Michael Ruhs, 55, of Allentown, is arrested in front of the 7-Eleven at 1100 Main Street in Hellertown on Aug. 28, 2018 following an incident in which borough police say he resisted arrest and ignored multiple verbal commands by an officer to return to his vehicle following a traffic stop.
The man who was tazed at the Hellertown 7-Eleven late last month and later charged with disorderly conduct and resisting arrest refused to follow verbal commands issued to him by a borough police officer, even after the officer produced a Taser, according to a police affidavit that describes the sequence of events leading up to the Aug. 28 incident.
According to the affidavit, Ofc. Carl Fischer was on patrol at around 2:15 p.m. and driving northbound on Main Street when he saw Michael Ruhs’ truck headed southbound on Main Street and noticed that the inspection and emissions stickers on it were expired.
The stickers had allegedly expired in October 2017.
Fischer then made a U-turn and pulled Ruhs’ truck over in the 7-Eleven parking lot at 1100 Main Street, where Ruhs parked in a space and exited the vehicle, the document states.
Fischer said he issued Ruhs, 55, of Allentown, verbal commands “to return to his vehicle as he was officially being stopped, which were disregarded.”
According to Fischer’s affidavit, Ruhs then approached and asked Fischer why he had been stopped.
Fischer said he told Ruhs it was for the expired stickers, according to the affidavit, and that he then ordered Ruhs to return to the vehicle and surrender his information, to which Ruhs allegedly replied, “Yeah, I do mind going back to my vehicle and…no.”
According to Fischer, Ruhs then walked toward Thomas Avenue, before turning around and entering the 7-Eleven convenience store.
Fischer said he followed Ruhs into the store and again told him to return to his vehicle, with Ruhs this time responding, “No, I’m going to use the bathroom.”
After warning Ruhs again, Fischer said he attempted to take him into custody inside the store.
Ruhs allegedly resisted arrest by pulling his arms back and forming a fist.
Fischer said he then pulled out his Taser and Ruhs began walking toward the front door of the 7-Eleven, again allegedly disregarding “several” verbal commands and warnings that were issued to him by Ofc. Fischer.
At that point, Fischer said he deployed the Taser, which took Ruhs down.
Fischer said Ruhs was then taken into custody, his identity was verified, and it was confirmed that the inspection stickers were in fact expired.
A court date for Ruhs’ preliminary arraignment has yet to be scheduled.
This sounds very fishy to me. I guess to make it believable they should show a picture of the expired stickers.
Also, if the guy was walking towards the front door, outside of which was his vehicle, why would the officer choose to hit him with the taser? Why did the officer not just assume that this surly person was, in his own way, responding to the verbal commands? He was told to go back to the truck, he said he had to use the restroom, the officer produced the Taser, and the guy then walked towards the front door with the apparent going to his truck in mind. There were a zillion cops there, there was no reason on God’s green earth, for the officer to use his taser. Way too much testosterone in the cool aide. This kind of treatment, by the police has to stop.