A drunk University of Minnesota first-year student put up a lengthy fight with University police, who tasered him four times before subduing him in Centennial Hall early Sunday morning.
A security monitor called police after seeing Samuel Mussmann, 18, break a window on the first floor of the north side of the residence hall.
When they arrived to his dorm room, police tried to wake Mussmann, who was intoxicated and immobile. There had been a party in his room and partygoers said he had been punching the walls and âÄúacting crazy,âÄù according to a police report.
Mussmann came to and began to swing his arms at one officer and kicked the other. Both attempted to handcuff him, but he continued to resist, so one of them âÄúdrive stunnedâÄù him in the abdomen, according to the report.
The second officer then lost his balance from MussmannâÄôs reaction, falling to the floor and bringing
Mussmann with him. The first officer tasered him two more times, with three second bursts each, but Mussmann still had fight in him.
The first officer set his Taser on the ground and tried to gain control of the student, placing one handcuff on MussmannâÄôs wrist. Mussmann then grabbed onto the second officerâÄôs Taser holster strap, preventing him from using his left arm and, in turn, his Taser. The second officer grabbed the first officerâÄôs Taser off the floor and tasered Mussmann one final time in the left thigh.
âÄúItâÄôs very unusual,âÄù UMPD Deputy Chief Chuck Miner said of the incident. âÄúWe have found that Tasers are not successful in controlling an out-of-control individual.âÄù
After a few final minutes of struggling, the officers handcuffed Mussmann.
Mussmann was taken to jail but has been released from custody after posting $1,000 bail.
He was charged with obstructing the legal process.
Mussmann did not respond to repeated phone calls, and his parentsdeclined to comment.
Men cited for needles, syringes
University police arrested two men last week after finding their car full of needles and other injection equipment in the Como neighborhood.
Police pulled over a car on 29th and Weeks avenues southeast and found Miles Niska, 20, and Jeremy Glass, 21, with scattered needles all over their car. There was also an apparently used syringe and metal containers commonly used to cook or mix drugs, according to a report.
Niska said the liquid found in the needles was water.
After Niska and Glass were secured in the back of squad cars, Niska said they had been in the area because it was âÄúquiet and peaceful.âÄù
Glass said he had injected cocaine two hours earlier and a volunteer in Minneapolis had given them clean needles earlier that day, according to the report.
Both were given citations for possession of injection equipment and were released from the scene.
âÄúIt doesnâÄôt matter if thereâÄôs any narcotic residue in there,âÄù Miner said. âÄúThey had enough evidence that it was used for that.âÄù