Undercover North Carolina Deputies Use Taser on Pallbearer

Not much you can say. This one got ugly.

This would make a good skit on Reno 911

2 views:
1- Yeah, you could have waited til after the funeral service. He said he would surrender after the funeral, not that makes a huge difference-he is a wanted felon, but there were plainclothes in the area that could have surveiled him the whole time.
2-You're a felon who failed to turn yourself in when you said you would, that takes away your credibility. So there was a good chance you would again fail to turn yourself in after the funeral. When you fight with the PO-leece, bad things will happen. All this could have been avoided by NOT threatening your wife, (a felony here).

I would have waited until the funeral service was over. You can still hook him afterward and look like the "good guys". "Hey, we let you go to your fathers funeral even though we could have grabbed you at any time" Do your job and look good doing it from all viewpoints if possible. Stay Safe

Hey Paul,
quick question. What made him a felon? He was charged NOT convicted. Where I am from, threatening is usually a misdemeanor. Unless you are a gang member... then it ibecomes a felony. The witnesses thought it was a drug deal gone bad. Makes one wonder if they idetified themselves. Can't go jumping to conclusions. gotta get the whole story/

You are correct, but where I am from criminal threats is a severity level 9 felony, (a low felony, but still a felony if the victim believes the threat to be credicle and is in reasonable fear for their safety stemming from the threat). Perhaps I should have said "felony SUSPECT". If he was a bank robber/agg assault'r/burglar/insert your "FELONY" here, (charged but NOT convivted), would it have been the same? A guy threatening his wife can lead to dire consequences, as we all know and is the reason for most of the Domestic Violence laws in our country. BUT...indeed, cant jump to conclusions, thats why I gave 2 viewpoints. BUT I wasnt there and this site only gives a brief and not fully accurate version of the events. AND the title should have been "Impatient Cops TASERED a wanted subject who resisted arrest at his fathers funeral" AGAIN...they should have waited.
If witnesses thought it was a drug deal then what do they think about the "suspect NOT convicted" man to think that he is involved in a drug deal during a funeral. I would think the witnesses would be fellow funeral goers and would know the man.
Where are you from that a Criminal Threat/DV isn't a felony? Not making fun, just curious.... Stay safe!

Sorry, I should spell check..."credicle" should be credible. Good posts on this article!

"Everybody was so scared. We thought it was a drug deal gone bad," said Ronnie Simmons, a pallbearer and Russ' brother-in-law. "We almost dropped the casket."

OK, making the arrest during the funeral procession would probably not have been my first choice, and bad scene for everyone involved but... if Ronnie Simmons' mind immediately goes to "drug deal gone bad" in the middle of a funeral, what does that say about the character of the attendees at a Russ family event?

Drug deal gone bad? most drug deals during funerals go off without a hitch I guess?... If I were an officer involved in this arrest, I would point a taser at the crowd too if drug deals are common place.

OK, at what point did the officers think that arresting this guy as he was placing the coffin in the hearse was a good idea? Keep him under surveillance then after the funeral take him down. Everybody comes away looking good and no bad PR with it. How would you expect the guy to react, he's burying his father! Sure from the sounds of the other pallbearers it sounded like a pretty rough crowd, even more proof that waiting was the better option.