Click to watch video of the taser incident

Video footage from the Feb. 11 Taser incident outside Mike’s Bar shows some aspects of the arrest, but does not depict any actions leading up to the Tasing.

Footage starts with Pullman Police officers yelling, “Back up. Back up.” Then University of Idaho student Jaron Williams screams as the electrified barbs hit him. Coiled wires stretching from the Taser to Williams’ back can be seen hanging in front of the camera.

“Get down on the ground,” officers yell repeatedly as Williams drops to the concrete. As 22-year-old Williams and officers later accounted, Williams stands up and is ordered to the ground again where he is placed facedown, his sweatshirt and Taser barbs are removed, and he is handcuffed.

A circle of onlookers can be seen watching the incident as officers order people to back away. Shouts from the crowd can be heard condemning the tasing.

Toward the end of the footage, the video starts again as police officers threaten to shock Williams again if he does not cooperate while being placed in a WSU Police squad car. It also shows officers searching Williams’ clothes.

“Quit pushing back,” an officer orders.

“I’m not pushing,” a voice responds.

The black and white Taser Cam video and other police records were obtained by The Daily Evergreen on Wednesday morning. The records included a three-minute digital video with audio and written statements from officers and a bar employee. A written statement from Williams was not included.

Cmdr. Chris Tennant said the Taser Cam video begins recording as soon as the safety comes off. The camera, which is attached to the bottom of the Taser’s pistol-like handle, records until the weapon is switched off.

Other police documents from the arrest alleged Williams acted aggressively toward four different officers, verbally accosted Officer Carl Bell and resisted arrest at about 1:45 a.m. outside the bar.

The department recommended three counts of felony-level charges of third-degree assaulting a police officer and obstructing to Whitman County Prosecutor Denis Tracy last week.

Williams responded to the charges with disbelief on Feb. 20. He said the allegations left him “speechless.” He asked that additional comments be directed through his attorney, Roy Mosman, who could not be reached at his office Wednesday afternoon.

After reviewing the police report, Tracy said he hoped to decide whether to file charges by next week unless conversations with the defense lead him to factor in additional information.

“There may be further delays,” Tracy said.

In the records, Pullman officers Matt Burkett and Andy Rohrbach described Williams slapping at their hands as they tried to remove him from the bar for being disruptive. They then followed Williams outside as he approached Bell, who was questioning WSU graduate student Martin Boston.

Pullman Police requested a charge of fourth-degree assault against Boston for allegedly striking and choking a bouncer at Mike’s earlier in the night. Boston denied these allegations in a verbal statement to police.

Boston also said the allegations against Williams are “absolutely false.” He said Williams never acted aggressively toward any officers.

During a Feb. 13 interview with The Daily Evergreen, Williams said he came into contact with Bell as the officer was removing a flashlight and that the extension of Bell’s arm physically moved him back. Williams said he was Tasered as he attempted to turn to leave the incident and he never resisted or assaulted any officers.

Bell’s account of the story states Williams approached him twice and interrupted the conversation with Boston.

“I placed my hand on his chest and asked him to step back,” Bell wrote. “I began to push him back while keeping my hand on his chest. I told him to just back up. At that point, he hit my hand away from his chest and said, ‘Don’t f---ing touch me.’ ” Bell wrote that Williams approached again and hit Bell’s hand again as he was pushed backward. The officer told Williams that he was under arrest as Williams turned to walk away. Nearby officers attempted to grab him by the arms before pulling out the Taser.

“I advised Officer Harris to get out of the way as I unholstered a Taser,” Rohrbach wrote. “Officer Harris moved to the right side of Williams. From approximately 6-7 feet behind him, I fired the Taser with both prongs from the taser cartridge hitting Williams in the lower back.” Williams said he was quiet and cooperative as officers roughly handcuffed him in the snow and put him in the squad car. Officers stated he was combative throughout the arrest. Rohrbach wrote that at one point officers were forced to slam Williams against the hood of a car.

After the arrest, Williams was taken to the Pullman Police Departent, where he was processed while about 15 students stood in the lobby questioning the arrest. Williams said Bell was courteous and understanding of the situation after the initial incident.

Police Chief Ted Weatherly said the department has taken extra steps to review the case following accusations that the department overreacted due to racial bias.

“The Pullman Police Department does take allegations of excessive force and racial discrimination very seriously,” Weatherly wrote in a news release. The department received the Tasers in late January. Tennant said a Taser has been used once since Feb. 11 in the arrest of a man who threatened to shoot himself.

Editor’s note: Martin Boston is a staff columnist for The Daily Evergreen