Officer Suspended For Unjustified Use Of Stun Gun

EAST AUSTIN, TX -- A police officer working the East Austin beat has been suspended for using a stun gun on a suspect without cause.

Officer Christopher Van Buren accepted a 90-day suspension without pay after reportedly admitting to using device without justification. The incident stems from an Aug. 7 incident centered on a report of public urination on Gonzalez Street near Seventh Street and Pleasant Valley Road, the Austin American-Statesman reports.

Van Buren waived his right to appeal punishment, which includes a mandatory psychological evaluation. Details of the suspension are included in a disciplinary memorandum from Austin Police Chief Art Acevedo.

The memo details the incident, during which the officer asked the suspect to stand up under threat of using his stun gun. In a video of the incident reviewed by internal affairs, the suspect is heard expressing astonishment after being hit with the stun gun.

Van Buren initially told investigators he was concerned the man might have had a weapon on him. But internal affairs ruled the fear unwarranted and unsupported by the videotaped evidence.

Van Buren has been on the force for two years, and is assigned to the evening patrol shift in East Austin, police said.