Police use pepper spray, Taser during struggle with domestic-violence suspect

Cape Girardeau officers pepper-sprayed and used a Taser on a domestic-violence suspect after he repeatedly refused to comply with commands, police said.

Police arrested Clarence Dwight Lowe, 49, of Cape Girardeau on Thursday. The Cape Girardeau County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office charged Lowe with second-degree domestic assault and misdemeanor resisting arrest. Lowe’s bond was set at $10,000 cash only.

Cape Girardeau police officers Brendon Whitlock and Aaron Bennett went about 6 p.m. to an apartment in the 400 block of South Pacific Street after receiving a 911 hangup call from a crying woman, according to a probable-cause statement filed by Whitlock.

Whitlock wrote he heard shouting from an apartment, and Lowe’s girlfriend came to the door. She had a bruise under her eye and on the right side of her neck, Whitlock wrote. Whitlock talked to Lowe, who said his girlfriend was lying.

Bennett talked to the girlfriend, who said Lowe threw her onto a couch by her throat and struck her in the face, according to the statement and Lowe’s arrest warrant. Whitlock tried to put Lowe’s hands behind his back, but Lowe turned toward Bennett, tensed and asked what Whitlock was doing, according to the statement.

“I ordered Lowe to turn back around and give us his hands,” Whitlock wrote.

Lowe pulled toward Bennett and tried to free his hands from Whitlock’s grasp, the officer wrote. Whitlock brought Lowe to the ground when Lowe moved toward his girlfriend, and the two officers stayed on top of Lowe’s back as he continued to try to move toward his girlfriend, according to the statement.

Whitlock and Bennett told Lowe several times to stop resisting and give up his hands, Whitlock wrote. Whitlock secured Lowe’s left arm, but Lowe continued to move his right arm, according to the statement. Whitlock used pepper spray on the side of Lowe’s face that was exposed, he wrote. Bennett used a Taser, which garnered the desired effect of lessening the resistance, and Lowe was placed in handcuffs, Whitlock wrote.

After Lowe was read his Miranda rights, he again denied hitting his girlfriend, Whitlock wrote.

bkleine@semissourian.com

(573) 388-3644

Pertinent address:

400 block of South Pacific Street, Cape Girardeau, Mo.