EPD: Man Accused of Tasing Child on Halloween

An Elizabethton man is in jail after police say he allegedly tased a six year old child on Halloween.

According to a report from Carter County General Sessions Court, Elizabethton Police were called to a home on Valentine Drive where a caller said two children only wearing a shirt and pants in cold weather were standing on her front porch. The two boys, one four years of age and one six years of age, were supposed to be in the care of Jamie Scalf, who told police she went to the store and left the children in the care of their father, suspect Michael Dussault. An affidavit reports the six year old said Dussault tased him in the stomach, which police found red marks on the boy’s torso.

Investigators determined the four year old was not tased, but the six year old said Dussault told them to get out of his house. Both boys had to walk through the woods from the home of Dussault to where they were found. The report said the child who was tased was able to pick Dussault t in a photo lineup.

Dussault had an active warrant for two counts of child abuse and neglect, and on Tuesday afternoon, police responded to a home on Jena Beth Drive to serve that warrant. A report from the Elizabethton Police Department says when attempting to place Dussault under arrest, he refused to listen to verbal commands and reportedly pulled away from the arresting officer, leading to a brief struggle before being placed into custody. In addition to the two charges of child abuse and neglect, he now faces an extra charge of resisting arrest. He was transported to the Carter County Detention Center, where he is being held on a $21,000 bond. He is scheduled to appear in court today.

Courtesy of Image: Carter County Detention Center