Father Taken Down by Taser says Police Overreacted

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monkeyboy:
By Roger Weeder
First Coast News

JACKSONVILLE, FL -- Melvin Smith spent Tuesday night in the Duval County jail after being tased by a police officer at Ed White High School.

Smith has plenty to say about what happened after he and other parents were called to the school because their children got in a fight in the school cafeteria.

In the office, Smith confronted the police officer in charge. Smith says, "I think I was in the right, you know, on what I've done. I did not provoke the officer to tase me."

The father of a 17 year-old also arrested for disturbing lawful assemblies believes the officer overreacted.

"You can release him (son) to me," Smith recalled to First Coast News. Then Smith says the officer, "grabbed his taser, pulled his taser and threatened to tase me. He grabbed my boy's arm. I grabbed my boy's arm and pulled him behind me. That's when he opened fire with a taser."

JSO spokesman Ken Jefferson says the situation involved an officer attempting to gain control.

"This person made it clear that he was not going to cooperate," Jefferson said.

Smith entered a plea of no contest to the charge. In exchange for six months probation he must promise not to return to the Ed White High campus. Smith must also write letters of apology to the school's principal and the officers.

http://www.firstcoastnews.com/news/topstories/news-article.aspx?storyid=97861

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