Man shakes off five Taser shots and continues to fight police at homeless camp in Athens

Athens-Clarke police used a Taser gun on a man five times recently during an arrest situation, but despite the electric shocks he continued to resist and had to be physically overpowered.

The episode occurred Aug. 11 near a homeless camp off Atlanta Highway, according to the report which was released Wednesday.

A police officer used the Taser’s drive stun three times, before twice deploying the gun’s prongs which deliver a more powerful jolt of electricity designed to incapacitate a person.

Police Lt. Jody Thompson said Thursday that the successful use of a Taser depends on a correct connection of the prongs to the body. The drive stun, he said, “will give a focused impact, about like a really strong punch. It won’t cause the whole body to stop working.”

In such cases, Thompson said the officer will complete a use of force report that is separate from the police incident report.

The effectiveness of a Taser can also be affected by substances the person may have consumed, Thompson said, that gives the person an unusual response such as “super strength or resistance to pain.”

This incident occurred on Aug. 8 while police were conducting an investigation at a homeless camp off the Atlanta Highway that was described by the officer as “growing in size.”

A drone was also utilized to observe the number of people at the site during which time an officer saw a suspicious vehicle where people had gathered.

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One officer reported he observed a man at the truck, who looked at the officer, then took off running into the woods.

Due to this suspicious reaction, the officer pursued and after tackling the man, a struggle ensued. Two more officers arrived and although the suspect was warned about the Taser, he continued to resist.

The officer conducted a “drive stun,” but as the man continued resisting, he received a second drive stun, then a third drive stun.

The Taser had little effect as the report shows he continued to fight, grabbing one officer by the throat. That officer retaliated by punching the man’s face.

The reporting office then fired his Taser gun’s prongs into the man’s back, but the man continued to resist, so the Taser probes were recharged and used again.

However, despite the number of times a Taser was used, the man continued to resist.

A fourth police officer arrived and during a struggle they managed to get his arms behind his back and the handcuffs were attached.

A search after the arrest resulted recovered bags of methamphetamine, cocaine, fentanyl and marijuana.

The suspect, who provided a false name, was taken to a local hospital for treatment, where he remained until Aug. 11. The 48-year-old man, described as homeless, was charged with the drug violations, along with obstruction.

At the jail, officials determined he was also wanted on a felony charge in Putnam County.

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This article originally appeared on Athens Banner-Herald: Man shakes off five Taser shots and continues to fight police at homeless camp in Athens