Taser Wielding Officer Cleared

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) - Utah officials say they're satisfied that
a state trooper who used a Taser on a motorist acted reasonably.
Jared Massey had refused to sign a speeding ticket and was
walking away when Trooper Jon Gardner zapped him twice. Massey
requested the dashboard video of the incident and then posted it on
YouTube. The Web site says the video has been viewed more than a
million times.
Officials at the Department of Public Safety conducted an
investigation and say Gardner could have issued the ticket without
Massey's signature.
The department says using the stun gun was justified because
Massey had turned his back and put a hand near his pocket. Still,
it has asked the Utah attorney general's office to also review the
case to determine if laws were broken.
Gardner is on leave, primarily because of a wave of threats made
against him since the video was posted.