Officer Fired After Tasing Unarmed Elderly Man in Wheelchair

A police officer in South Carolina has been fired after it was found his use of his taser on an unarmed 65-year-old man bound to a wheelchair was "inappropriate."

An internal investigation found the Pickens County Sheriff's Office deputy acted “inappropriate” and “unjustified” when he tased Parker Mansell. Police were attempting to serve a bench warrant on his son, 25-year-old Travis Antonio Mansell, for possessing stolen goods, resisting arrest and driving with a suspended license. 

When police showed up to the house to arrest the younger Mansell, the older man placed himself with his wheelchair between the officers and his son. In response, one of the officers pulled out his taser and used it on Mr. Mansell. 

Parker Mansell then fell out of the chair and cut his food and the police continued with their arrest of Travis.

Mansell’s relatives have told local media that Parker Mansell is bipolar and possibly schizophrenic. 

The sheriff's office release identified the tasing officer as Deputy Steven A. Ticknor and said Ticknor acted to "prevent the father from injuring the deputies that were physically arresting the son.”

However, an internal investigation found that Ticknor acted inappropriately. 

"The father was confined to a wheelchair and was limited in mobility," Sheriff Rick Clark said in a release. "Though he was verbally upset, he posed no significant danger to the Deputies as he was unarmed and made no overt threats. The decision to use the Taser on Mr. Mansell, Jr was inappropriate and not necessary to protect any party nor was it necessary to the complete the arrest of Travis.”