do you/CAN YOU recognize at all how BIASED your perceptions are by relying on Youtube? Pop culture is good for ENTERTAINMENT purposes NOT FOR being informed, even less for forming/posting/maintaining opinions.

Do you rely on Horoscopes? If not, why not?

# 10 Bryan P Carney said, on November 24th, 2009 at 12:43 pm

After a big buck tried to suicide himself with my front bumper a couple days ago, I’m ready to join those working to cull the bastards. They are dangerous creatures and we have to decide what is more important to us: seeing the pretty deer graze on our flowers or protecting our friends and family from harm.

# 11 Benjamin said, on November 24th, 2009 at 12:49 pm

Bobbo said,

“Let me ask you: would you rather be:

1. Shot by a gun
2. Hit by a baton
3. Stunned by a taser?

I’ll take a taser every time. You?”

I’d rather be punished for a crime only after being found guilty in a court of law.

# 12 duh365 said, on November 24th, 2009 at 12:54 pm

#9 — whether I am wrong or not regarding scrutiny or a few extra bits of paperwork related to tasering, is it not the word of an officer vs. the person tasered unless there is video to prove otherwise? Since there are not gunshot wounds, black eyes or cracked skulls there is nothing to say whether or not the officer jolted the person once or twenty times. How biased can you be to discount videos that have captured officers taking things too far? Since Rodney King, this is the media driven culture we live in and unfortunately a few rotten apples that actually get caught ruin it for the rest. Why do you think a tasered deer made a headline in the first place?

# 13 tcc3 said, on November 24th, 2009 at 12:58 pm

That deer totally had it coming. I bet he was resisting arrest, we only see part of the video! That deer could have had a gun, that cop didn’t know. If that deer didn’t want to get tasered he shouldn’t have done something that got him pulled over.

# 14 duh365 said, on November 24th, 2009 at 1:00 pm

#13 — so true! Awesome.

# 15 bobbo, we are all connnected in crime, perversion, and Darwinian Competition said, on November 24th, 2009 at 1:02 pm

#12–duh==you crack me up. Where to continue?

YOU made the point that police are subject to less review when they use a taser compared to when they use a baton or gun.

My gut hunch is you are correct, but I asked for “sources” of your position. Armed with valid data, different people can come to different conclusions based on their values????

YOUR response is twice now to say that “Less Review” is indicated by YouTube having many video’s on the misuse of tasers. I don’t see the connection, can you make it for me?

I say that tasers are misused because in the Movie Bad Cop Harvey Keitel used it to torture a suspect.

LOGIC!!!!! You can make several arguments from the YouTube videos just as you have done, but their use not being reviewed by police departments is not one of them.

And back to my secondary point, I’d still rather be abused by a taser than by a baton or gun. YOU?

# 16 Uncle Don said, on November 24th, 2009 at 1:10 pm

If it had died after being shot, would it have been due to “agitated delirium”?

# 17 pedro said, on November 24th, 2009 at 1:12 pm

#15 bobbo – “And back to my secondary point, I’d still rather be abused by a taser than by a baton or gun. YOU?”

I like self abuse.

# 18 duh365 said, on November 24th, 2009 at 1:17 pm

#15—apparently this is the game of the last word, unless someone tasers us both. Anyway, I will have to come clean, I didn’t have my pie charts and statistical data handy and our local taser training officer didn’t get back to me in time for comment. You can draw your own conclusions (which I think you have) based on previous tasing stories on this blog and the deer that had it coming. Clearly you would prefer to be tasered but I think I would rather not. Cops don’t give you a choice, they decide. However, if I’m ever resisting, I’ll mention your multiple choice question and say I chose 4. none of the above.

Have to go taser a turkey now. Enjoy Thanksgiving!

# 19 The Monster's Lawyer said, on November 24th, 2009 at 1:24 pm

Happy Turkey Day to everyone.

# 20 Mr. Fusion said, on November 24th, 2009 at 1:32 pm

#17, pedro,

I like self abuse.

Yup, we’ve heard. How’s the goat thing going?

# 21 bobbo, we are all connnected in crime, perversion, and Darwinian Competition said, on November 24th, 2009 at 1:37 pm

So, in summary:

1. Pedro likes to abuse himself.
2. Thanksgiving is two days away.
3. People have a hard time restricting themselves to a hypothetical AND go outside the hypothetical for no discernible reason.

As posted at #1–I see nothing wrong at all with tasering a deer who is a danger to the public safety. In fact, the cops would have been wrong to wait until the deer did who knows what.

Deer are not people. Our legitimate concerns regarding an impinging police state, excessive force, misuse of tasers, is not raised by this posting.

# 22 pedro said, on November 24th, 2009 at 1:38 pm

#20 Senior Fusiyn – Not too b-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-d (like a goat sound). It’s funnee, si?

# 23 Zybch said, on November 24th, 2009 at 1:43 pm

I bet it was a black deer.

# 24 pcsmith said, on November 24th, 2009 at 1:51 pm

Deer are the rats of the suburban communities. It would have been better to kill it and process the meat to give to the local food bank.

Since you cannot safely use a hunting weapon (gun, bow, crossbow) in a urban area, I suggest using the taser then slitting its throat.

Too bad you can’t do the same with bears.

# 25 Toronto Guy said, on November 24th, 2009 at 1:56 pm

So, what was the Doe doing in the Financial District? (It was found just on the outer edge of what is considered Toronto’s Financial District)

It was looking for a Buck of course….

