Charges dropped against father arrested, shocked with Taser at son’s football game

RICHMOND COUNTY, N.C. — A father was taken to the ground, shocked with a taser and arrested at his son’s high school football game.

We first showed the video in December. Although the charges for resisting arrest have been dropped against the father, he still plans to go to court.

Stephen Sings said he is relieved that those 13 charges have been dropped, but he and his attorney said Richmond County needs to be held responsible so that this doesn’t happen to another family.

“The way that they tased me, what they’ve done, I could have died. A lot of people don’t look at that. They tased me over and over again when I wasn’t resisting. That’s the whole thing, I wasn’t resisting,” Sings said. “They wanted to show that in Richmond County this is what we do to people like you when you question us. This is what we do and this is how we’re going to teach you when you come down here.”

In 2019, during the Vance-Richmond playoff game, Sings' son was arrested for disorderly conduct.

In a Facebook live video, Sings could be seen going up to the officer and simply asking why his son was arrested. The officer responds, “I don’t have anything to say to you,” and Sings said, “it is your duty to talk to me.”

The video then shows that officer arresting Sings, and he was shocked with a Taser multiple times. Sings faced 13 charges and was given a $150,000 bond.

“That’s something that every parent would want to know and saying, it’s your duty to tell me, that’s not a crime,” said attorney William Harding.

His attorney said the Facebook live video was a critical piece of evidence in the case and said without it, there might be a different outcome.

“No one can watch that video and say that was right. And they scary part is, as Mr. Barnett said, that if there wasn’t video, it would be Mr. Sings' word against this officer’s word, and we all too often know how that turns out,” Harding said.

Attorneys said it speaks to a larger systemic problem, where the behavior by officers is tolerated without consequences.

“Who will they tase next?” said attorney John Brown.

Group protests after Richmond County man’s arrest at high school football game Group protests after Richmond County man’s arrest at high school football game

Sings said his children witnessed him being tased, beaten and kicked, and are traumatized. He said it’s been a painful time for their family.

“I have to keep talking to my kids. Every officer is not like that. but he’s feeling like that,” Sings said.

But Sings is trying to do something positive with his experience to help others. He wants to create a task force to help people in Richmond County who are wrongfully arrested.

There is an SBI investigation into the incident, and Channel 9 reached out to the sheriff’s office for a comment but have not heard back. So far, the attorney said they are not aware of any discipline for these deputies.

Cox Media Group