A viral Instagram video shows a Jacksonville Sheriff’s Officer accidentally tasing his partner while trying to make an arrest.
In the video, one of the officers can be seen getting up from the scuffle to grab his taser. The officer deploys the taser once but misses.
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The second time the officer deploys the taser, he accidentally stuns his partner, and the man the officers were trying to arrest gets up to run away.
Action News Jax sent a list of questions to the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, asking if the officer violated any policies, and if the officer who was tased is OK.
We also asked the sheriff’s office if the person officers were trying to apprehend was ever arrested, if the officer who misfired his taser was facing any disciplinary actions, and if the sheriff’s office keeps track of tasers misfiring.
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They responded to our questions in an email, saying,
“The incident is unfortunate, but in the heat of the moment is always a potential while we are taking combative subjects into custody. Incidents such as this are always reviewed to ensure we are using the most appropriate techniques and force during an apprehension – this case is in this process as we speak.
“The officer sustained minor injuries as a result of the incident.
“The suspect was apprehended during the incident and transported to the Pre-Trial Detention Facility.”
JSO policy regarding tasers said voluntary compliance by the arrestee is the optimal desired outcome.
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But when an arrestee is resistant, officers may deploy the taser to gain compliance.
The policy goes on to say that, when possible, officers should have backup officers attempt to restrain an arrestee when the taser is deployed.
But there is no mention in the policy about an appropriate distance between two officers when the taser is used.
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