Deputy not punished for grabbing man's testicles

Deputy who grabbed a man's testicles to subdue him was using reasonable force

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By PoliceOne Staff

DENVER — A Mesa County deputy who grabbed a man's testicles to subdue him was using reasonable force, the sheriff's office said Thursday.

Samuel Fazio, 22, quit resisting after the deputy grabbed Fazio's genitals for a few seconds on Monday, according to the Houston Chronicle.  Deputy Hassan Hassan had been trying to handcuff Fazio, who reportedly hit Hassan in the mouth with his elbow during the struggle.

Sheriff's spokeswoman Heather Benjamin said Hassan was not in the wrong for grabbing Fazio's genitals. Use of force is reviewed on a case by case basis, but deputies are taught to make the suspect compliant as soon as possible.

"It's a reasonable tactic in this situation," Benjamin said.

Fazio, who had an outstanding warrant for his arrest, was charged with second-degree assault and resisting officers.

Department medical staff conducted a physical examination after Fazio was subdued and could find no injuries resulting from the incident.

Benjamin says the same standard would apply to a woman resisting arrest, although she noted, "The technique would not be effective with a female."