Sheriff: Deputy followed protocol when using taser at Great Jones County Fair

Jones County Sheriff Mark Denniston said Friday that a deputy who tasered a member of country singer Phil Vassar's technical crew Thursday night used standard operating procedure given the circumstances.

In an e-mail sent to The Gazette Friday a man identifying himself as Vassar's production manager said one of his crew members was tasered by a sheriff's deputy Thursday night when he was backstage following Vassar's concert. The e-mail claims the crew member answered some initial questions for the deputy and showed his access credentials and was tasered when he went to leave.

Denniston said according to reports from the deputy and other law enforcement officials on the scene, the man elbowed the deputy and then ran when he was approached for questioning.

“We had received a report that there was a guy on his way down to the stage to try to make contact with the entertainment,” Denniston said. He said the crew member matched the description given to officers.

When the man started to run, he said, the deputy tasered him.

“I have the fair police statement and witness statements and at this point I see no wrongdoing,” Denniston said. “He was following protocol.”

John Harms, general manager of the fair, said he was aware of the incident and that it was being dealt with by the sheriff's office. He said claims by the e-mail's author that fair officials would no longer be using the sheriff's office or the Monticello Police Department to help with security are “ludicrous.”

“There are five different agencies we work with here” for law enforcement, Harms said. “We need all of them.”