The cop says he used the stun gun on the senior citizen because he feared he was in danger after the man reached for something on the seat. During the police stop, the driver hit several cars then backing into the police cruiser in a parking lot in Portsmouth, New Hampshire on Sunday.
“This allowed the officer to finally take control of the situation and get the driver into handcuffs,” Corey MacDonald, deputy Portland police chief, told the Portsmouth Herald.
After being shocked, firefighters noticed that the driver was “weak” and realized that he was in the midst of a diabetic episode, said Fire chief Steve Achilles.
He added that being combative or angry is not uncommon for diabetics when their blood sugar is low.
The man was given intravenous treatment and his condition improved.
“Upon initial review, though the incident is regrettable for all involved, the officer appears to have used reasonable non-lethal force to end a potentially dangerous situation,” the police chief said. “Our police officers are not paramedics. They are charged with bringing dangerous situations under control. This driver could just as easily have been under the influence of alcohol or drugs, or engaging in willful criminal conduct.”
