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Officer Cleared In Taser Incident At Rays Game

Tribune photo by CHRIS URSO

A security guard tries to subdue Christopher Sciesinski during Wednesday's Tampa Bay Rays game.

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TBO.com

Published: September 23, 2008

A St. Petersburg police officer who appeared to put his Taser against the head of an unruly fan at a Tampa Bay Rays game last week has been cleared by a department review.

The department review concluded Tuesday that Officer Patrick McGovern did not intentionally point the weapon at Boston Red Sox fan Christopher Sciesinski's head, department spokesman Bill Profitt said.

The officer did not fire the weapon. McGovern did, however, accidentally point the Taser at the man's head during a struggle to subdue him, Profitt said.

It is against department policy to point a Taser directly at anyone's head, face, neck or groin.

Events started Wednesday when the Rays were playing the Red Sox at Tropicana Field. Fans complained that Sciesinski, 33, of Sarasota, was drunk, yelling and cursing at Rays fans.

Stadium security officers at first calmed Sciesinski, who said if officers approached him again he would jump on top of the Rays dugout and run onto the field, a police report of the incident said.

Later, a security officer caught Sciesinski as he was running toward the dugout and was helped by another St. Petersburg officer who asked for more help to get Sciesinski's arms pinned behind his back.

McGovern joined, drawing his Taser and telling Sciesinski he would use the electronic stun gun, and Sciesinski complied, the report said.

During that tussle, the Taser was accidently pointed at Sciesinski's head, Proffitt said.

Sciesinski was charged with disorderly conduct, pleaded guilty and was sentenced to the day in jail he had already served. He was also fined $375 and ordered to pay $50 in court costs.

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