Sheriff’s deputy in upstate NY defends decision to zap mom with stun gun during traffic stop

Officer in NY defends zapping mom with stun gun

SYRACUSE, N.Y. — A sheriff’s deputy in eastern New York has defended his decision to zap a woman with a stun gun during a traffic stop in a Syracuse suburb earlier this year.

Sean Andrews says in an e-mail that a video taken from the dashboard of the Onondaga County officer’s car “alone does not look good to the public.” But he says that his actions were justified.

The e-mail was published by The Post-Standard on Sunday.

In the message, the 37-year-old Andrews tries to explain the January arrest.

The video shows the officer pulling Audra Harmon from her minivan and stunning the 38-year-old mother with two Taser shots with her kids nearby. All charges against Harmon were dismissed.

Andrews has been suspended from his job for 30 days. He faces possible disciplinary action.

Information from: The Post-Standard, www.syracuse.com