Criminal charges were filed Friday in Pender County against a fired New Hanover County Sheriff's Office deputy accused of using a department-issued Taser during an off-duty argument with a utility worker.
Reed Douglas Roberts, 26, is charged with misdemeanor simple assault in the Thursday incident at his Pender County home.
Roberts was fired by Sheriff Ed McMahon on Friday and arrested the same day on the assault warrant.
Roberts was never booked into the Pender County jail and was released by a magistrate on an unsecured bond, said Pender County Sheriff's Office Sgt. Randolph King. An unsecured bond means the accused doesn't have to post money to ensure his appearance in court.
New Hanover County Sheriff's Office Sgt. Jerry Brewer said the incident happened at Roberts' Rocky Point home after a Duke Energy contractor arrived to restore power.
"Once the technician arrived and began reconnecting the utilities, an altercation ensued between Roberts and the technician, ultimately resulting in Roberts discharging his Taser," Brewer said last week in a press release announcing Robert's termination.
The warrant states Roberts fired the stun gun at worker Jerome Wallace and both electrical probes, which are barbed prongs that enter the skin to carry the electrical current, struck Wallace in the abdomen.
Copyright 2013 - Star-News, Wilmington, N.C.
McClatchy-Tribune News Service
