Officer Tasers Suicidal Woman
25-Year-Old Cut Wrist Then Wielded Knife at Responding Officer
A Santa Barbara police officer tased a 25-year-old suicidal woman this weekend after she wielded a steak knife at the responding officer. She did this after cutting her own wrist with the knife and placing the knife against her throat.
The officer, responding to a threatened suicide call on San Remo Road, was informed that the woman in question had been disarmed prior to his arrival. Upon entering the woman’s room, however, the officer discovered she had obtained another knife.
He drew his service revolver. As the woman moved the knife about — from throat to wrist and in the officer’s direction — he also drew his taser and gave her a five-second jolt with it, which effectively disarmed her. Immediately after getting tased, however, she sought to regain possession of the knife.
She was soon detained and placed under psychiatric supervision.