.. Kristine Tanner, who had told the judge that their 10- and 8-year-old children were present when she was zapped with the Taser, said she was surprised by her husband's behavior and that it was totally out of character... [Judge Walter] Heinrich wasn't swayed. "Let me get this straight: He's not coming home," he said. "Can you not change that?" she asked. "No," Heinrich said...DEPUTY USED STUN GUN ON WIFE, HILLSBOROUGH SHERIFF'S OFFICE SAYS
The Tampa Tribune
By JOSH POLTILOVE jpoltilove@tampatrib.com
July 7, 2008
[Excerpts] A Hillsborough County deputy was arrested this morning after he used a Taser three to four times on his wife and placed a semiautomatic gun against her left temple, deputies say. About 6:15 p.m. Sunday, Carlos Thomas Tanner, who had been drinking, got into an altercation with his wife of 12 years, Kristine, a sheriff's office news release states. He pushed her onto a bed, then took a Taser from his Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office duty belt and used the weapon on her stomach, causing Taser burns. Then he set aside the Taser and got his service pistol – a silver semiautomatic gun – from underneath the mattress, according to the release. He placed the gun against his wife's temple for about 10 seconds, the release states... Tanner, a 10-year veteran who works as a community resource deputy in the Plant City area, was arrested about 1:45 a.m. in Dover and charged with felony aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and misdemeanor battery-domestic violence. He was taken in under the state's Baker Act because he threatened to harm himself if he was arrested, Carter said... "I have always been interested in law enforcement, waiting for the responsibility and maturity that I feel is needed in a career that I want to spend the rest of my able years doing," Tanner wrote in July 1997. "I feel this career is a highly respectable career where I could give back to the community as much as it has given me. I will always give my law enforcement career my highest regards and strive to give 100%"... [Full article here]
DEPUTY ACCUSED OF ATTACK ON WIFE
The Tampa Tribune
By JOSH POLTILOVE
July 8, 2008
[Excerpts] ...He is charged with felony aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and misdemeanor battery-domestic violence... The couple have two children. Tanner, who was being held at Orient Road Jail on Monday, declined to comment. Tanner was placed on administrative leave without pay. An administrative review is pending... [Full article here]
JUDGE OKS RELEASE OF DEPUTY ACCUSED OF USING TASER ON WIFEThe Tampa Tribune
By THOMAS W. KRAUSE tkrause@tampatrib.com
July 8, 2008
[Excerpts] A Hillsborough County sheriff's deputy accused of using a Taser on his wife and then holding a service pistol to her head will be freed from jail without having to post bail – pending the outcome of his case. Carlos Thomas Tanner's wife of 12 years, Kristine Tanner, asked a judge today whether her husband could home. "Why would I even think about letting him out of jail and have contact with you?" Judge Walter Heinrich asked. Kristine Tanner, who had told the judge that their 10- and 8-year-old children were present when she was zapped with the Taser, said she was surprised by her husband's behavior and that it was totally out of character. "He's never acted this way before," she said. "Never have I felt threatened." Heinrich wasn't swayed. "Let me get this straight: He's not coming home," he said. "Can you not change that?" she asked. "No," Heinrich said. "At this point in time, he's not going to live in this house." Heinrich said Carlos Tanner would be released from jail but would have to enter alcohol treatment and any other programs required by the sheriff's office, such as anger management. Tanner won't be allowed to have weapons or drink alcohol. Heinrich said Tanner and his family can talk on the phone and write letters and they can meet in public places or can attend counseling together. The judge told the deputy that he wants to see progress toward rehabilitation before he considers allowing him to resume living at home with his wife and children... [Full article here]
Officers take long trip from charges to firing
ReplyDeletetampabay.com
By Justin George
July 9, 2008
TAMPA - A Hillsborough County sheriff's deputy was arrested Saturday after authorities said he used his Taser on his wife.
But he didn't immediately lose his job.
The lag between criminal charges and firings can be months when it comes to law enforcement and correctional officers accused of crimes.
State law protects their jobs with a formal statement of rights, which ensures employers investigate claims fairly before taking disciplinary action. Internal investigations at most law enforcement agencies take months and usually don't wrap up until separate criminal investigations are complete.
"It's not something that's going to be done in just a few days," Hillsborough sheriff's spokeswoman Debbie Carter said of the internal investigation into Deputy Carlos Tanner.
He faces charges of domestic violence battery and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon after sheriff's officials said he shocked his wife with a Taser and threatened her with his gun. He has been placed on administrative leave without pay.
St. Petersburg police would wait for a criminal investigation to conclude before ending an internal one, spokesman Bill Proffitt said.
"Whenever there are criminal allegations, typically our agency investigates the criminal allegations first and the internal affairs investigations may begin at the same time, but it goes slower than the criminal investigation and can't really finish until the criminal investigation is complete," Proffitt said.
But in Hillsborough, both the Sheriff's Office and Tampa police can move forward with an internal affairs investigation and fire someone before a criminal investigation is over. It's rare, officials at both agencies said, and used when overwhelming evidence presents itself or when a criminal investigation is languishing. It can also happen when internal policies have been violated but no crime occurred.
Firing officers before criminal investigations conclude can be a political move to stave off public outrage, said Matt Puckett, deputy executive director of the Florida Police Benevolent Association.
But it's a move police unions such as Puckett's fight vigorously.
His group represents 170 agencies. The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office is not among them.
If a law enforcement agency fires someone who is later exonerated, the agency could be forced by an arbitrator or judge to rehire the employee with back pay. The agency could also face a lawsuit - not to mention public embarrassment, according to law enforcement and police union officials.
That's why Puckett said it makes sense for agencies to wait for a criminal case to end before moving forward with recommendations from an internal investigation.
"If the evidence is overwhelming," he said, "then you can go through the process and the termination is going to happen anyway."
Times news researcher John Martin contributed to this report. Justin George can be reached at (813) 226-3368 or jgeorge@sptimes.com.
[Last modified: Jul 08, 2008 09:38 PM]
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