Posted on 11/19/2008 12:57:40 PM PST by fishhound
WILMINGTON, N.C. (AP) - A North Carolina sheriff's official has apologized for plunging a funeral into chaos when undercover agents tried to arrest the dead man's son—and used a Taser on him in the process.
It happened as the coffin was being loaded into a hearse. The officers planned to quietly arrest pallbearer Gladwyn Taft Russ III, The Star-News of Wilmington reported Wednesday.
Relatives said two deputies dressed in coats and ties grabbed Russ and kneed him in his back before Tasering him. One deputy's gun fell out of its holster.
Russ' sister, Taffy Gause, said when she got out of the car a deputy "was waving a gun at me and my mom and yelling to get back or he was going to shoot." She said some mourners went home instead of going to the cemetery.
Russ, 42, had failed to surrender after being charged with threatening his ex-wife who lives in another state, officials said. Following his father's death Nov. 11, Russ agreed to surrender after the funeral.
When deputies approached Russ during the Saturday funeral, he "went wild" and spat on the officers, said New Hanover County sheriff's chief deputy Ed McMahon.
McMahon said the officers should have waited until after the cemetery service.
(Excerpt) Read more at breitbart.com ...
Would you arrest a guy at a funeral?
When should they have arrested him?
If the tazer fits....
Passed out at the wake.
I guess they couldn't figure out what 'after' meant?!
Look - I like cops just fine - but this goes beyond stupid: the guy's dad died instead of just getting better at the hospital. Most any other version of human being would say something like "shoot, the guy's dad died, so maybe he'd want to go to his funeral".
Nope, these geniuses figured that the same game plan was the one that they would go with and arrest a guy just as he helped put the coffin in the hearse!. It is beyond belief that we actually have armed law enforcement officers out there that think that this kind of behaviour is acceptable. And I love their version of "discretely arresting" someone. Imagine how chaotic one of their "normal" arrests must be..
The whole bunch of them ought to be demoted to meter maids!
post of the year.......LOL
no they should be fired.
There plan B was probably a take down on the road,
tire puncture sticks for the hearse and drawn machine guns in full tech dress.
The perp barricaded himself in a house and promised to appear on a date before the funeral occurred. Then he later called to the Sheriff’s to let them know that he had changed his mind and would turn himself in after the funeral.
They should have arrested him the moment he showed up at the funeral. They were too lenient with him.
He is charged with threatening his ex-wife who lives in another state and you have him convicted.
No way there is more to the story?
That is funny!
“Just in Case, y’know”
lol
If you ever come to South Carolina to visit I hope for your sake you leave your yankee attitude at home..A Redneck around here is someone who works his Ass off all his life and probably does more work b4 sunup every day than you do in a week.. So if you ever come down here ya might wanna be nice
Too bad. The Sheriffs had an arrest warrant that the perp had repeatedly evaded.
Hell no.
discretion does matter, however, and if there is no chance of escape, just wait a freakin minute, ok?
A tazer would have woke him up real good.
I live in the Ozarks and have been a redneck all my life. Get over it.
Bad timing?
Discreetly arrest him at a freaking funeral??
They almost dropped the casket?
Excuse me, but BWHAHAHAHAHAHAH When should they have arrested him?
Er...um...How about when he barricaded himself in the house, prior to the funeral, and FAILED to give himself up to the cops...Then he promised to give himself up after the funeral?
Oh Lordy...Is this real?
Gezz, at least they could have waited until they loaded the stiff into the hearst...
I could just see them loading the casket into the hearst, and they run up and taser this guy, he's starts doing the chicken, cops drop their guns, and the others almost drop the casket.
I'll bet the howls from the mourners could be heard in Alabama.
Good Lord...I'd pay money to watch this.
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