HPD cop suspended over Taser abuse allegations

03:31 PM CDT on Sunday, August 28, 2005

By Jeff McShan / 11 News

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The Houston Police Department is investigating an officer for allegedly intimidating civilians with his Taser. The officer is suspended pending the outcome of the investigation.

KHOU

HPD officers undergo training before they're given the Tasers.

It's the first such case since HPD purchased 3600 Tasers last year.

The weapons can deliver a punch of 50,000 volts.

Before a Taser is put in the hands of a Houston police officer, the officer must be trained.

The HPD manual obtained by 11 News, describes how a Taser should be used. And it says the weapon should never be used as a substitute for deadly force.

"Officers should be aware this system allows HPD to trace users who are using the Taser inappropriately," the manual states.

The Taser has a computer chip inside that when downloaded can tell supervisors how many times the weapon was discharged.

That's what happened with Officer Seong Kim from the Westside Patrol. Investigators reportedly found some disturbing information while downloading Kim's taser information on to a computer.

Kim, who has been with HPD since June 2002, was immediately suspended. If the allegations prove to be true, he could be fired.

Investigators have already interviewed several suspects and people that Officer Kim came in contact with in recent weeks. Some reportedly told investigators that Kim used the weapon to intimidate them.

The investigators learned that Kim was not actually deploying the Taser darts, but using a different part of the gun which also packs quite a punch.