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SLC Police use Taser on suspect who struck officer with handheld Taser during DUI stop

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SALT LAKE CITY — A man who refused a field sobriety test during a traffic stop allegedly struck an officer with a Taser several times before police used a Taser of their own to subdue the suspect.

According to the Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Office, police stopped 23-year-old Joseph William Barlow at 12:23 a.m. Thursday after he failed to signal, and when they approached his car they smelled a strong odor of alcohol.

An officer asked Barlow to exit the vehicle for a field sobriety test, and the man allegedly responded by trying to put his key back into the ignition. The two officers got into the vehicle to pull Barlow out and prevent him from fleeing the scene.

Police say Barlow had a handheld Taser, which he used several times to strike one of the officers. The other officer deployed a Taser on Barlow, but said the man still would not comply with police.

Officers state Barlow, “was struck in the face several times and eventually taken into custody.”

Barlow was booked into jail and faces charges of assault against an officer, interfering with an arresting officer, driving under the influence of alcohol, and failure to signal.