ATV rider claims officer cut him off, tased him in Bridgeport

A Bridgeport mother says she wants answers from the police department after her son was tased by a police officer. The incident happened at East Main and Arctic streets on Saturday. Phillip Giacobbe,

News 12 Staff

Jun 30, 2016, 1:45 AM

Updated 2,847 days ago

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ATV rider claims officer cut him off, tased him in Bridgeport
A Bridgeport mother says she wants answers from the police department after her son was tased by a police officer.
The incident happened at East Main and Arctic streets on Saturday.
Phillip Giacobbe, 19, says he took his ATV for a ride when he says a police officer cut him off with his cruiser. Giacobbe says the officer asked him to get off the ATV, and says he wasn't being aggressive or disobeying orders when the officer took out his Taser.
Giacobbe says that despite telling the officer he suffers from seizures, he was still tased.
"I blacked out and I woke up, I was on the ground," he says. "I was like what, really...did I get tased?"
Giacobbe says he was tased again while he was already on the ground.
Bridgeport Police Chief AJ Perez says the officer has been taken off patrol for the time being.
Perez says, however, that the use of a Taser is reasonable on certain occasions. He also says riding an ATV on the streets is illegal in Bridgeport.
"If he perceived that he's going to be attacked, then it's justified," he says.
Perez says the officer is a veteran of the department and that the area is notorious for the presence of ATVs and dirt bikes.
Giacobbe says he has been charged with reckless driving, driving without registration and insurance and interfering with a police officer.


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