The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office views Tasers as safe and effective weapons. But Joe Welch Jr., a South County resident, has a very different view.
Welch’s son, Robert Lee Welch, 40, died Feb. 28 after MCSO deputies Tasered him several times when they were called to Joe Welch’s home in the 6500 block of Golden Oaks Drive, south of Texas 242.
Preliminary autopsy results did not determine the cause of death for Robert Welch, whose heart stopped after he was Tasered, Joe Welch said. Toxicology results have not been finalized, MCSO Lt. Bill Bucks said, but results of tests on the data from the Taser used should be in early next week.
Robert Welch, according to a 9-1-1 recording the MCSO released to The Courier Wednesday, was staggering around his home naked and in a daze, his stepmother told a dispatcher on the recording. He also was pushing his father, who has a pacemaker and defibrillator.
Deputies used a Taser on Robert Welch because he was “standoffish and pushing,” Bucks said.
“He was acting pretty much the way he was when the mother made the call,” he said.
But Joe Welch said his son presented no danger.
“No one in this house was in any danger at any time,” he said. “We were trying to get help for Robert, not for us. Their main concern was that Robert was pushing on me.
“We didn’t want the deputies; we called for an ambulance.”
Four deputies arrived at the home, Bucks said, and all four were put on paid administrative leave for three days, which is standard policy. The four deputies are back on regular patrol duty, he said.
Janell Welch, Joe Welch’s wife, made the 9-1-1 call around 7 a.m. She first spoke with an EMS call taker.
“I don’t know what happened,” she said. “Our son came in around 11 last night. ... He’s been staggering around since 5 this morning. He’s buck naked. I don’t know what he’s on. He won’t talk, and he doesn’t make any sense.”
The call taker asked whether Robert Welch was violent or had a weapon, and Janell Welch said “No” to both questions.
“Is this a suicide attempt?” the call taker asked.
“I have no idea. I wouldn’t doubt it,” Janell Welch said.
The EMS calltaker then got an MCSO call taker on the line, who asked Janell Welch what drugs Robert Welch had taken.
“I have no idea,” she said. “None at all.”
A few seconds later, Janell Welch yelled at Robert Welch.
“Robert, stop! You’re going to hurt your daddy!” she said.
“No, he’s going to hurt me,” Robert Welch said. “Get out of the way!”
Seconds later, Janell Welch called out to her daughter.
“Make sure he doesn’t hurt your dad,” she said. “He’s pushing really hard on him.”
The MCSO call taker then asked Janell Welch why she said it might be a suicide attempt.
“His girlfriend kicked him out last night,” she said. “He’s always threatening to do that.”
Janell Welch then said Robert Welch is diabetic, and also that Joe Welch has Type II diabetes and serious heart trouble.
“With that (unintelligible) going off, no one can touch him,” she said.
When Janell Welch asked why the ambulance hadn’t arrived, the MCSO call taker said EMS would not go to the scene until the MCSO officers arrived.
“With him being violent ...” the calltaker began to say.
“He’s not violent,” Janell Welch said. “He’s walking around in a daze.”
Deputies arrived 15 minutes and 45 seconds after Janell Welch called 9-1-1, and the call ended five seconds later.
MCSO Taser Use
MCSO deputies were involved in 694 use-of-force incidents from the beginning of 2006 through June 30, 2008, according to MCSO statistics provided to The Villager newspaper for a previous story. For the 122 incidents involving Tasers, the devices were considered effective 105 times, an 86 percent success ratio. By comparison, pepper spray was found effective in 76 percent of the incidents, and batons were effective 25 percent of the time.
Tasers were discharged 168 times in the 122 incidents. At least eight incidents involved multiple five-second shock cycles, including one in which a person received nine cycles. More than half of the 92 discharges did not include documentation on how many times a person was shocked.
MCSO also documented nine instances in which a person was reported injured by a Taser. Over the same time period, deputies were injured 43 times during use-of-force incidents, and 29 deputies were taken to the hospital.
About 90 percent of all MCSO deputies carry Tasers, and the department is aiming for 100 percent, said Lt. Ralph Smith, MCSO training coordinator.
Taser Training and Effects
Everyone who carries a Taser is trained to standards from Taser Internation, the stun-gun manufacturer, he said. All deputies get an initial eight-hour training, which includes being Tasered. Deputies must be re-certified every year but aren’t required to be Tasered during recertification.
“We don’t use Taser cartridges; we use training cartridges that shoot alligator clips,” he said. “If we discharged the actual Taser charge, it would cost too much.
“It’s 100 percent the same effect.”
Each five-second Taser charge carries 50,000 volts, which cannot be turned down, Smith said. The charge cannot be reduced to less than five seconds.
“It doesn’t affect you the same way electricity does,” he said.
The advantages of a Taser is that it gives deputies an option other than a lethal weapon, or duty guns, Smith said.
“It’s one of the best weapons you can arm yourself with,” he said. “It’s a very, very good tool, but it does not take the place of the duty weapon. Our thought here is safety first for the deputies and for citizens.
“If you can use a Taser in place of a weapon, you haven’t killed someone.”
Joe Welch’s Take on Tasers
Joe Welch insists his son wasn’t forcefully pushing anyone when he was Tasered.
“He didn’t hurt anybody. He’s 180 pounds, and these guys looked like linebackers from Green Bay,” he said. “They Tasered him six times, and he (a deputy) stood his foot on Robert’s neck.”
When paramedics arrived, Robert Welch had no pulse, and the paramedics were unable to revive him, Joe Welch said. He was taken to St. Luke’s The Woodlands Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Joe Welch, who won’t say whether he plans to take legal action against MCSO, believes Tasers should be “taken away” from law enforcement.
“It’s a bad idea to give Tasers to everyone in the force,” he said. “They screwed up and they knew it.
“They Tasered my son to death. When they hear from me, God’s going to come with me.”
To hear the Feb. 28 9-1-1 call by Janell Welch in its entirety, go to www.thecourier-online.com.
911 Tape
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