Hellertown police officer Matthew Andree stands over the unidentified man who was tazed outside the 7-Eleven convenience store on Main Street in the borough Tuesday.
A man was reportedly tazed by a police officer at the 7-Eleven at 1100 Main Street in Hellertown around 2:30 p.m. Tuesday, but why the device was used remains unclear.
A witness reported that the unidentified man and three other men arrived at the store in a white pickup truck and that borough police subsequently began to question them about something.
The witness said the man who was tazed defied police orders to remain outside and in or at the vehicle and attempted to enter the store, and that at that time the tazer was used by a police officer.
The incident took place as hundreds of motorists passed by on Main Street and drew a large police response, with numerous officers from both Hellertown and Lower Saucon Township as well as Hellertown Police Chief Robert Shupp converging on the scene.
Hellertown Police Chief Robert Shupp (center, talking to Ofc. Carl Fischer) arrived at the scene shortly after the incident unfolded. Hellertown Police Investigator Michael Dattilio can be seen in the foreground.
After the man was tazed he could be seen seated on the sidewalk in front of the convenience store with his hands cuffed behind him and with an officer’s hand on his shoulder, as customers continued to enter and exit the store. A dark oval stain could be seen on the T-shirt he was wearing in the center of his back.
The middle-aged man was subsequently helped to his feet led by police to a waiting Dewey EMS ambulance that had arrived at the scene.
Police continued to question the three other men who had accompanied him as they remained seated in the pickup truck.
Saucon Source has reached out to Chief Shupp to request more information about this incident, what led to it, and whether police plan to file any charges against the man.
We will update this story if and when additional information becomes available.
Saucon Source was the first news outlet to report on the story via a post on our Facebook page as events were unfolding. For more photos taken as the events unfolded scroll down.
