Texas Cop Suspended For Using a Taser on a 76-Year-Old Man

A Texas police officer has been placed on administrative leave after using his Taser on a 76-year-old man whom he pulled over for an expired inspection sticker.

23-year-old Nathaniel Robinson pulled over Pete Vasquez, whose company-owned vehicle had an expired inspection sticker.  Vasquez informed Robinson that the dealer tags made it exempt from needing an inspection sticker.  A disagreement between the two began and Robinson attempted to cuff Vasquez.  When Vasquez tried to pull his arm away, Robinson forced Vasquez onto his car's hood, placed him into a restraining hold, then took Vasquez to the ground.  During the altercation on the ground, the car lot manager, Larry Urich, tried to intervene,

I told the officer, ‘What in the hell are you doing?’ This gentleman is 76 years old.  The cop told me to stand back, but I didn’t shut up. I told him he was a goddamned Nazi Stormtrooper.

Vasquez was transported to a medical center for treatment and remained in police custody for two hours before being released without charges or a citation.  Police Chief J.J. Craig offered an apology to Vasquez on Friday,

Public trust is extremely important to us.  Sometimes that means you have to take a real hard look at some of the actions that occur within the department.

You want to make sure you give the right kind of person a badge and a gun.

If the department determines that Officer Robinson violated the law, he could be charged with aggravated assault, injury to the elderly and official oppression.

via Raw Story