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Report: Former Trotwood officer improperly used stun gun on pregnant woman
TROTWOOD — An internal investigation of a former police officer's use of a stun gun on a pregnant woman found the officer improperly used the weapon on the woman's neck.
The investigation also found Michael Wilmer, 29, didn't know Valreca Redden, 33, was seven months pregnant Nov. 18 when he used a stun gun on her.
The investigation also found Michael Wilmer, 29, didn't know Valreca Redden, 33, was seven months pregnant Nov. 18 when he used a stun gun on her.
Wilmer was fired midway through the internal investigation for posting unauthorized photographs of police evidence on his MySpace account and operating a city-owned police cruiser at 120 mph.
Redden had been trying to turn her 1-year-old son over to police when Wilmer used the stun gun on her. She had refused to answer questions about herself and the 1-year-old, then tried to leave with the child and resisted arrest, according to the report.
"Video surveillance coverage ... shows Officer Wilmer was clearly in a position that he could have utilized his Taser on Ms. Redden's thighs and/or lower region, rather than her neck," the Dec. 24 report stated. "However, Officer Wilmer chose the neck region, even though Valreca Redden offered no violent resistance toward him or others."
The investigation also found Wilmer, a probationary employee with less than a year on the force, violated department policy by failing:
• to call a medic to check Redden after using a stun gun.
• to ensure photographs were taken of Redden's neck.
• to provide correct details in the stun-gun logbook.
• to provide accurate information about when he learned Redden was pregnant.
• to disseminate professional mobile-data terminal messages from his police cruiser.
• to call a medic to check Redden after using a stun gun.
• to ensure photographs were taken of Redden's neck.
• to provide correct details in the stun-gun logbook.
• to provide accurate information about when he learned Redden was pregnant.
• to disseminate professional mobile-data terminal messages from his police cruiser.
Officer Roy McGill and Sgt. Fred Beck received lesser disciplinary action relating to the incident.
Another officer, Thomas Quigley, was disciplined for failing to write up a domestic violence incident between Redden and the biological father of her child just minutes before the stun-gun incident at the police station. During that incident, Redden allegedly tried to run over her child's father with her vehicle.
Sgt. Richard Wright, working as a supervisor at the time, was suspended for one day for the failure to call a medic and take photographs of Redden's neck.
The report found insufficient evidence to show whether Redden was verbally abused by police, as alleged by the National Action Network's Cleveland chapter. The NAN, affiliated with civil rights leader the Rev. Al Sharpton, could not be reached for comment Friday.
"We promised the community we would look into this and do a thorough investigation," said Mike Etter, Trotwood's public safety director. "We feel we've met that obligation."
