Lancaster Mayor: Officer Won't Be Fired For Taser incident, Promises Reform

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LANCASTER COUNTY, Pa. (CBS) -- Lancaster's Mayor Danene Sorace has confirmed that an officer will not be fired following the tasing of 27-year-old Sean Williams.

A Pennsylvania police officer was captured on video using a stun gun on a man as he was sitting on a curb on June 28.

Mayor Sorace had previously stated that she was upset by the video.

Lancaster Police Investigating Officer Using Stun Gun On Man Sitting On Curb

According to Lancaster police, officers were called around 10 a.m. Thursday for a report of a man confronting people with a bat.

When an officer arrived at the scene, a group was telling the suspect, Williams, to get away from them. Police say the officer told Williams to sit down several times but he refused to comply. Around two minutes later, Officer Philip Bernot arrived on the scene.

Video posted to Facebook captured Bernot telling Williams to sit on a sidewalk and stick his legs out. Police say Bernot told Williams that if he did not comply that an electronic control device would be used on him. Bernot then uses his stun gun on Williams while the man is sitting, facing away from the officer.

Police say Williams refused to comply with the officer's commands.

Police say that a group of people told officers that Williams was "exhibiting increasing erratic behavior over the previous few days" and that he had been outside their residence earlier, wanting to fight them.

Authorities say the people involved in the incident with Williams stated that they did not see the suspect with a bat and no bat was found at the scene.

Following a review of the incident, the mayor wants to overhaul the city's use of force policy.

The mayor also says a pilot program for body cameras will roll out later this year.

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Still, the district attorney's office is continuing its investigation.

Williams insists he was obeying the officers, and is suing the police department.

(© Copyright 2018 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)