Deputies put new tasers to work
By BARRY HALVORSON news@leader-news.com

Saturday night marked the first time a Wharton County Sheriff's Department deputy used a Taser on the job since the deputies were trained in the equipment's use earlier this month.

Deputy Robin Rodriguez used her Taser to subdue and take into custody Juan Chavero, 42, while responding to a domestic assault call in Lane City, according to a sheriff's department report. Rodriguez was aided at the scene by Sgt. Dale Potter.

The incident was called into the sheriff's dispatch at 10:10 p.m. and reportedly started when Chavero and his wife Maria Merino, 39, argued about a family situation. When Rodriguez arrived on the scene, Chavero was outside the home.

The deputy instructed him to drop what he was holding and show his hands.

While he dropped the item, he refused to display his hands, said Lt. Daniel Marek.

When Potter arrived on the scene, the suspect allegedly picked up a log from a fire pit and approached the deputies.

After issuing a warning, Rodriguez tased the man, who remained on his feet and attempted to remove the Taser probes. He was tased a second time in the back and dropped to the ground. Two handcuffs were needed to secure the man's wrists behind his back.

"This is the first time one of the deputies used a Taser," Marek said.

"We've had Tasers in the jail for a year, but no patrol officers were equipped with them. The deputy did exactly as she was trained. We added the Tasers as an additional tool in the box a deputy can use before having to resort to deadly force. I would never second-guess a deputy's actions in a situation like this and think Deputy Rodriguez's use of the Taser was appropriate in this case."

Paramedics were called to the scene to check Chavero as required by department policy.

He was then transported to the Wharton County Jail, where he was booked on charges of assault/family violence, bail set at $5,000, and resisting arrest, $2,500. He was released after posting bail at 8:17 a.m. on Sunday.

The case is still under investigation, Marek said.