Police use of stun gun raises more questions
Video of a Lancaster city police officer using a stun gun against a black man is disturbing.
Video of a Lancaster city police officer using a stun gun against a black man went viral several weeks ago after it was uploaded to Facebook.
According to the Lancaster City Bureau of Police, officers responded June 28 to a disturbance on the first block of South Prince Street involving a man identified as Sean D. Williams, age 27. Williams was told by police officers to sit down on the sidewalk. At least two officers shouted seemingly contradictory instructions on how they wanted him to sit; when he didn’t comply quickly, Officer Philip Bernot deployed his stun gun on him. The video had been viewed more than 2.7 million times on Facebook.
The video is difficult to watch. And it plays out like a disturbing game of “Simon Says,” except it is no game.
Williams is sitting on a curb as Bernot directs him to put his legs out straight before him.
Williams is still in the process of straightening his legs when a female officer yells, “Put your legs straight out and cross them now” (which seems like a contradictory command to us).
As he begins to cross his legs, he is struck by Bernot’s stun gun.
As Williams writhes in pain, Bernot shouts out different orders: “On your stomach! On your stomach! Arms out like an airplane!”
A bystander yells to the officer: “Oh, come on, brah! You really going to tase him? He was sitting down though, brah!”
Those were our thoughts, too.
City police said in a statement that noncompliance “is often a precursor to someone that is preparing to flee or fight with Officers.”
But on the video, there’s no sign that Williams was preparing to flee. The officers didn’t appear to be facing any imminent threat — or any threat at all — from Williams.
Williams makes no move toward the officers — in fact, he continued to sit on the curb, facing away from the officers, until the electric current of the stun gun caused his body to twist and buckle.
We admire the dedication of police officers, including those in the City of Lancaster. Law enforcement is dangerous and demanding work, and we are grateful there are good people willing to do it.
But sometimes, police officers — being human — make mistakes. This seems like one of those instances.
Williams wasn’t charged for anything he’d done that day. He was arrested on a warrant for unrelated charges (possession of a controlled substance and public drunkenness), arraigned and then released on unsecured bail. So why the use of force? Make no mistake: Firing a stun gun is a use of force. And it can cause cardiac arrest and death. In 2010, a 61-year-old Mount Joy man died after police used a stun gun against him multiple times. And a 25-year-old Reading man died last year after police used a stun gun on him.
We appreciate that Lancaster city Mayor Danene Sorace quickly issued a video statement in which she said, “Like you, when I saw the video, I was upset by it, and it is of great concern to me. And we take the use of force very seriously.”
She said an investigation was underway, and that’s as it should be. The widely disseminated video of the incident has been met with understandable concern.
More than 200 people rallied on the steps of the Lancaster County Courthouse. The crowd was notably diverse, and those gathered were seeking answers, not vengeance.
“We are not anti-police,” said Michael Booth, campus pastor at Water Street Mission. “What we are against is bad policing.”
We urge city officials to ensure that the investigation of this incident is both thorough and transparent. Transparency is going to be essential in building trust between the police and the community.
The Lancaster City Bureau of Police should share its use of force policy; LNP has requested it but hasn’t gotten any response yet.
The bureau also should disclose how officers are trained to use force — and what alternatives to force they are supposed to consider. Does the training cover interactions with people who have, say, intellectual or developmental disabilities or mental health issues? Or language barriers of any kind?
Sorace’s video statement last week was a much-appreciated indication of openness, but it was just the start. At least we hope it was just the start.