Post by KC on Apr 7, 2006 22:21:17 GMT -5
Officer Peter Linnenkamp
04/07/2006 - A jury delivered a split verdict in the case of an Orlando police officer accused of shocking a man with a Taser gun as the 18-year-old was strapped to a hospital bed, according to Local 6 News.
Friday, a jury in Orange County found Orlando Officer Peter Linnenkamp not guilty on one count of misdemeanor battery in connection with the March 2005 incident involving Antonio Wheeler, 18. However, the second charge resulted in a hung jury, Local 6 News reported.
Jurors could not reach a decision on two shocks that Linnenkamp reportedly gave Wheeler, Local 6 News reported.
Wheeler accused Linnenkamp of jumping on him and then shocking him twice with a Taser gun while he was in a hospital bed.
After the decision, Local 6 reporter Chris Trenkmann asked Linnenkamp if he would do anything differently if put in the same situation again.
"Knowing what you know now, after what has happened, would you have Tased him two times again?" Trenkmann said.
"Absolutely not," Linnenkamp said. "My conduct would have been this at this point, knowing what I know now and how I've been treated by the state, instead of Tasing Mr. Wheeler, I would have used my baton on him or violated city policy and physically ripped his arm off of his groin."
Earlier Friday, prosecutors tried to portray Linnenkamp as somebody who had no business interfering with medical procedures at Florida Hospital, Trenkmann said.
Prosecutors pointed out that Wheeler, who weighs 235 pounds, jumped on the 130-pound Wheeler and then shocked him.
Linnenkamp's attorney said even though Wheeler was strapped to a gurney, he was thrashing about so violently that the officer had no choice but to protect people and Wheeler from harm.
Linnenkamp attorney also said the fact that a Taser gun was involved in the case has turned the trial into a show, according to the report.
"Do we really believe that we would all be here today if there weren't a Taser case?" attorney Nancy McClintic said. "No, we would not be here. It's a political hot potato, and that potato has been finally passed down to you."
"So now, we are at the political hot potato in a Tasing case," prosecutor Michael Saunders said. "Well this is not a Tasing casing. A Taser is involved. This is an officer, not in a legal duty using force, committing a battery upon Antonio Wheeler."
Linnenkamp has been on the police force since the 1980s.
If convicted of all charges, Linnenkamp faced up to a year in jail.
The case will go back to trial in about 90 days on the second charge involving the two Taser gun blasts on Wheeler, Trenkmann said.