ORLANDO, Fla. — 9 Investigates an Orlando police officer who received a written censure for using a Taser on a man five times for resisting arrest.
Officer Dennis Turner responded to a call at the Kwik Stop on North Lane in Pine Hills claiming a man who had recently trespassed was refusing to leave, officials said.
Officials said David Reynolds seemed intoxicated and was asked several times to get on the ground.
Reynolds put his hands in his pockets and turned around, so Turner deployed his Taser. Reynolds remained on his feet, and Turner loaded a second cartridge and deployed his Taser a second time.
Turner followed protocol and called for a review from his superiors because he used force.
An internal investigation was performed, and one supervisor signed off on Turner's use of force, but another found that, although his first use was justified, the second deployment of his Taser was not.
Sgt. Dave Haddock said the video of the incident was deceiving and Reynolds was actually hit five times by the electronic control device. He said it was too much for a suspect who was only "passively resisting."
"The system worked. The officers and supervisors looked at that response of resistance and thought it was a level higher than it should have been," Orlando Police Chief John Mina said.
Turner was written up for the incident. The Citizen's Review Board will look into the issue next month.