Carlsbad police have released footage from body cameras worn by two officers who Tasered a 27-year-old black man who allegedly approached paramedics yelling profanities as they tried to help him, according to a report Sunday.
Police released a statement saying they provided the video because "open lines of communication between the police department and the community are more important now than ever."
The videotaped event unfolded just before 9 p.m. Thursday when paramedics responded to a call of a man face-down on the sidewalk at Ponto Road and Carlsbad Boulevard, police said.
The man, identified as Marcel Cox-Harshaw of San Diego, was on his feet when two officers arrived, and he was yelling profanities at paramedics and walking toward them, police said.
Cox-Hardshaw reportedly pulled away from officers when they tried to handcuff him, so they used a Taser in an attempt to subdue him.
He yelled, "I'm not doing nothing" at the officers struggling to subdue him. He screamed as the Taser was used on him.
The cameras were knocked from both officers during the subsequent struggle but Cox-Hardshaw could be heard repeatedly screaming "This is what you stand for," while officers held his head and body on the ground and handcuffed him. Video from a passerby was also included.
Once detained, officers put a "spit mask" over his head to protect themselves and paramedics from droplets coming from Cox-Hardshaw's nose and mouth. Police said the bag is porous and does not restrict breathing.
Cox-Hardshaw was taken to a hospital, where he was sedated, assessed and released, police said. He was cited for resisting arrest and police were asking the San Diego District Attorney's Office to add a charge of being drunk in public because the initial investigation indicated drugs and/or alcohol played a role.
Carlsbad police officials said the Taser use was warranted because Cox-Hardshaw demonstrated by his words or actions an intent to be violent or physically resistant and appeared to have the potential to hurt himself or others.
They were asking anyone who witnessed the incident to call 760-931- 2197 to share their accounts.
