Pubdate: Sat, 09 Sep 2006 Source: Edmonton Journal (CN AB) Copyright: 2006 The Edmonton Journal Contact: http://www.canada.com/edmonton/edmontonjournal/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/134 Author: Chris Purdy, The Edmonton Journal TASER USED TO WAKE MEN SAFELY, OFFICER SAYS Feared They Had Used Drugs And Were Armed EDMONTON - The city police officer on trial for assault after he fired his Taser at two men sleeping in a hotel room claims the electric jolts provided a safe way to wake them up. In a written statement to the police internal affairs unit, Const. Jeffrey Resler said he feared the men had recently smoked methamphetamines or popped prescription pills before passing out at the Cromdale Hotel on Nov. 27, 2003. The inner-city hotel, now condemned, was notorious for violent crime and drugs. And the room smelled strongly of chemicals when Resler and three other officers looking for an armed robbery suspect were directed to search the suite. Two men were lying on a bed and another man was face-down on the floor. "More than one attempt was made to wake these males up using both verbal and physical control techniques," Resler wrote in the statement, entered as evidence in his trial on Friday. Resler said he thought the men might be armed with knives. One of them was also swearing and moving his arm. So he stunned two of them with his Taser. "I felt the use of the Taser was the tool that would be the most effective controlling the suspects and the least likely to cause them any injuries." Resler said one man became alert after the jolt and cocked a fist to punch him, so he hit him in the face then placed him in handcuffs. Resler, 36, faces two counts of assault and two counts of assault with a weapon against Patrick Marshall and Dana Slifka. Earlier this week, Resler's superior officer at the crime scene testified he knew immediately after walking into the room that the three sleeping men didn't pose a threat. They didn't match the description of the robbery suspect, described as an aboriginal male, because they were white. Sgt. Blair Edl also said he didn't see any weapons in their hands. Concerned for their health because of the smell in the room, he went to open a window, then turned in surprise to see Resler firing his Taser. Edl said Resler's behaviour made him feel sick to his stomach. Resler had also used his Taser on two other men earlier in his shift, but both those incidents were determined to be justified because the men were aggressive. Const. Jeff Minten, an expert in the police department's use-of-force model, testified Friday that using a Taser to wake a sleeping person is inconsistent with both the model and police standards. "The purpose of the Taser isn't to wake somebody up," Minten said. "There has to be another reason -- a threat level -- to justify the use of a Taser." Police policy in 2003 specified officers should only use Tasers on people who show active resistance, said Const. Shawna Goodkey with the officer safety unit. She said a new policy, which came into effect this year, now advises officers not to use Tasers on people who are sleeping. Resler's trial is set to resume Oct. 25. - --- MAP posted-by: Derek