A local police officer had a badge for barely six months before he was accused of pulling out a weapon, to show off.
A woman complained to Casselberry police after she says one of their own waved his department-issued Taser around, and even caused it to spark.
No one was hurt, but the chief of police told investigative reporter Karla Ray that the action shows an immaturity his department won’t tolerate.
Tyler Turner had been an officer with the Casselberry Police Department since the spring, and as soon as he was confronted with the allegations, he submitted a one-line resignation letter.
The 24-year-old rookie officer allegedly stopped by a friend’s home during his shift and, while speaking to two women, pulled out his Taser and pointed it in the direction of one of the women.
“He was, like, ‘You want to see?’ and he points it in my direction, and I just got freaked out by it and started screaming,” the woman told Casselberry Police Department Internal Affairs investigators.
The incident happened on Nov. 4, when Turner was on duty and in full uniform.
“What he did was so highly inappropriate and unprofessional,” the complainant said during her interview with police.
“It’s a very serious issue for me," Police Chief Larry Krantz said.
“Someone could’ve been injured, so that’s a big concern for me.”
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Krantz told 9 Investigates that Turner couldn’t deny what happened, because the Taser contains data that shows when and for how long it was turned on.
“The weapons are provided for a particular use, and that’s not the use that should be done, and not something we will tolerate,” Krantz said.
Even though Turner resigned before an internal investigation could be launched, the chief told us he plans to go through the process and send the information on to Florida Department of Law Enforcement.
This issue is likely not serious enough, however, for Turner to lose his certification.
Cox Media Group