# 26 brm said, on November 24th, 2009 at 2:37 pm

#5 Bobbo:

“Let me ask you: would you rather be:

1. Shot by a gun
2. Hit by a baton
3. Stunned by a taser?

I’ll take a taser every time. You?”

Yeah, but I’d rather not be indiscriminately tased in every case where, before they were given non-lethal weapons, the cops would’ve simply talked to me.

# 27 bobbo, we are all connnected in crime, perversion, and Darwinian Competition said, on November 24th, 2009 at 2:44 pm

#26–brm==thinking outside the hypothetical for no discernible reason.

The only reasonable response is that I would rather never have to talk to a cop, have a million dollars in the bank, and be making sweet sweet love to Elizabeth Hurley.

Unfortunately, no such conditions are likely to arise.

So — whats your point?

# 28 The0ne said, on November 24th, 2009 at 3:00 pm

#5
you haven’t seen the show about the science of using weapons yet I assume. That baton can be much much deadlier lol

# 29 harold said, on November 24th, 2009 at 3:01 pm

Cops are the dumbest f*cking morons on the planet.

# 30 Angel H. Wong said, on November 24th, 2009 at 4:00 pm

Bah, forgot how to send stuff to post here. Anyone can remind me how to send links for the blog?

That way I can send awesome links like this one

http://youtube.com/watch?v=irp8CNj9qBI

# 31 bobbo, running out of energy himself said, on November 24th, 2009 at 4:25 pm

#28–One==seen too many of them. Kind of a blur now. Nun chucks, baseball bats == all quite damaging/fatal even in the hands of a novice.

This blog demonstrates daily that effective communication is much more difficult a task than using a taser. We should all welcome our new electric overlords.

# 32 Steve Canuck said, on November 24th, 2009 at 4:37 pm

I live in Toronto. Where this deer was is akin to being next to Times Square in New York.

How it got there no-one knows, but the likelyhood of it leaving without becoming a hood ornament is minimal.

Tranqualizing it was necessary. However, tasering it is questionable. Maybe its a cop thing – “Took it moves. Taser it”

Or maybe it sounded Polish. Canadians will know what that means.

# 33 Lou said, on November 24th, 2009 at 4:52 pm

The deer got into town. The deer would have got out of town on It’s own. Taz a deer. Get your act together.

# 34 canucklehead said, on November 24th, 2009 at 5:33 pm

#32 the Mounties have a thing for Poles. This was T.O. cops. Probably spoke with a Patois.

# 35 deowll said, on November 24th, 2009 at 7:48 pm

“They could have let the deer go on its merry way, but noooo.”

They could have let it get hit by a car.

# 36 Buffet said, on November 24th, 2009 at 11:27 pm

ALL pigs are cowards! Most are attempting to compensate for being bullied as a child. Once grown up the sissies can’t run home crying to their mommy anymore. I loathe the insecure, impotent homos, hiding behind a badge and a gun!

# 37 torontodude said, on November 25th, 2009 at 4:07 am

Just thought I’d give a little background on the story. As a previous poster said the dear was in an extremely populated part of the downtown core and no one had any idea how it could have possibly got there. The cops, including animal control tried to get the dear under control pretty much all morning until they finally tranquilized the the thing. Problem with doing that is that it become scared and started bolting so the police had to taser it before it could run into the middle of traffic and hit a car or a bus or something. FYI the dear was alive and well and was released into a large park.

# 38 Mr. Fusion said, on November 25th, 2009 at 8:02 am

#33, Lou,

The deer got into town. The deer would have got out of town on It’s own.

Actually no. There is no way the deer could have accidentally wandered into the downtown area. It is at least three miles from any ravine capable of letting the deer into the core area. I am unaware of any reports of any deer sightings. The two closest ravines do not have deer. Plenty of raccoons and squirrels, but no deer.

The deer would still have had to come at least 20 miles through built up areas. Not likely.
I surmise the deer was dropped off as a prank.

# 39 Anonymous said, on November 25th, 2009 at 8:16 am

Whatever happened to stun guns, numb chucks (a.k.a. night sticks), and simple mace or pepper spray?

What pre-requisite is required in order to BE a cop anyway? Does it require above average desire for sato-masochism and low intelligence? Or what?!

I mean, tasering a deer! What’s the matter Mister Officer? Loose the number for Animal Control? It’s probably on the side of your own cruiser! Weren’t there any J-walkers, speeders or senior citizens (a.k.a. PEOPLE) to drag down and taser instead?

# 40 Buzz said, on November 25th, 2009 at 10:23 am

A friend asked me to go bear-tasering. What should I do? -Undecided

# 41 Nobody said, on November 25th, 2009 at 4:06 pm

How else do you plan on dealing with a dear in a city?
The normal procedure is to shoot it (same with bears/cougars here). That’s a little dangerous with people around – especially if you don’t kill it first shot, which with a handgun you probably wouldn’t.
Picture a wounded buck running through a crowd of people – even in Toronto some of them would be innocent bystanders.

Deer are a nuisance in most Canadian cities but are tricky to deal with. Most municipalities don’t allow you to shoot deer with rifles from your car in downtown. Apparently it’s dangerous to pedestrians (!).
In the case of Toronto – taking off and nuking it from orbit is the only way to be sure.

# 42 Frank said, on November 29th, 2009 at 1:53 am

The deer was totally out of control and was handling a stapler in a threatening manner, putting the officers in grave danger.

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