RANKIN, Pa. — Video of officers using a Taser on a handcuffed man in Rankin has raised questions among those who witnessed the incident.
Channel 11 News learned the video was taken around 6:45 a.m. Wednesday at Hawkins Village when Rankin police went to serve warrants on Troy Royster, who police said is a violent offender and known to be combative.
Royster's girlfriend, Alaysia Bryant, recorded the entire encounter from when officers first handcuffed Royster outside her door.
“They was dragging him by his hair, picking him up by his arms and legs, tasing him and everything,” Bryant said.
In a second video that a neighbor recorded, Royster is seen handcuffed against the hood of a patrol car when a Taser is heard going off.
"It was unnecessary. Like, y'all already had him in cuffs. You could've just put him in the car and pulled off,” Bryant said.
Channel 11 News spoke with Rankin Police Chief Ryan Wooten on Wednesday about Royster’s arrest.
“The video looks bad, but as a trained professional, the suspect was being combative. You hear the Taser, but if the suspect was really being hit with electric volts, he wouldn't be able to keep yelling and acting out. It looks like officers used a ‘dry stun’ or ‘drive stun,’ which delivers a lesser charge,” he said.
After watching the videos, Wooten said his officers acted appropriately.
Bryant disagreed.
“The chief wasn't here for him to know what my boyfriend was doing,” she said.
Channel 11 News also showed the videos Beth Pittinger of the Citizen Police Review Board to get her perspective on the incident.
“It looks to be like a very uncooperative subject. It sounds like they had to gain control of him, but tased is tased, and the screams sound consistent with it,” she said.
Royster remained in the Allegheny County Jail Thursday evening.