WSU student stunned with Taser after he called police on himself

Emily Pearce, Moscow-Pullman Daily News, Moscow, Idaho
·2 min read
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Mar. 28—A Washington State University student was stunned with a Taser by police officers Wednesday when he refused to comply with their orders, according to a news release sent by the WSU Police Department on Thursday.

John Bazan, a 20-year-old student, was eventually taken into custody under suspicion for third-degree assault, obstructing an officer and resisting arrest, according to the news release. A WSU officer fired a shot during the incident, but it didn't strike anyone, and no one was otherwise hurt.

Officers were called to the Global Scholars residence hall around 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, following up on a report of a man with a knife, according to the news release.

After performing an additional investigation, it was revealed Bazan reported himself as the one with the weapon. Officers made contact with him on the fourth floor, and found him concealing his hands in his sweatshirt pockets, according to the news release.

Bazan reportedly began to move toward officers, ignoring repeated instructions to stop and show his hands. Police tried to back up and maintain a safe distance, but he kept advancing, according to the news release.

An officer tried to deploy a Taser, but it was ineffective. Bazan continued to get closer to officers and removed his hands from his sweatshirt in an aggressive manner, according to the news release.

After that, an officer fired a shot from his gun, which missed him. Another officer tased Bazan and police were able to apprehend him, according to the news release.

After Bazan's arrest, he was taken to the Pullman Regional Hospital for evaluation, according to the news release.

Bazan was booked into the Whitman County Jail and is being held without bail.

This is the second knife-related incident on the WSU Pullman campus this academic year. Officers arrested a student in October 2023 under suspicion of threatening to kill others and chasing students with a knife at a residence hall, according to past reporting. No one was injured during this incident, either.

A law enforcement team from the region will conduct an independent investigation of the officer-involved shooting. The police officer involved in the incident will be placed on administrative leave as per protocol, according to the news release.

The officer's identity hasn't yet been released.

Pearce can be reached at epearce@dnews.com.