City police use Taser three times on suspect
By News-Argus Staff
Published in News on May 25, 2014 1:50 AM
A Goldsboro police officer responding to a call of an intoxicated man outside the Sheetz gas station on North Spence Avenue ended up having to use a stun gun on the suspect three times to subdue him.
Donnie Cox, 28, of 401 W. Ash St., is charged with being intoxicated and disruptive and resisting a public officer. He is currently being held in the Wayne County Jail under a $1,000 secured bond.
Officer William Smith responded to Sheetz after a clerk called to report Cox drunk in the parking lot.
Maj. Mike West said Smith was able to place the handcuffs on Cox and seat him in the police car, but Cox refused to put his feet in the vehicle.
"At that point he stood up, refused to sit back down and was warned that if he did not sit back down he would be hit with the Taser," West said.
Smith did what is called a drive stun. He did not fire the prongs into Cox's muscles but rather placed the Taser against the body and hit Cox with a charge.
"That sat him down," West said.
Cox still refused to pull his feet in and had to be hit two more times before complying, West said.
Additional officers arrived on scene after the fact, and Wayne County Emergency Services responded to check the man out before he was taken to jail.
West said that no policies were violated during the incident.