According to Westland Police Chief Jeff Jedrusik, the officer's decision to use a stun gun was "questionable," given that the man who was being confronted, Ray Brown, was holding his two-month-old baby in his arms at the time. The police department has not revealed the name of the officer involved in the incident.
Brown, 33, was tased multiple times in the Detroit suburb of Westland and arrested for resisting arrest, neglect of a minor and assault and battery of a police officer on August 17, 2018. The incident occurred during a barbeque in Brown's backyard, according to ABC News.
Police were contacted by an ex-friend who showed up at the barbeque, demanding that Brown return a Crock-Pot he had borrowed. Brown became upset at the ex-friend's attitude, who ended up calling the police on him. When police arrived, Brown was intoxicated and uncooperative, according to the police department.
The entire altercation between police officers and Brown was caught on camera by neighbor Kelvin Williams.
"When the man knew he was going to be arrested, he grabbed the child from another person's arms. The man was told several times by the officers and the baby's mother to give the baby back to her, but he refused," Jedrusik said during a news conference after the incident.
"That's my child. He can be exactly where he's at. Give me my child! Give me my child! This is my son. He ain't got to go nowhere," Brown can be heard yelling in the video when police demand he "get that baby out of here."
"The officers indicated in their report that the man was aggressive and was gripping the child so tightly that they feared the man might actually be hurting the child," Jedrusik added.
Faced with an escalating situation, the police decided to use a stun gun.
"The officers were within inches of the man when they utilized the Taser," Jedrusik said. "A Taser deployment in this manner does not transfer or affect anyone else who is in contact with that person. As a result, neither the baby nor the officers were at risk of the Taser effects."
However, despite Jedrusik's comments after the incident, the police officer who deployed the stun gun has now been suspended for 30 days.
The Westland Police Department did not immediately respond to Sputnik's request for comment.