N.C. Cops Taser Man At Dad's Funeral

Police Apologize For Botched Arrest As Son Loaded Coffin Into Hearse

(CBS/ AP)  A North Carolina sheriff's official is apologizing for disturbing a funeral where undercover agents tried to serve an arrest warrant on the dead man's son - and used a Taser to do so.

The Star-News of Wilmington reports that the incident happened Saturday afternoon as the coffin was being loaded into a hearse. The officers planned to quietly arrest Gladwyn Taft Russ III, but it turned into a scuffle.

The 42-year-old Russ was charged with communicating threats against his ex-wife who lives in another state. Officials said he failed to turn himself in as promised.

New Hanover County sheriff's chief deputy Ed McMahon said the officers' move backfired in the emotional environment. McMahon said the officers should have waited until after the cemetery service.

"It was never my intention to create any more problems for the family, and I am truly sorry and apologize for that,” McMahon said, the newspaper reported.

Witnesses told the newspaper that two men wearing coats and ties appeared seemingly out of nowhere to arrest Russ and a scuffle ensued. Family members said the undercover police grabbed Russ, kneed him in the back of his leg and tasered him. At one point one of the officers' handguns fell to the ground, the newspaper reported.

In addition to the charges for allegedly threatening his ex-wife, Russ was previously convicted of resisting an officer, contempt of court and larceny. In the past, Russ also was charged with felony malicious conduct by a prisoner, assault on a government official, resisting an officer and disorderly conduct, the newspaper reported.

[harrisemmanuel]

The guy who was burying his father sounds like a real *******. Although the police are not perfect, I wouldnt care if they arrested him while he was in church, at his kid's christmas play, or on the alter about to get married. If it were your mother or sister or daughter receiving deadly threats I'll bet you wouldn't care either!!

[geovhill56]

You DO NOT do that at a funeral.
The police were wrong.
The fact that they pointed tasers at people during a funeral is STUPID!
Police are a bunch of bully idiots.
This is typical of stupid police work.
There is no excuse for this kind of garbage.
Police have gone too far in this country with their bully ways.
The people have had enough of dumb bully cops.
In this case, they again went too far.
If a cop did that to me while I was putting my dad''s coffin in a hearse, he (cop) would be dead.
No question.
Time to stop cops!
We have had enough of them!
I am,

George Vreeland Hill

[skbeachgirl]

His mom must be in like shock

[pcreversed]

Oh yeah, Wilmington is the same place that the cops shot and killed someone wanted on shop-lifting charges 2 years ago. Poor kid never hurt anybody. They shot him while he was openeing the door when they knocked and then they tried to justify it. Low-lifes with badges

[pcreversed]

I think NC would be much better off if we fired all the cops here and let the inmates take their places. the inmates have a better sense of right and wrong. I hate NC cops, they are more corrupt than the mafia and have worse attitudes too. I would rather have Osama Bin laden over for dinner and a beer than any NC cop and that goes for George Bush too. He is lower than NC cops

[secondmac]

In the other case, almost immediately, police said the use of the stun gun appeared to violate department guidelines, which explicitly bar their use "in situations where the subject may fall from an elevated surface."

[secondmac]

MeMeWolf,
You know they crossed the line. Blind faith is wasted faith.

[secondmac]

Idiocy at it''s best (worst).

[ann3332]

what is wrong these cops dont they have any respect or what especially he burying his father. That is shameful these officer need to be reprimanded .That was no reason for that especially at a funeral

[pcreversed]

Well, mlst NC cops are idiots and have no sense of honor. They should be fired for this stupid move. They act like modern day Nazi''s. I hate NC cops and give them no respect, they have not earned it.

[fush2]

wow!!! i bet this guy is messing with the wife...that was so not cool...there are guidelines i doubt that a funeral was the only opportunity he wouldve had to arrest him

[memewolf]

Most all of you are taking potshots at the police. They''re our thin blue line that says the jungle is not permitted here. If they ever quit all of you little boys and girls who have nothing more to do than criticize will find yourselves eaten. Its obvious you know nothing but the safety of your little cubicles. Stay there and shut up.

[idnnsg]

Iteresting that CBS now has a more detailed version of this story in the "Strange" section, where you can''t post comments. There, you can read this very revealing sentence:

"McMahon said the officers pointed Tasers at people [at the funeral] because the crowd was moving toward them." The other people present at the funeral didn''t think the cops did the right thing, so how can ANYBODY here who wasn''t there support them? Add to that the fact that the sheriff has apologized for their inappropriate actions, and there can be little doubt that the cops acted inappropriately.

Now, can ANYONE justify the violent behavior of these stu.pid cops? I think not!

PS to michaelt3032, who thinks he has proof that tasers are "safe": The many dead taser victims in this country provide irrefutable proof that tasers are NOT safe. Cops use tasers because that''s what they are allowed (even encouraged) to use and because they are violent thugs who want to smash and kill, rather than to protect and serve as they should.

And yes, that means that, whenever possible, they should even protect the lives of those they are sent out to arrest!

[ronjjj157]

I do believe from reading the article that the arrest was supposed to have occurred at the end of the service. That is the reason the Supervisor is apologizing. Michael is correct in my opinion. I would rather be zapped with a taser than hit 4 times with a club or flashlight.

[shanev137]

cops.

[whatithink10]

Posted by michaelt3032 at 08:15 PM : Nov 19, 2008

There are good and bad people in EVERY segment of society as well as police officers. And, there are HORRIBLE police officers. You give 100% credit to whomever.

Nothing started just in the 1980s. There were pictures before. They just were never charged. Below is an example...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ICWZunLxcAc&feature=related

[whatithink10]

michaelt303,

You have just made assumptions and have no idea.

[whatithink10]

"The 42-year-old Russ was charged with communicating threats against his ex-wife who lives in another state."


Is that all to approach things in such a manner?

What a stupid thing!

[magoo2u1]

"Russ brought this on himself"
Well , shallow Hal, I bet few people care about Russ and his ****** life. The rest of the family should have been able to have a peaceful funeral. The cops could have grabbed the jerk on his way in or out of the funeral. Disrupting the funeral was not necessary and you know it. The dead man''s grandkids shouldn''t have had to deal with it and grabbing the jackasss after would be a good lesson for the kiddies. "They always get their man". Now the kids hate cops.

[cjw3cma]

From the posts I''ve read so far, there are more idiots posting than I thought existed. Blaming the police for doing EXACTLY what the law prescribes. This Taft lied to the police (by not turning himself in when promised) and it sounds like he is a mental case. Too bad they didn''t wait until the coffin was loaded but THEY DID NOT HAVE TO.

This guy is a waste of DNA.