TRAVERSE CITY — Grand Traverse sheriff's deputies used Tasers to subdue suspects in two separate incidents this week.
Deputies stunned two men who allegedly tried to flee from arrest. Police said policies spell out when Tasers can be used.
"You can't just have someone showing passive resistance," said Lt. Chris Clark. "They have to show some aggressive behavior — a boxing stance, a clenched fist or throwing a punch, for example."
In the first Taser incident, deputies responded early Monday morning to reports of a suspicious person on Carriage Hill Drive near Garfield Road. They found a 23-year-old Williamsburg man outside a residence who allegedly attempted to assault the deputies and then tried to flee.
"He was uncooperative, then he began not following commands," Clark said. "He assaulted the deputies, and he was Tasered."
Deputies later determined the suspect broke into a home late Sunday, but no one was injured and nothing was stolen. The man was arrested for third-degree home invasion, resisting and obstructing arrest, and two counts of assault and battery for the assault on the deputies. His name was not released pending arraignment.
In a second incident shortly after midnight Tuesday, a deputy tried to pull over a 48-year-old Traverse City man in East Bay Township on an outstanding warrant. The suspect drove off, and deputies followed him to Hull Park in Traverse City, where they used tire-puncturing "stop sticks" to slow him down.
The man allegedly tried to run away, but the chase ended with a Taser shot. He was arrested for fleeing and eluding, resisting and obstructing a police officer, operating while intoxicated, and assault and battery on a police officer.
Sheriff Tom Bensley said the department began issuing Tasers to sergeants in 2004. Deputies were armed with the devices in 2010 after the county authorized the purchase of 61 new guns for $58,000. Bensley said deputies must attend an instructional class on their use.
Traverse City Police Department officers began carrying Tasers in April 2008. Capt. Steve Morgan said incidents involving the weapon are down as criminals realize they're at risk of getting stunned.
"They are an equalizer for an officer presented with a violent person," Morgan said.
City police policy restricts when Tasers can be used.
"We are allowed to use Tasers when a person's actions constitute active aggression — unless other factors are present that place an unreasonable risk on the offender, the officer or another person," Morgan said.
Both city police and the sheriff's department document all Taser uses, but officials were unable to provide statistics Tuesday.
Region
Tasers take down two suspects this week
Lt. Clark: Suspects 'have to show some aggressive behavior'
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Possible millage for TC schools
Traverse City Area Public Schools could ask voters this fall for millions to upgrade several aging schools and facilities.
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Benzie Sheriff candidate reprimanded at work
A candidate for Benzie County sheriff received multiple reprimands for inappropriate behavior at his high school job, but contends he’s still the best man for the law enforcement post.
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Spelling bee competitor goes out with a bang
Jack Pasche misspelled “idiosyncratically,” but he certainly knew how to act it out.
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Police arrest two in separate assaults
The Traverse City Police Department responded Sunday to a reported assault at a home on Leeward Court. A 38-year-old man told officers that his girlfriend, 39, punched him in the eye. He suffered a facial fracture requiring additional treatment.
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Boaters' safety class to be held
The class will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. June 2 at the Grand Traverse County Civic Center. To register, call the department's marine division at (231) 922-2112.
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Audit preparations for TCL&P begin
Consultants have until mid-June to submit plans for how they would conduct a Traverse City Light & Power audit.
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Man charged with more crimes
James Anthony Simpson, 26, of Traverse City, is charged with third-degree home invasion, larceny in a building and malicious destruction of a building after a May 15 incident at a Garfield Township residence.
Continued ... - Wednesday, May 30, 2012
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Housing project 'moving forward'
Traverse City commissioners recently approved what officials expect to be the last change in long-running negotiations to sell city property near the former railroad depot off Eighth Street to two affordable housing agencies.
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Septic tank tax appears inevitable
A $30 to $40 yearly tax assessment on properties with septic tanks in Grand Traverse County and Leelanau's Elmwood Township appears inevitable.
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DEQ seeks public input on Brown Bridge Dam removal
The state Department of Environmental Quality seeks public comment on Traverse City's request for a permit to remove Brown Bridge Dam and restore three miles of Boardman River channel.
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Man charged in Crystal Lake incident
A downstate man who attempted to evade authorities by jumping into Crystal Lake spent his Memorial Day weekend in jail.
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Traverse City to expand TC Saves energy program
The city is expanding a program designed to help residents save on their energy bills.
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Elk Lake boat launch closed for repairs
The Elk Lake boat launch located three miles south of Kewadin is temporarily closed for repairs.
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Suspect arrested in parking meter thefts
Police arrested a man they said stole parking meters in Traverse City.
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TC Central, West on another 'best' list
Two Traverse City high schools made another national list of the best in the country.
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Traverse City man faces theft charge
A Traverse City man faces a criminal charge after police believe he stole cash and other items from a friend's parents.
Continued ... - Tuesday, May 29, 2012
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Video: 'Taps' at Memorial Day service at Oakwood Cemetery
An excerpt of horn player Don Sattler and drummer David Sattler performing "Taps" at the conclusion of the Memorial Day service at Traverse City's Oakwood Cemetery on Monday, May. 28, 2012.
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Memorial Day: Traverse City honors heroes
A Memorial Day ceremony included a recitation of the Gettysburg Address, a rifle salute, the playing of "Taps" and a speech from Grand Traverse County Board of Commissioners Chairman Larry Inman.
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Get to work without using your car
- Monday, May 28, 2012
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City to discontinue spring cleanup
City crews will stop collecting residents' clutter each spring.
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Terry Wooten: WWII soldier's story told in poems
Jack Miller, a survivor of the Bataan Death March and a POW during World War II, won't be in any Memorial Day parades today.
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Remembering the fallen veterans
Below is a list of military veterans from the region who died during the past year (May 28, 2011, through May 25, 2012).
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Memorial Day events
A roundup of Memorial Day-related events in northern Michigan:
Continued ... - Sunday, May 27, 2012
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Travel season begins
Tourism analysts at Michigan State University project a 3 percent increase in Michigan travel volume this year.
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Restored cemetery to be honored on Memorial Day
The "Old Ones" buried in the once-overgrown and abandoned Onominese Indian Cemetery near Northport will be honored in a Memorial Day service and traditional re-dedication ceremony.
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