Posted on 09/20/2007 2:36:14 PM PDT by TheRealDBear
WARREN, Ohio (AP) -- A police officer accused of using a stun gun on a woman while she was handcuffed has been placed on paid administrative leave.
Video taken from Patrolman Richard Kovach's cruiser shows him jolting a woman with a Taser gun at least twice after she was handcuffed, police and city administrators said.
The woman, who had been ordered out of a bar, fell face-first to the pavement in the bar's parking lot after being struck the final time with the electrical disabling device, officials said.
Mayor Michael O'Brien said Kovach was removed from street duty about a week ago.
“He's on administrative leave per the contract we have with police,” O'Brien said. “And an internal investigation is already under way, initiated by the police department and not by way of a complaint.”
Simply because someone is hit with a Taser while handcuffed may not be against policy, said Warren Law Director Greg Hicks, citing the example of someone kicking out windows of a cruiser.
Heidi Gill, 38, was arrested Sept. 2 on charges of falsification, assault, resisting arrest, criminal damaging and unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, officials said. She has pleaded innocent and faces an Oct. 25 court hearing in Warren Municipal Court.
Kovach's report said he had made several attempts to use the Taser on Gill, but it misfired repeatedly. Once inside the cruiser, she kicked out a rear window and tried to climb into the front seat, ignoring his commands to stop, he said.
“I deployed a second Taser cartridge into her and the violent turbulent action stopped immediately,” the report said. “I then requested a car with a cage for transport.”
She was again Tasered during the transfer to the second car, when she fell and was knocked unconscious, and an ambulance took her to a local hospital, the report said.
Duh!
That's what the Taser was for.
“Perfect time for a taser. Those low-lives need to learn.”
Your attitude says it all. This fat out-of-shape piggy was in no danger whatsoever; nor was this drunken woman about to get away.
Thanks for the link.
The video shows just why we have police. No crime here on the LEO’s part at all.
If I was the one having to transport this maniac I probably would have locked her in the trunk.
Is it now illegal to use the old way to control a subject?
The woman probably deserved harsh treatment by the officers, but a taser is not the way to do this. Too many people have been severely injured and killed by these devices.
I’m afraid I would consider getting tased as an attempt on my life.
No. The theory is that suspects and officers are less likely to be injured using a taser rather than clubbing or hands.
I would prefer it if the folks whose paychecks come from other people's tax $$$ learn their place.
Well, that theory didn't work for this woman as she wound up getting carted off to the hospital.
Probably a CYA move.
“I’m afraid I would consider getting tased as an attempt on my life.”
if ones heart is between the dart/electrodes, it is more likely than not that the recipient will go into cardiac standstill or fibrillation. Unless the fib is atrial, standstill or V Fib is a genuine Code Blue, meaning that circulation has ceased.....brain damage begins seriously four minutes later, and a couple minutes beyond that you become a vegetable or very seriously brain-damaged.
Granted, death is rare, but it is only because the darts rarely impact the target such that the current passes thru the heart......but it DOES happen, and this risk is well-known to those who sell these devices and the medical community.
AFter seeing the video on this one, this cop was over the line in using the Taser ( depending on what the use of force policy of his department are). Based on my own police training, he had not yet made it to that point. Note that in the video she was NOT handcuffed when tased. However, she WAS on the ground after the first use of the device, and Yoyo the Cop was standing there watching her, rather than stepping in and getting the cuffs on. Yoyo was also about 3 times her size, too. He had NOT used any form of control hold, which he could easily have established at this point, or even before. He didnt use a spray, either. Those are all lower on the force continuum than a Taser or EID. Heck, after the first time he zapped her, he could have just sat on her and cuffed her. He didnt do THAT, either.
I’m not anti-cop by any means, but the video on this one ( assuming I’m getting the whole picture) shows someone who is NOT using his tools properly at all.
I agree, the tape does speak for itself. If by the tape speakin for itself you mean that the bitch deserved it, that is.
Good work officer!
“the bitch deserved it..........Good work officer!”
I’m going to show compassion and excuse your comment because of your low to mid-range 2 digit IQ.
What happens to someone with a pacemaker even if not hit in the heart?
You're too kind. She looked like something out of a horror movie.
Until they have the back of the cruiser completely isolated from the officers and padded to (sadly) protect the prisoners, then they have to take action to stop this kind of behavior.
I agree. She had this coming.
Anybody notice the name of this site? It’s “Bad Cop News” I smell an agenda here.
From what I saw on the video clip, I got the impression that had she had the chance, the cop would have had to get rabies shots from bite wounds. She really looked like she wanted to get a piece of him with her teeth.
“What happens to someone with a pacemaker even if not hit in the heart?”
well thats an interesting question....
might be a demand type pacer, which paces when natural rhythm is below a set rate
might be a continuous pace, with or without manual or auto increases in rate
might be one with cardiovert (defibrillates when needed) and any of the above features.
they all react to frequency of electrical signals except the oldest versions of constant pace which is very rarely used any more.
The options for “what happens” are quite grim, esp considering that the voltage (as opposed to current) of tasers is plenty sufficient to damage pacer circuitry. Beyond that, consider well publicized warnings to pacer patients concerning just being near a microwave oven in operation.....
Have you wseen this video? Another woman that can’t follow orders. How many time the officer asks her to put down the cell phone and get out of the car... The stupidity appauls me.
http://www.ifilm.com/video/2672383
I am not one for police to use this weapon indiscriminately, but if people can’t respect and obey an officer’s simple instructions, even after SEVERAL warnings that they are going to get tased, they deserve the consequences.
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