Advertisement CSUMB officer on leave for not shooting student with Taser Marina police say officer 'froze' Share Shares Copy Link Copy

A California State University Monterey Bay police officer was placed on leave and is under investigation for not shooting an emotionally distraught student with a Taser. According to the Statewide University Police Association union, the veteran officer could be fired because he refused to use his Taser on a student out of fear for the student's health.VIDEO: CSU Monterey Bay officer refused to shoot student with TaserSUPA President Jeff Solomon said terminating an college campus officer who put a student's safety first is inexplicable. The student and officers were not injured during the incident. "Our officer said and felt that there was no need for the level of force that was applied, and my understanding was that's why he didn't deploy his Taser," Solomon said.Marina police, however, said that's not what happened, and claim the officer "froze."According to police reports, the incident happened in February on Petersburg Court. The CSUMB officer and three Marina police officers responded to a call about a suicidal student. Solomon said the CSUMB officer successfully defused the situation and was able to help the student calm down. He left to get the student a cup of water after the student asked for one. While he was gone, the three Marina police officers began physically restraining the student, the student became distraught again, and the Marina officers told the returning CSUMB officer to use his Taser, Solomon said.The officer refused.The lack of action prompted Marina police to file a "failure to act" complaint.Marina Police Chief Edmundo Rodriguez said the failure to act is what led the Marina police to have to intervene. Rodriguez said the student had a knife and was non-compliant.Solomon said he believes the Marina police made the complaint out of fear of their own actions.The student's father told SUPA, "It defies logic and is extremely disappointing that, at a time when law enforcement is under fire for using more force than necessary, an officer is being terminated for attempting to use civilized methods to resolve a situation."The university's spokeswoman said she can't comment on the pending investigation, but said the case is "more complex" than what was detailed in the SUPA press release.The officer, whose name has not been released, is a 20-year law enforcement veteran who has been with the University Police for the past eight years.SUPA said this is his first disciplinary offense.