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Florida uni cops taser shouty student

John Kerry forum degenerates into farce

A Florida university student who overran his allotted time while quizzing John Kerry on matters of national import at a forum graced by the Democrat senator for Massachusetts received a solid tasering for his trouble, quickly followed by the now-obligatory YouTube martydom:

As you can see, Andrew Meyer, 21, was pretty determined to quiz Kerry on the possible impeachment of President Bush, and indeed, "whether he and Bush were both members of the secret society Skull and Bones at Yale University", although his impertinence was not actually the cause of his electric exit from the proceedings.

Rather, as University spokesman Steve Orlando explained, Meyer was "asked to leave the microphone after his allotted time was up" - despite the fact that Kerry can be heard insisting: "That's all right, let me answer his question."

A visibly-shocked Meyer was cuffed on charges of "resisting an officer and disturbing the peace", according to Alachua County jail where the gobby miscreant spent the night before his release earlier today. The State Attorney's Office hadn't last night made a "formal charging decision", although cops suggested a triple-rap slap consisiting of "resisting arrest with violence, disturbing the peace and interfering with school administrative functions".

University President J. Bernard Machen today issued a statement saying he "requested the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to investigate the arrest". He called the whole sorry affair "regretful" and told a press conference: "We're absolutely committed to having a safe environment for our faculty and our students so that a free exchange of ideas can occur."

Kerry, meanwhile, said he "regretted that a healthy discussion was interrupted and that he never had a dialogue end that way in 37 years of public appearances". The Senator added: "Whatever happened, the police had a reason, had made their decision that there was something they needed to do. Then it's a law enforcement issue, not mine."

Meyer apparently has a bit of previous when it comes to jolly japes. AP says his website "contains several 'comedy' videos that he appears in", including one in which he stands in the street holding a sign declaring "Harry Dies" after the release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. In another clip, the wag reportedly "acts like a drunk while trying to pick up a woman in a bar". ®

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