Atwater police use stun gun to make arrest

A 47-year-old Merced man was shocked with a stun gun Sunday by Atwater police after he apparently tried to get away from the officers while driving drunk, authorities reported.

Atwater police responded around 2:45 a.m. Sunday to the parking lot of the Out of Bounds bar, 575 Bellevue Road, Lt. Samuel Joseph said.

Officers found Christopher Garcia passed out behind the wheel of a locked vehicle in the parking lot. Police woke Garcia up, but he ignored the officers instructions to unlock the vehicle and get out, Joseph said.

Instead, Garcia started the vehicle, revved the engine, but was unable to get the vehicle in gear. “There was (a witness) standing in front of his vehicle and would’ve been hit if (Garcia) had been able to get his car into gear,” Joseph said.

Officer Jose Torres shattered the passenger side window and police eventually pulled Garcia outside, where he continued to struggle. Torres fired his stun gun, but Garcia continued to struggle briefly before he was finally placed in handcuffs. Garcia suffered a blood nose and was taken to an area hospital before he was booked into the Merced County Jail.

Garcia was no longer in custody Monday, according to booking records.

This story was originally published December 15, 2014 at 5:47 PM with the headline "Atwater police use stun gun to make arrest."