Tuscaloosa Police Tase Man Fighting For Officer’s Gun
Less than a week after a man died in a hospital hours after he was Tased by Tuscaloosa Police Officers, TPD deployed a Taser on a suspect allegedly trying to wrestle an officer's handgun away from him.
According to court documents filed Monday, a TPD patrol officer tried to pull over a black Honda Pilot last Friday for speeding and running through a stop sign.
The driver, identified as 29-year-old Tavaris Rashard Tinker, reportedly refused to stop and after a short chase, jumped out of the SUV around the intersection of 40th Avenue East and Jack Warner Parkway in Holt.
The responding officer said Tinker began to run away but tripped and fell down a tall embankment. When the officer caught up, he said he saw a black handgun on the ground next to Tinker and was able to kick it away before trying to handcuff and arrest him.
Tinker allegedly "squared up" and began to fight the officer, and the two struggled for several minutes before backup officers arrived.
According to the deposition, Tinker pulled at the firearm on the officer's belt twice during their struggles and was able to unsnap the holster's hood strap that secured the handgun in place.
Backup officers arrived before Tinker could take the weapon, though, and shot him with a Taser before finally taking him into custody.
The officer who struggled with Tinker reportedly sustained several minor injuries during the fight, including bleeding scrapes on both elbows, both knees and his left hand.
Tinker was booked in the Tuscaloosa County Jail and charged with second-degree assault, carrying a pistol without a permit, attempting to elude police, second-degree possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia.
He remained booked there Tuesday afternoon on a combined $39,000 bond.