East Ridge Police say they used "necessary force" on a man choked unconscious
EAST RIDGE, Tenn. — Police in East Ridge have Christopher Penn in custody. They say he assaulted several police officers and put children in danger.
On Tuesday, we received the arrest affidavit and three different body camera videos of that October 21st arrest.
The video shows suspect Christopher Penn resisting six different East Ridge Officers. The struggle begins inside of a residence. He claims people were coming there to kill him in his initial 911 call.
In the video, police are seen cuffing Penn as he continues resisting arrest and shouting that officers are also trying to kill him. Officers make several failed attempts to put Penn in the patrol car.
The struggle ends only after one officer uses a stun gun on Penn.
Another officer puts the suspect in what appears to be a chokehold, rendering him unconscious.
Acting East Ridge Police Chief Stan Allen reviewed the body camera video with News Channel 9's Taylor Stewart.
Allen told us he stands by his officers' actions, saying, "It was attempt to get someone really wild under control, to prevent him from hurting himself or anyone else. They did what they had to do using the minimal force that was necessary to get that situation under control."
Criminal justice attorney and former police officer Robin Flores says the use of force was excessive, adding, "Putting a taser to him in his groin smacks of excessiveness."
He also mentions, Penn is already in handcuffs while six officers monitor his arrest.
The arrest affidavit from the East Ridge Police Department never mentions the use of a stun gun.
Chief Allen says the restraint used to subdue Penn is a move taught in training. He says it's often mistakenly termed a chokehold, but it's a lateral vascular neck restraint.
Attorney Florence warns, "If you're advocating to put restrain on somebody like that to cut off blood flow to the brain, you are training to use deadly force."
Officers later tell hospital personnel that they "choked out" the suspect.
You can read the arrest affidavit below:
