St. Petersburg police officer fired after improperly using taser

St. Petersburg police officer fired after improperly using taser

The 64-year-old, who was in a wheelchair, did not offer any physical resistance in a manner warranting an arrest, police said in a statement.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — A St. Petersburg police officer lost his job after he was accused of improperly using his taser during an arrest last summer.

A review convened by department police chief Anthony Holloway found that Officer Matthew Cavander violated department policies and procedures, according to a press release.

Holloway is expected to speak more about the case and the officer’s firing during a news conference at 10 a.m. Thursday.

Police say Cavinder, who has been with the St. Petersburg Police Department since March 2020, responded on June 20, 2021 to a call about an unauthorized beggar at a gas station on 22nd Ave. P. 4890 answered. He found a 64-year-old Timothy Grant who was wanted on pending warrants for failing to appear at a court hearing.

According to police, Cavinder was seen on body camera video using his taser multiple times without the device’s prongs as he attempted to arrest Grant, who was in a wheelchair. The department said in the press release Grant did not physically fight back in a manner that warranted being tasered.

The officers’ supervisor reviewed the use of force and body camera video and forwarded it to an internal investigation, St Petersburg police said.

Next, a report will be sent to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement’s Criminal Justice Standards and Training Commission to determine if Cavinder will retain his state certification, the release said.

The post St. Petersburg police officer fired after improperly using taser first appeared on Daily Florida Press.

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