Stun Gun Is First Line of Defense

A 33-year-old Fort Pierce man is in custody following a run in with deputies. Charged with the battery of an officer, burglary, grand theft, criminal mischief and a laundry list of other charges, his capture was managed with the assistance of a stun gun.

The suspect allegedly broke into a tire store on Saturday morning, February 27, 2010. When the local deputy responded to the alarm, he found the suspect removing a tire from the store. The suspect spotted the officer and bolted.

Following the suspect to a gated home, the officer was kicked in the face when the man jumped the fence. Although he lost part of a tooth in the incident, the officer managed to use a stun gun on the suspect, although he didn’t make good contact, and the suspect continued to flee.

Two other officers soon arrived and the three managed to take the suspect into custody together. The suspect was just released, after 18 month in prison, in December 2009. One presumes he missed his state paid accommodations.

Stun Gun Safer than a Hand Gun
No one denies that police officers must sometimes use their hand guns to end a violent confrontation. This officer made the best decision not to escalate a chase by using a stun gun instead of a hand gun in a residential area. While the stun gun didn’t completely subdue the suspect, it was only a short time before additional officers arrived and helped end the incident. The stun gun no doubt disabled the suspect to some degree, facilitating the arrest.

Stun guns are often the first line of defense for police officers who don’t feel that using lethal force is justified, either due to the location or the situation. While the suspect has a history of felonies and misdemeanors, none are of a particularly violent nature, so officers opted for a less aggressive route of capture. Thank goodness, they have such choices at their disposal.