Not a popular opinion, but he did interfere with police duties. He was not involved in why the police were there in the first place. When interfering, he was told many times to place his hands behind his back and would not comply.
No doubt Miller thought he could use his position as Councilman to influence the situation. I really believe this. It's like look who I am and listen to me!
You don't realize that when you roll up on a situation in the dark you do not know what all is going on and need to separate people and ask questions. If there was only 2 officers and more than two of the people you were trying to question, LE was outnumbered and needed the situation under control. Miller was distracting LE from doing their job. LE gave him numerous chances to comply and butt out and he didn't.
Another thing that people sometimes do not understand is Councilman is an elected position. Right here in my town an elected Councilman was elected from his district who had many children from different women and he was not married to them except for one. When he was taken to court for child support for being a deadbeat Dad, he was forced to resign. Was this a good man? No. He ran on the platform of being a family man. Who is to say that Miller is the epitome of a good person? This was just an example of being an elected official does not mean you are free from fault in a situation.
If Miller had not interfered to begin with, there would have been no problem. If Miller had complied with LE, there would have been no problem. The Taser only came out after repeated warnings from LE. That is protocol in Taser training.
Some people will take up for people like Miller every time. I am and always will be on LE's side if they are acting legally. My late husband retired from LE. If you are, or were ever close to someone in LE, you would understand the danger they face every single day and night. Your spouse or significant other never knows whether you will be coming home after your duty shift or not. My husband was Night Commander and had to respond to every significant stop as a supervisor in support of the officer(s). Miller might have been saying he was a Councilman but do you take time to find out if he really is or not? No, and it would not matter as he was not acting in his official role as a Councilman. You have to see it as someone interfering with police business and treat that person accordingly.
You see the video. You see Miller was not complying and was interfering. What you see is Councilman hit with Taser! That was the sensational headline used.
We can judge LE all we want to but if we find ourselves in a situation where we are being robbed or threatened, just who do we call? LE, that's who. It always amazes me that people can criticize LE UNTIL they need them themselves!
Okay, end of rant!
MOO
