FAYETTE COUNTY, Pa. — The man tased by Fayette County sheriff deputies earlier this week is expected to make a full recovery after being flown to Ruby Memorial Hospital.
Anthony Sheffey was at the Fayette County courthouse for a hearing that was continued Monday morning when deputies found out he was wanted on a felony warrant for a DUI case out of Allegheny County.
They said initially, Sheffey was cooperative.
As deputies were about to handcuff him, Sheffey took off running throughout the courthouse.
”He accompanied us down to our lower basement office, and we had gotten in touch with the Allegheny County sheriff’s office and they faxed us that warrant,” Sheriff James Custer said.
The sheriff released every angle of video. You can see Sheffey shove a deputy out of the way. Then, multiple cameras catch him as he makes his way through the courthouse. The last two angles show Sheffey sprinting down the stairs of the front of the courthouse where a deputy meets him outside.
The sheriff said the deputy gave him verbal commands to stop running. When Sheffey didn’t, the deputy deployed his taser, which caused Sheffey to fall and hit his head.
”It’s neurological. You lose some of your faculties and he just kind of free fell to the sidewalk, causing injuries,” Custer said.
As deputies worked to free the prongs and wires, they handcuffed Sheffey. The sheriff said while he feels badly Sheffey was hurt, he wanted people to see the video of the moments leading up to the tasing to be transparent.
”Today’s social media climate and what’s happening between law enforcement and different communities, I wanted to put this out there before, hopefully, it went any further because we don’t tolerate or condone that here as far as brutality or excessive force,” Custer said.
Uniontown Police stepped in to investigate the incident. Sheffey was charged with a felony and two misdemeanors of flight to avoid apprehension, resisting arrest and disorderly conduct.
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