Georgia Officer Who Hit Man Sitting in Deck Chair with Stun Gun in Viral Video Suspended
A Georgia police officer has been suspended without pay after he was caught on camera using a stun gun on a man before dragging him to the ground.
Chief R.V Watts of the City of Monroe Police Department said in a statement yesterday that the officer—who has not been formally named—was found to be in violation of the agency's code of conduct and would now have to undergo remedial and corrective training.
Footage of the arrest was first published online by Shanna Tory on June 16. It showed a portion of the Saturday incident involving her husband Ivan, 32. He was sitting in a chair on his home's front porch when officers were called to respond to a party on the same street.
WXIA-TV reported police were contacted at roughly 11:30 p.m. after a resident of the Monroe Estates community, in Walton County, complained of people and vehicles blocking the road.
It was not immediately clear who was holding the party, and who was attending.
Shanna Tory later told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution the situation escalated after police told her family to go inside their home, and her husband refused. "You're being very disrespectful. This is my house. I'm a family man," he reportedly told deputies who arrived on scene.
The City of Monroe police officer was seen in the cell phone footage deploying a stun gun and forcefully pulling the man from his seat. The man was charged with obstruction. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported police records listing the arresting officer as Walter Clough.
In video footage of the confrontation obtained by WAGA-TV, an officer could allegedly be heard shouting: "Move your f***ing hands or get tased" and "who's next? Who's next?" In the clip posted by Shanna Tory, an officer turns to a witness and screams "Get the f*** back."
On Facebook, alongside the video upload, Shanna Tory wrote: "They really did my husband wrong... Tased him til he was completely passed out then tased me for trying to save him."
Chief Watts declined to discuss individual cases because some charges were still pending but confirmed "individuals were arrested and charged with different violations of Georgia law."
Referencing the suspended police officer, Chief Watts said: "I do see a serious policy violation as it pertains to our code of conduct. We at the Monroe Police Department understand the importance and need to build and strengthen relationships in our community between law enforcement and our citizens.
He added: "The actions of this officer in this incident did not reflect that and in fact brought a negative image towards himself and this agency. We are still currently investigating and reviewing every aspect in regards to this incident." The chief told WAGA-TV that his officers' bodycam footage and call logs would be reviewed.
