Posted on 07/02/2009 11:30:29 PM PDT by Slings and Arrows
A Waffle House employee is suing the Gwinnett County Police Department over what he says was an unprovoked encounter with an officer who stunned him with a Taser.
The department’s internal investigation records reveal that the officer used the weapon like a toy with tacit approval from two superior officers.
Daniel Wilson, the 22-year-old waiter, spoke publicly about the encounter Wednesday at his attorney’s office in Snellville. The incident has already resulted in the arrest of Cpl. Gary Miles, 33, and the resignations of Sgt. Christopher Parry and Sgt. Joey Parkerson. None of the officers could be reached for comment this week because their phone numbers are unlisted.
Wilson said all three officers were regular customers at the Waffle House at 2725 Grayson Highway in Loganville.
He said the restaurant provided police with free food.
Wilson said the officers often pointed the red laser from their Taser at him playfully. They would do so when Wilson picked a song they didn’t like on the jukebox or when telling him not to mess up their order, Wilson said.
“It was uncomfortable, but they are my customers and they tip pretty well,” Wilson said. “I just thought they were being foolish.”
Then on Feb. 16, Wilson was chatting with Parry and Parkerson when Miles sidled up behind him. Without saying a word, Miles zapped him with the Taser, Wilson said.
“I remember feeling the pulse go through my body,” Wilson said. “It hurt.”
Taser stun guns deliver a 50,000-volt electrical current capable of incapacitating a person. The weapon can fire barbed probes a distance of up to 35 feet, or it can be used in “drive stun mode” when pressed directly against a suspect. Gwinnett police checked the data recording from Miles’ Taser and found it was fired for one second at 2:48 a.m. on Feb. 16.
Miles told investigators that he only “spark tested” the Taser near the employee’s back “just to scare him a little bit,” according to the internal investigation file.
Parry, 41, and Parkerson, 39, witnessed the employee being shocked but did not report it. They laughed along with Miles, Wilson said. The sergeants later told investigators they didn’t realize the Taser made contact with Wilson’s body.
Wilson said he remembers telling Miles in the presence of the other officers, “Hey, you actually tased me.”
Wilson again sought an apology from Miles a few days later for accidentally stunning him. He said Miles replied, “Who says I did it by accident?”
Miles was arrested June 18 on charges of misdemeanor battery and violating his oath as an officer. Parry and Parkerson resigned in lieu of termination June 19. Police are also investigating allegations that a fourth officer pointed a Taser at Wilson’s groin during an earlier incident.
Gwinnett County District Attorney Danny Porter said he has not ruled out the possibility of charging the two sergeants.
“If the evidence shows there was an unprovoked use of the Taser, and if the evidence shows the sergeants had some criminal responsibility in the case, then they can expect to be prosecuted vigorously,” Porter said.
Michael Puglise, who is representing Wilson in the lawsuit in Gwinnett County State Court, is seeking unspecified punitive damages. He also wants a judge to bar Gwinnett police from carrying Tasers until their policy and training is evaluated.
“What is so concerning to me is the fact that you have a corporal — a ranking officer — zapping a kid with a stun gun and you have two sergeants sitting there watching for their own amusement,” Puglise said. “From their expressions and their actions, it is obvious that this is accepted.”
Gwinnett’s Police Department has had stun guns longer than any other force from the Atlanta area’s largest counties. Currently, 222 of Gwinnett’s 715 sworn officers are certified to carry Tasers, said Cpl. Illana Spellman, a department spokeswoman.
Spellman said using a Taser on innocent civilians is not acceptable. It is also against department policy for officers to accept free food from restaurants.
“It is clearly stated in training that the Taser will only be used to defend the officer or someone else,” Spellman said. “[These officers] were completely wrong.”
Police departments across the state have adopted widely different policies about the use of stun guns. Recently, the director of the Georgia Association of Chiefs of Police said the state needs to offer standardized training.
I’ll say - free food for the cops!!!!!!! Un-fricken-belivable. In some States that kind of ‘freebie’ is a felony.
OH, the TASER?
THey got fired, the bussboy is likely looking at trying to cash in on someones stupidity. Let the fired cops pay, not the taxpayers.
Badge-lappers report to thread in 3... 2... 1...
STUNED.
Some of you may be wondering, have the words “taser” and “waffle” ever been used before in one sentence? I know I did.
