Police stun man twice with Taser during Cedar Rapids scuffle

Police stunned a Cedar Rapids man twice with a Taser as they tried to gain control of him Sunday while they were looking into a complaint about a loud party.

Tyler J. Koob, 26, of 1727 Americus Dr. SE, has been charged with assault on a peace officer, disorderly conduct and interference with official acts after the incident. No officers were injured in the ordeal.

According to a police report, two officers responded around 1:35 a.m. Sunday to Koob's residence for a report of a loud party. Koob became upset and demanded to know who called police when officers met with him and his roommate. When police asked Koob for his name, he responded with "(expletive) you," police said.

Koob reportedly told officers he would assault them and then, according to a criminal complaint, grabbed an officer by the arm and tried to control him. In a struggle with officers, Koob got out of his shirt and took a "fighting stance," police said.

An officer used a Taser to shock Koob so he could be handcuffed, but Koob continued to struggle after the shock wore off, police said. He was stunned again after he tried to climb on top of a police car, in an attempt to keep himself out of the back seat. Koob was restrained and taken directly to the Linn County Jail.

Sgt. Cristy Hamblin said the second use of the Taser happened at close range as officers had their hands on Koob, and shocked him without metal barbs being shot out of the Taser. Under normal protocol, people shot with the metal barbs are taken to a hospital before being taken to jail, but it was determined Koob was too combative, Hamblin said.

"The protocols are guidelines, and not rules set in stone," Hamblin said. "When they are combative, we're not going to expose them to others and potentially create other victims at the hospital."

Hamblin said there are no departmental policies on the number of times a person can be shocked with a Taser. She said the device is used to gain compliance and reduce safety threats to officers. She said injuries from a Taser are far less likely than with other less-than-lethal methods.

"There is less harm to an individual than pepper spray," Hamblin said. "It lasts up to five seconds, and compliance is fabulous."

Koob remained in jail Tuesday, in lieu of $5,000 bond.