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Police To Review Officer's Drawing Taser On Unruly Fan

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By STEPHEN THOMPSON

The Tampa Tribune

Published: September 20, 2008

ST. PETERSBURG - Police administrators are expected to decide whether a city police officer violated policy when he drew his Taser and put it against the head of a Boston Red Sox fan Wednesday night.

Veteran Officer Patrick McGovern did not fire the weapon in the incident, however.

The fan, Christopher Sciesinski, 33, of Sarasota, was charged with disorderly conduct. He pleaded no contest Thursday and was sentenced to a day in jail, which he had already served. He was also fined $375 and ordered to pay $50 in prosecution costs.

Wednesday night, while the Red Sox were doing battle with the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field, several fans complained to security that a Red Sox fan, later identified as Sciesinski, was acting inappropriately in Section 116, St. Petersburg police spokesman Bill Proffitt said.

Sciesinski was drunk, cursing and yelling at all Rays fans in the area, Proffitt said. Security guards tried talking to him, but it was so loud they walked him up to the concourse to have a conversation with him, Proffitt said.

There, they warned him that if he didn't stop his antics, he would be ejected from the game, Proffitt said. Sciesinski said he understood but he didn't think he was doing anything wrong, Proffitt said. He said he was just rooting for his team to win, Proffitt said, reading from a police report.

Sciesinski, whose demeanor was described in the report as animated, made a vague threat that should security guards approach him again, he would run and jump on the Rays' dugout and then run out onto the field, Proffitt said.

Security guards told St. Petersburg police Officer Willie Jennings about the encounter, but they also told Jennings that Sciesinski had done nothing to warrant ejection yet, Proffitt said.

Jennings had to tend to an unrelated brawl, but when he later returned to Section 116 he saw a security guard running toward Sciesinski. Sciesinski was running toward the dugout, but the security guard caught him, Proffitt said.

The security guard and Sciesinski started scuffling, with Sciesinski kicking and thrashing his arms, Proffitt said. Jennings joined in and grabbed Sciesinski's arm, telling him to put his hands behind his back, but the security guard and Jennings were unable to subdue him, so Jennings called for help, Proffitt says.

That's when McGovern arrived, Proffitt said. Jennings and the security guard were still struggling with Sciesinski when McGovern drew his Taser, or electric stun gun, and told Sciesinski he would be given a jolt if he didn't comply, Proffitt said. Sciesinski "finally calms down" and put his arms behind his back, Proffitt said.

During the jostling, McGovern appeared to have put the Taser up against Sciesinski's head, Proffitt said.

It is OK for an officer to threaten to give a suspect a jolt from a Taser if a suspect does not comply with a command, but under no circumstances is an officer allowed to point or discharge the weapon in the direction of a suspect's head, face, neck or groin, Proffitt said.

McGovern's supervisors are expected to decide if he violated this policy and, if so, what punishment he should receive.

Sciesinski could not be reached for comment.

Reporter Stephen Thompson can be reached at (727) 451-2336 or spthompson@tampatrib.com.

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