Authorities apprehended a disobedient man wanted on a warrant accusing him of child sex crimes when a Taser prong breached a window at his home.
Patrick Baron, 60, faces one count of lewd and lascivious molestation on a child younger than 12. Lee County sheriff’s deputies arrested him May 6 at his North Fort Myers home.
Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno said during a May 8 briefing that Baron and the child knew each other.
Marceno said authorities learned of the accusations in January and began investigating.
When the sheriff’s office’s Fugitive Warrants Unit attempted to arrest Baron, he resisted and grabbed a knife in the kitchen, yelling that he would not go to jail, Marceno said.
“Clearly could have been a deadly force situation,” Marceno said. “We get one chance to make certain we do it properly.”
Marceno said they do not rush cases like this.
“We never take one step away,” Marceno said. “We never stop pursuing justice.”
Baron remained in custody by publication without bond set on the child sex crimes charge. His arraignment is June 8.
Incident documented for internal affairs
Whenever they use force, Marceno said, they have to document it.
“Anytime someone’s less than 21 feet away from you with a knife, even if you deploy deadly force, they still have the ability to stab the other person,” Marceno said. “I’m very thankful that we were able to use a Taser to de-escalate and take him into custody.
Marceno said the scrutiny of an internal affairs probe depends on the use-of-force level a deputy employed.
“A Taser deployment is a different level than deadly physical force,” Marceno said, adding that in those cases deputies are placed on paid administrative leave.
In this case, Marceno said, the incident goes through a review process and the deputy is back to work.
New Taser technology was used to de-escalate
Marceno said the Taser 10, the weapon the deputy used in this case, is capable of apprehending more than one suspect simultaneously.
The device can reach about 45 feet.
“In this case, instead of using deadly force, we’re able to utilize the minimal amount of force in order to get him into custody,” Marceno said.
Marceno said the deputies who carry the up-to-date Taser underwent training earlier this year.
“You have to pass and you have to qualify to carry that, regardless of the tool,” Marceno said.
Marceno explained that their patrol deputies were their top priority to train on the new Tasers. He said the rollout began about two months ago.
“This Taser has the ability, once you turn it on … it makes a noise, and even that noise, when you turn it on, will potentially stop someone from running or fighting,” Marceno said, adding that the device also records.
Tomas Rodriguez is a Breaking/Live News Reporter for the Naples Daily News and The News-Press. You can reach Tomas at TRodriguez@usatodayco.com or 772-333-5501. Connect with him on Threads @tomasfrobeltran, Instagram @tomasfrobeltran, Facebook @tomasrodrigueznews and Bluesky @tomasfrodriguez.
This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Taser deployed, North Fort Myers man arrested for child sex crimes
Reporting by Tomas Rodriguez, Fort Myers News-Press & Naples Daily News / Fort Myers News-Press
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