The first 50 Google results say no.
Damn...
Dumb cops...
It’s a little terrifying to think they were actually carrying real guns, with bullets in them! I just wonder what those idiots have done over the years that we will probably never know about.
These are the times that try mens’ sentence structure.
The mind boggles.
The problem is that the fired cops don't have enough money among them to even make a down payment on the probable award in this lawsuit.
I am thinking millions. And, BTW, if I walked into a restaurant and tased a waiter, how much jail time would I be looking at. How do these guys get off with firing and not criminal charges?
Perp charged.
It would be good if they just had bullets, not cartridges. Much safer that way!
Yup. It’s all fun and games till the taser comes out.
Maybe one cartridge, under the Barney Fife rules of engagement.
Last I looked, a 22 year old man, is not a kid.
I wonder if the waiter spit on the cop's donuts??? lol
Free food AND an employee to harass! What a place to eat.
I think this article hit on a key point, that many cops secretly view tasers as a fun toy when not facing a threat. I’m starting to think that many cops can’t resist the inappropriate use of non-lethal tools.
Wow, how to destroy three professional careers in one second flat.
It was a mercy killing.
“Hold muh waffle...”
Why must you pun-ish us?
Just the slings and hash of outrageous fortune cookies.
Obama Jackboots
Well, perhaps at some time in the future. Low though my opinion of Zer0 is, I really can’t hang this one on him.
Fair enough.
I guess it was the waffles that made me say it L0L
Democrats and waffles do naturally go together.
No, let the taxpayers pay for it for allowing the cops to carry the tasers to begin with. All of this comes back to us for poor voting, not holding rep’s feet to the fire, letting cops off lightly for incidents like this, etc. We should be mad as hell, but we are also responsible. Get more involved in all aspects of these incidents, and you’ll find that only we are going to be fix these situations.
Well I suppose if they are getting the food for free, they better tip well.
This "free food" for cops is nothing new. In my younger days, I worked briefly in a restaurant and was told by my manager upon starting that anytime cops in uniform walked in, they were to be served for free. Now they never ordered much more than coffee and maybe a donut or pastry, but they never tipped either. Supposedly the manager was okay with this because having cops in the restaurant was good for business (it was a tough neighborhood).
They don't have any Waffle Houses up here in the Northeast but I wish they did. Whenever I go down South, I always make sure I hit a Waffle House at least once. People are always friendly, the food is cheap (real cheap) and filling and you are in and out of there very quickly. And I like the jukebox where you can always find something from Waylon Jennings. Up north, it's Waylon who?
I usually get the cheese omelet with grits and wheat toast. Coffee is pretty miserable so I get the iced tea which is quite good.
Yes, they should have a termination on their records with that department anyway. We use a general classification on an ex-employee of ‘Do not rehire’ which future employers can check and inquire about.
LLS
How odd! How unusual!!! They aren’t here....MAYBE because there is a clear fault leading to the cop’s doors. MAYBE because there is no possible way to pretend that these guys weren’t abusing their authority. Ya think?!!!
You just hate law enforcement officers because you have a problem with authority! What are you hiding, punk?
LOL They're COPS. The law is for "civilians".
No professional careers were destroyed. However three unqualified amateurs were sidelined before they could do some serious harm.
Pretty cheeky considering you're eating for free.
These cops shouldn’t see the outside of prison walls until they’re old men, the county should pay big time and the police department forced to surrender all weapons beyond a basic revolver for each cop.
Obviously, this police force comprises irresponsible children, and should be armed as lightly as possible.
The pride goeth before the fall, or something to that effect.
“Gwinnett police checked the data recording from Miles’ Taser and found it was fired for one second at 2:48 a.m. on Feb. 16.”
Do lots of people go out for waffles at 3AM? If I did it would be the place where the cops hang out.
Do we really have to have that for every feaking post about a cop? Cripes.
The short answer is yes. At that hour the bars are closed, so if you’re partying and don’t want to go home you head to Waffle House. My local WH is always packed from 2-4 AM.
That’s punk-ette to you Mister. heehee
Note: I don’t hate LEOs, what a weird statement. Shows what you don’t know.
I was being sarcastic! Sorry!
Yep.
not this time, big guy.
It's never safe to feed wild animals. You may think they'll be grateful and become pets, but one day their savage nature will assert itself.
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