Man who tried to Tase police officer goes to prison
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IDAHO FALLS — A man tried to Tase a police officer, now he’s going to prison.
Nicholas Neely, 27, was sentenced to five years in prison with two and a half years fixed for two counts of battery on law enforcement earlier this month.
On March 23, Idaho Falls Police responded to a call about a man breaking the windows of an Idaho Falls home. When the officer arrived, he found Neely outside. The officer asked Neely where he lived and what had happened. Neely just shrugged and tried to walk away, according to court documents.
The officer stopped Neely and told him to sit down which he did. The officer continued to question Neely, but Neely refused to respond and made rude gestures at the officer.
According to court documents, Neely was acting erratically and the officer decided to detain him. When the officer told Neely to put his hands behind his back and grabbed his arm, Neely tried to pull away.
The officer attempted to put Neely on the ground, but Neely rolled away. As the struggle continued, the officer pulled out his Taser and tried to subdue Neely. However, Neely continued to fight and tried to take the Taser from the officer.
During the struggle, the Taser went off. One of the Taser cartridges was deployed, but it didn’t hit anyone.
Neely wrested the Taser away from the officer and pointed it at him. The officer pulled out his firearm and ordered Neely to get on the ground, but Neely refused and began walking away.
As he walked, he hit the Taser against a chainlink fence, and the Taser fired its last cartridge.
The officer continued to follow Neely as another law enforcement officer arrived.
As Neely was distracted by the other officer’s arrival the first officer rushed toward Neely and threw him across the second officer’s patrol car.
As he did this, Neely reached behind him with the Taser and pointed it at the officer’s head. He pulled the trigger, but the Taser was empty.
Bother officers finally subdued Neely, and he was transported to the Bonneville County Jail after being medically cleared at Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center.
The first officer was treated at the scene for minor cuts and scrapes from the fight with Neely.
Neely pleaded guilty to two counts of felony battery on law enforcement. The two misdemeanor charges of malicious injury to property and resisting arrest were dropped as part of a plea agreement.