Domestic dispute draws taser fire in South Portland

SOUTH PORTLAND — A South Portland man was subjected to the electric shock of a taser on May 31 by police officers called to his Ocean Street apartment on the report of a domestic disturbance.

“This is an address we have responded to many times over the past couple of months for a variety of reasons, usually noise and disturbance complaints,” said Lt. Frank Clark, spokesman for the South Portland Police Department.

According to Clark, Nicholas Pallas, 32, opened his door to the visiting officers at about 11:30 p.m., but upon seeing their uniforms immediately slammed it shut again.

“They observed that Pallas had blood on his face,” said Clark, adding that police forced the door open after failing to convince anyone inside the apartment to re-open the door.

Officers then had to break down a second door to a locked bedroom, where they found Pallas and Carol Ann Vining, 23, of Portland, hiding in “a crawl space.” According to Clark, Pallas then pointed a “small, black object” at the officers as they tried to coax him out into the bedroom. That object turned out to be pepper spray, which Pallas tried to use on the officers, but it could easily have been mistaken for a firearm in the confusion of the moment, said Clark.

“I really want to commend the officers on their professionalism,” said Clark. “Try to picture yourself going into a potentially violent situation like that. Luckily, their training and their focus and a lot of things came together and they made the right decision.”

That decision was to fire a taser at Pallas who, incredibly, “continued to fight officers before ultimately being taken into custody.”

South Portland police officers received tasers as standard issue equipment in the spring of 2005, following a pilot program the previous year. Since then, the units have been used an average of four times per year, said Clark, noting “a maximum of eight deployments in any one calendar year.”

Police officers in South Portland are required to document any use of force greater than an “unassisted handcuffing,” said Clark. An administrative review board looks into every use of a taser. Officers are not taken off patrol duty while that investigation is under way.

Pallas was arrested and transported to the Cumberland County Jail, where he was booked on charges of refusing to submit to arrest or detention, assault, criminal use of disabling chemicals, possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia and violation of bail conditions. Despite the latter charge, officials in the records department of the Cumberland County Jail say Pallas has no prior record or outstanding charges. He was released Friday on $500 cash bail.

Vining was previously arrested Feb. 27 for operating a motor vehicle while under the influence. She was charged with refusing to submit to arrest or detention and violating bail conditions. She was released June 1 on $100 cash bail.