From Deseret News archives:

Trooper's Taser use pops up on YouTube

Published: Wednesday, Nov. 21, 2007 12:08 a.m. MST
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Gardner repeats the command to "turn around" two more times as Massey, with part of his right hand in his pants pocket, starts to walk back toward his SUV.

"What the heck's wrong with you?" Massey can be heard asking as Gardner fires his Taser into Massey's back. Immobilized by the weapon's 50,000 volts, Massey falls backward, striking his head on the highway. The impact caused a cut on Massey's scalp.

Massey's wife Lauren, who was seven months pregnant at the time, gets out of the SUV screaming and is ordered to get back in the vehicle or risk being arrested. Gardner handcuffs Massey and leaves him on the side of the highway while he goes to talk to Massey's wife.

"He's fine. I Tasered him because he did not follow my instructions," Gardner explains to the audibly upset woman.

"You had no right to do that!" she responds. "You had no right to do that!"

While Gardner is still talking to Lauren Massey, her husband gets to his feet and approaches the trooper from behind. Gardner takes the handcuffed man back toward his patrol car and again orders Lauren Massey to stay in her vehicle or risk being arrested.

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"Officer you're a little bit excited. You need to calm yourself down," Jared Massey tells Gardner before being put into the trooper's patrol car where he continues to demand an explanation for his arrest.

When a backup officer arrives on the scene and asks Gardner what happened he tells them Massey "took a ride with the Taser."

"Oh, how was it?" the unidentified officer asks.

"Painful, isn't it?" Gardner responds.

A UHP spokesman said late Tuesday afternoon that the agency was not yet ready to issue a statement on the video.

Roden said an investigation into the trooper's conduct was being expedited. Officials hope to have it completed by early next week, he said.

Gardner had not been suspended Tuesday and was working his usual shifts.

UHP policy says one of three situations can warrant Taser deployment, according to Roden. First, a person could be threatening himself, others or an officer; second, the use of more force would endanger people; or third, other means of control have proved insufficient.

The Masseys declined a request Tuesday for an interview until they could speak with their attorney. Jared Massey is still fighting the speeding charge in Uintah County Justice Court. A trial is set for Jan. 12.

By late Tuesday, no civil complaints against Gardner or highway patrol had been filed.


Contributing: Rebecca Palmer
E-mail: geoff@ubstandard.com

Recent comments

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