By Jane Prendergast
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Police Sgt. Brian Ibold (right) recounts his use of the Taser on his service belt Wednesday after it helped to subdue a man with a handgun. At left are Lt. Kurt Byrd and Officer Alvin Triggs. (Glenn Hartong photos)

O'BRYONVILLE - One day after being trained with a Taser stun gun, a Cincinnati police sergeant used the weapon Wednesday on an armed drug suspect who ran through a schoolyard as students and teachers were leaving for the day.

The incident started as a planned drug investigation by District 2's Violent Crime Squad. But it quickly deteroriated when the suspect started running. Officers tackled Jerry Heard on the soccer field behind the Academy of World Languages, but Heard continued to reach for the pistol that had been knocked from his hand.

That's when Sgt. Brian Ibold pulled his Taser. He chose the Taser instead of his gun, he said, because he didn't want to accidentally shoot officers wrestling with Heard.

Instead of firing the Taser, which shoots two barbs that send an electrical current meant to temporarily immobilize a suspect, Ibold pulled the cartridge off the weapon and used it directly on Heard's stomach.

Jerry Heard was captured on the soccer field behind the Academy of World Languages.

"The force was definitely escalating, but I wanted to try this first,'' Ibold said, explaining why he didn't go straight for his own gun. "He stopped wanting that gun and he put his hands behind his back almost immediately.''

No one was hurt in the scuffle. Heard was arrested on charges of aggravated robbery, resisting arrest, obstructing official business and carrying a concealed weapon under disability. He remains at the Hamilton County jail.

It was the second use of a Taser by a Cincinnati officer since the weapons were added to officers' gunbelts.

The Tasers were bought in the wake of the Nov. 30 police-involved death of Nathaniel Jones. In that case, officers hit Jones repeatedly with their metal batons. The struggle was captured on police cruiser videotape and was played repeatedly on national news shows.

The police action came under fire and Mayor Charlie Luken ordered the purchase of the Tasers. City Council, with $740,000 from the U.S. Department of Justice, bought the Tasers as a way to give officers another non-lethal option. Taser International, the Phoenix manufacturer, trained about 20 officers to teach the rest of the department. Ibold was in the first regular class Tuesday.

About 200 Tasers were shipped in early January. The rest for the 1,050 officers should be here by the end of the month, company spokesman Steve Tuttle said Wednesday.

"It's a great tool,'' Ibold said. "There were kids there, teachers there, parents there. You have to keep your surroundings in mind when you're thinking about where your bullets would go.''

Heard already was wanted on an aggravated robbery charge, accused of grabbing a 73-year-old woman's purse in Evanston on Halloween and threatening her with a baseball bat.

He faces a previous obstruction of justice charge, too, for running from District 4 officers a year ago. Email jprendergast@enquirer.com