O'Reilly: Tasered UF student "biggest wimp in the United States of America"

During the September 18 edition of his Fox News television show, while discussing the recent incident involving University of Florida student Andrew Meyer, who was shocked with a Taser after a confrontation with police that began while he was asking questions of Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) during a September 17 campus forum, Bill O'Reilly asserted: "I've been tasered for a story, and all I can say is: He is the biggest wimp in the United States of America." O'Reilly added: "And I don't say that with any kind of bravado, but the overreaction to being tasered -- it's not -- it's an electrical shock is what it is." Also, only moments after showing a video clip of Meyer being shocked, during which the he cried out, "Don't tase me, bro. Don't tase me," O'Reilly stated: "It's not pleasant, but that idiot, he wanted this to happen. He wanted the cops to do it."

Citing an increase in the number of reported deaths associated with Tasers, the Department of Justice's National Institute of Justice (NIJ) has launched several studies into the effects of the stun guns, and the Justice Department initiated a "multi-agency technical evaluation of taser technology."

From the September 18 edition of Fox News' The O'Reilly Factor:

O'REILLY: "Impact" segment tonight: Tasering freedom of speech. Twenty-one-year-old University of Florida student Andrew Meyer interrupted a forum for John Kerry yesterday by refusing to stop talking.

[begin video clip]

MEYER: I'm not even done yet, I have two more questions. If you were so against Iraq, then how come you're not saying let's impeach Bush now -- impeach Bush now before he can invade Iraq? Why don't we impeach him? Impeach Bush -- Clinton was impeached for what? A blow job? Why don't we impeach Bush? All right?

Also, are you a member -- are you a member of Skull & Bones in college with Bush? Are you in the same secret society?

KERRY: That's all right. Let me answer his question.

MEYER: Excuse me? Excuse me? What are you arresting me for?

Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa!

[end video clip]

O'REILLY: All right, now, he was arrested -- and when Meyer resisted, this is what happened.

[begin video clip]

MEYER: Help me! Help, they're arresting me!

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE POLICE OFFICER: Stop -- do you want to be tased? Stop resisting.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE POLICE OFFICER: You'll be tased if you do not --

MEYER: If you let me go, I'll walk out of here. Just let me go.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE POLICE OFFICER: Quiet down and --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE POLICE OFFICER: Roll on your stomach --

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE POLICE OFFICER: Do it now.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE POLICE OFFICER: Put your hands behind your head.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE POLICE OFFICER: Do it now!

[...]

MEYER: Get the fuck off of me, man! I didn't do anything. Don't tase me, bro. Don't tase me.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE POLICE OFFICER: Stop --

MEYER: I didn't do anything. Ow! Ow! Ow! Ow! Ow! Ow! Ow!

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE POLICE OFFICER: Do not --

MEYER: Ow! Let me go!

UNIDENTIFIED MALE POLICE OFFICER: Get up!

MEYER: Let me go!

UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN: What are you doing?

MEYER: Let me go! Ow!

UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN: Why are you doing that?

MEYER: Oh, my God!

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE POLICE OFFICER: Back up!

MEYER: What did I --

UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN: Why are you doing it?

MEYER: What did I do?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Police brutality!

UNIDENTIFIED MALE POLICE OFFICER: Stay back!

MEYER: What did I do?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE POLICE OFFICER: Stay back!

[end video clip]

O'REILLY: Now, I've been tasered for a story, and all I can say is: He is the biggest wimp in the United States of America.

With us now, attorneys Jeanine Pirro and Lis Wiehl -- both are Fox News analysts. And I don't say that with any kind of bravado, but the overreaction to being tasered -- it's not -- it's an electrical shock is what it is.

WIEHL: Right. Right.

O'REILLY: It's not pleasant, but that idiot, he wanted this to happen. He wanted the cops to do it; he wanted to disrupt the forum; and to me, I think he should be prosecuted.

—A.I.