Taser used on man who refused to show both his hands

A police officer in Regina used a Taser on a man who failed to follow instructions to show both of his hands.

Police provided information about what happened in a news release Wednesday, in reference to an incident earlier in the day.

According to police, an officer from the school resource program was on Sherwood Drive around 9:45 a.m. CST and noticed two men fighting in front of a home on Willoughby Crescent.

The officer called for back up and went to check things out.

Police said one of the men involved was acting aggressively and would not respond to the officer's questions.

Within a few minutes another school resource officer arrived and the investigating officer asked the aggressive male — who now had his hands in his pockets — to show his hands, but the man refused. 

The demand was repeated and the man only pulled out one hand, leaving his other hand in his jacket pocket and was waving and pointing it at police. 

At 9:59 a.m., police said the officer — believing the suspect may have had a weapon and out of concern for the safety of the suspect, the witnesses and the police — decided to use a Taser to apprehend the suspect. 

The man, 29, was taken into custody without further incident and found to have been gripping keys inside his pocket. 

An ambulance arrived and EMS assessed the man who was taken to hospital for observation. Police said he appeared to be intoxicated and he was arrested for public intoxication.

They said their use of the Taser has been documented and will be reviewed by the police department's Use of Force Committee. As well, the case will be reported to the Saskatchewan Police Commission.