Detroit police officer accidentally shoots taser probes into Meijer security officer’s head
Detroit MI October 13 2018
A Detroit police officer, while testing his Taser, accidentally shot a security officer inside Meijer on Oct. 3, says Detroit Police Office Dan Donakowski.
The officer, who isn’t being named by Detroit police officials, was working secondary employment, a program that allows uniformed officers to work in a security capacity for area businesses and earn more income to supplement their police salaries.
Donakowski says the officer was checking to see if his weapon was delivering a charge, but didn’t intend to fire the barbs, which were shot into the head of a 57-year-old security officer employed by Meijer, according to WDIV-TV, Channel 2 News.
The security officer wasn’t seriously injured and refused further medical attention when medics arrived, Donakowski said.
The officer is still fully employed by the department while an internal investigation is pending. Donakowski didn’t did not know if the officer continues to work secondary employment at the Meijer near Woodward Avenue and Eight Mile Road.
Taser devices can be equipped to automatically begin recording audio and video when the safety is disengaged, but it’s unclear at this time if the officer’s Taser recorded the incident. Donakowski says review of any video will be part of the investigation.
A local police watchdog group, the Detroit Coalition Against Police Brutality, is speaking out about the incident and asking Detroit police to end its secondary employment program, which it calls “dangerous for Detroit citizens.”
” … The point here is that police officers should not be working these moonlighting jobs as security,” the organization said in a statement released Friday, Oct. 12. “It has been proven time and time again that the safety of citizens is compromised when officers take off their police badges and put on security badges.”
Detroit Police Chief James Craig initially said the officer who struck a man at least four times, including one in the face, with his baton during a violent arrest at Meijer in Detroit Oct. 8 was justifie
Nearly a year ago, Detroit Police Officer Lonnie Wade was working secondary employment at the same Meijer and was recorded on video assaulting a customer suspected of possible shoplifting. He pleaded no contest to two felony charges and was sentenced to three years probation.
Former Detroit Police Commander Timothy Leach, while also working secondary employment at Ottava Via tavern in Detroit’s Corktown during the annual St. Patrick’s Day parade on March 11, is accused of assaulting and seriously injuring a patron of the restaurant.
He is currently facing charges of assault with intent to do great bodily harm less than murder, aggravated assault, neglect of duty, possessing no license as a security guard and tampering with evidence.
mlive.com
