Unnecessary Taser Usage by Florida Deputies

A 22 year old man, whom the judge had ruled was mentally incapable of standing trial, didn’t feel so well after Judge Geoffrey Cohen had spoken. Even though he respectfully requested to be given a few moments to catch his breath before being transported from the Broward Circuit Court back to jail, David Jones was shocked with a Taser – two separate times.

Jones was arrested on April 21 after a domestic fracas. As a result he was facing a variety of charges, including domestic battery by strangulation.

Jones’ lawyer said deputies told the man, who was handcuffed and shackled, that he had to go with them immediately. When they tried to get him to stand up Jones resisted. According to Assistant Public Defender Anne LeMaster, one of the deputies punched Jones squarely in the face. As if that weren’t enough, another deputy shocked him with a stun gun.

Rather than complying with the deputies, LeMaster said Jones said, “He told them to remove the prongs and then became very abrasive. When they didn’t,” she said, “[Jones] said, ‘Why don’t you just Tase me again?’”

And they did.

Jones was than transported to a hospital, rather than directly to Broward Main jail. The judge’s order stated that he be transferred to a state mental hospital.

The complaint filed by the Public Defender’s Office against the deputies involved charges that they used excessive force.

Sheriff’s spokesman Jim Leljedal said, “Any time a Taser is used, it’s well documented and we’ll look into it.”