A trucker has filed a lawsuit after being tased by a cop who knocked on his door just to deliver a parking ticket.
The lawsuit was filed last Friday, November 10th, in federal court, although the confrontation took place five years earlier — in November 2012.
According to The Riverfront Times, on November 18th of 2012, trucker Wayne Gerling was at his home in Hermann, Missouri when he heard a knock on the door. Gerling opened the door to find police officer Matthew Waite hand delivering a parking ticket for a semi truck parked outside Gerling’s house.
In the body cam footage of the event, Officer White inquires about the truck, and asks for Gerling’s driver’s license.
Gerling tries to explain that he’s been parking on the street in front of his house for years and that he’s legally allowed to do so.
“You’re not getting my driver’s license, buddy,” Gerling tells the officer.
“Alright, come out here, you’re going to jail,” Waite responds, reaching for his cuffs.
“You get the f**k out of my house,” responds Gerling.
The officer then responds with force, tasing the truck driver and arresting him.
Gerling lawsuit’s explains the allegations:
Although he already had all the information he needed to issue the ticket, Defendant Waite aggressively attempted to procure Mr. Gerling’s driver’s license. Defendant Waite intruded into Mr. Gerling’s home, reached around Mr. Gerling’s son-in-law, and grabbed Mr. Gerling by the wrist. Defendant Waite never asked Mr. Gerling for his name or contact information before attacking him. In response to Defendant Waite’s unprovoked attack, Mr. Gerling retreated inside his home, followed by Defendant Waite who immediately drew his Taser. As Mr. Gerling attempted to retreat from the attack, Defendant Waite fired his Taser, striking Mr. Gerling in front of his son-in-law and 9-year-old grandson, forcing painful and debilitating electric shock through Mr. Gerling’s body and causing injury to Mr. Gerling.
The lawsuit alleges that the Hermann chief of police “put pressure on the city prosecutor to procure ‘some type of finding of guilt, regardless of the penalty’ to cover the City in the event that a lawsuit was brought by Mr. Gerling.”
Gerling was charged with resisting arrest and fought the charge. The case was eventually dismissed when officer Waite failed to show up to the trial. Since then, Waite has been released from the department.
The lawsuit filed by Gerling against Waite and the city of Hermann alleges excessive force, arrest without probable cause, prosecution without probable cause, and deliberate indifference to the rights guaranteed in the U.S. Constitution.
The body cam footage of the incident can be seen below.
