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| Wash. Jail Officer Fends Off Stun Gun Attack |
| By Seattle Times |
| Published: 04/16/2003 |
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A woman posing as a respiratory therapist attacked a King County Jail corrections officer with an electric stun gun April 10 at Harborview Medical Center, in an apparent attempt to free her boyfriend, a convicted child molester. The 38-year-old jail officer managed to fend off at least three jolts from the 54-year-old woman's weapon, even though one of the zaps sent him reeling across the hospital room where he hit his head against a wall, reports said. He managed to draw his gun and tackle the woman, who was then taken to jail. Now jail and hospital officials are scurrying to review security procedures and figure out how the woman was able to get so close to the inmate. The corrections officer, whose name was not released, was treated for minor injuries by hospital staff and allowed to go home. But his colleagues said it could have been much worse. 'The guy performed fabulously; he was the consummate officer,' said Jerry Smith, treasurer of the King County Corrections Guild. 'He had, from what we can tell, every justification to take that lady out, but he showed tremendous restraint, even after being 'Tazed' three times.' The officer was sitting in the third-floor hospital room, watching over inmate George M. Anderson, 49. Doctors had been treating Anderson for a minor injury he suffered when he slipped in a jail shower. About 9:45 p.m., Anderson's girlfriend, who goes by the name Gail Gomez, walked by the room and looked in, but did not enter, police reports said. About five minutes later, Gomez stepped in and announced that she was there to provide respiratory therapy, reports said. Suspicious because he had not been told Anderson needed such treatment, the corrections officer told Gomez he would have to check into it. 'OK, just a minute,' Gomez said. Then the 5-foot-2, 115-pound woman pulled out a Raptor-brand stun gun, a small, black, hand-held unit that delivers shocks when it's pushed against someone, reports said. The officer grabbed for the stun gun, and it shocked his hand. Gomez then zapped his arm and shoulder, and he fell backward across the room and cried out for help. Even though Gomez was punching the officer in the face, he managed to pull his pistol and order her to lie on the floor. She turned to Anderson. 'I'm sorry,' she told him. Then she slumped down at the foot of the bed, reports said. The officer grabbed her by the hair and yanked her to the floor and held her until hospital security and Seattle police came and took her away. |
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