A police officer who demonstrated how his Taser worked by zapping a willing participant in the genitals got an official warning from his bosses.
Officer Randy Reynolds, Tenino Washington, fell under the watchful eye of his superiors when a video of the incident that occurred last Spring was posted on YouTube. Apparently the video clearly shows that the unidentified man wasn’t injured and onlookers can be heard laughing in the background.
Interim Police Chief Larry Dickerson has stated that Reynolds had been at a social gathering, but he was in uniform as he was on his way to work at the time. The unidentified man repeatedly asked Reynolds to use the weapon on him. Reynolds eventually obliged twice.
“He said he just wanted to know what it felt like. Randy didn’t want to do it at first, but the guy kept asking,†said Dickerson, who interviewed the man.
The Chief has said that no uniformed officer should demonstrate the use of a stun gun outside the line of duty except during training exercises.
“You don’t just go around doing your own demonstrations,†he said.
For his trouble Reynolds, 30, who’s been with the southwestern Washington towns police department since December 2005, will receive a formal reprimand in his personnel file and a warning not to misuse police equipment. He’ll also have to go over the departments taser policy and go over it with an instructor – again.