Vt. Corrections Official Tased, Arrested for DUI

[cali]

Brandon, Vermont - December 4, 2009

Police say they were forced to use a Taser to subdue a high-ranking Vermont corrections official after he was arrested for drunk driving.

Brandon Police Chief Chris Brickell says it was the first and only time his officers have ever been forced to use a Taser on a combative suspect. It happened three weeks ago when they arrested Barry Mulcahy, 49, for drunk driving. They soon learned Mulcahy is a career corrections department official responsible for overseeing all training for corrections officers.

Police say Mulcahy had an open beer in the car, admitted he had consumed twelve beers and predicted his blood alcohol level would be two and half times over the limit for DUI. But police never found out because Mulcahy refused to provide a breath sample in the booking area and when officers offered to drive him home, Mulcahy challenged them to fight.

"He just unzipped his jacket, pulled it open and said 'come on, let's go,'" Chief Brickell said.

Police say Mulcahy was stunned with one five-second burst, became compliant and was delivered to a detox center. The entire incident including the tasing was captured on videotape by cameras in the Brandon Police booking area. However that videotape is not made public until after the case is disposed of in the courts as a matter of law.

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http://www.wcax.com/Global/story.asp?S=11615504