Friday, June 19, 2009

Three Officers Resign After Tasering Incident

Danny Wilson, a Waffle House employee, alleges that Officer Gary Miles Jr. came into the restaurant while on duty and stunned him with a Taser without provocation. Wilson said Miles was a regular at the restaurant and had taunted and intimidated him in the past.

Miles, who resigned from the Police Department this week after six years on the force, later surrendered to investigators. Gwinnett police said an internal investigation revealed Miles used a Taser on Wilson without provocation.

Two additional officers were identified as being present during the Taser incident. Sergeants Joey T. Parkerson, 39, and 41-year-old Christopher T. Parry both resigned following an administrative investigation. Parkerson was a 13-year veteran of the force and Parry was a 14-year veteran.

Parkerson can be seen in the surveillance video, although he did not shoot Wilson with the Taser.

The incident happened Feb. 16 at the Waffle House in the 2700 block of Loganville Highway, police said. The department launched an investigation after its internal affairs unit received information about possible criminal conduct.

Mike Puglise, an attorney representing Wilson, said it took him until the end of May to get surveillance video from the Waffle House and later filed a notice of intent to sue.

Authorities said the investigation revealed enough probable cause to arrest Miles.

"We are disappointed by the incident and this is not a reflection of our training," said a representative for the Gwinnett Police Department.

Miles has been charged with one count of battery and one count of violation of oath of office. He was booked at the Gwinnett County Detention Center and later released on $8,100 bond.

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