St. Louis police investigating stun gun use on 2 protesters

ST. LOUIS -- St. Louis police say they're investigating after an officer used a stun gun in the arrest of two protesters who were participating in a downtown march last week.

Police chief Sam Dotson declined an interview request Monday with the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, saying the Friday incident is under investigation. But he noted in a Sunday interview with KTVI-TV the bicycle patrol handled the situation in a response he called "very appropriate and very measured."

"The public has a tremendous amount of tolerance, but at some point, when people's lives are put at risk, and that night the motoring public and protesters' lives were put at risk, I think the public expects their police department to do something," he told the St. Louis television station.

Police say participants of the "Black Lives Matter" protest had been walking down the middle of a street, nearly causing several crashes by disregarding traffic signals. Around eight people were arrested on suspicion of impeding traffic by walking in the street.

Kristine Hendrix, a member of the University City School Board, had posted a cellphone video online that showed her and a man walking on a sidewalk seconds before an officer used a Taser to subdue them. The pair had been accused of resisting arrest.

Hendrix doesn't deny walking in the street, but told the newspaper in a phone interview Monday that "with well-trained police staff, those consequences don't necessarily have to be Tasering ... or even arresting people."

The video drew criticism from several public officials, including state Sen. Maria Chappelle-Nadal.

"She has had a small voice prior to the incident, and I hope she has a bullhorn now that she has had an experience she can talk about," Chappelle-Nadal said.

The police department said it has launched an internal affairs investigation to ensure all policies and procedures were followed during the arrests.

Information from: St. Louis Post-Dispatch, http://www.stltoday.com