Officers fired after elderly parade driver Tasered

CHEYENNE, Wyo. — Two police officers who chased and Tasered a 76-year-old man driving a tractor in a Wyoming town parade have been fired.

Bud Grose, 76, who was shocked five times by Officer Michael Kavenius, welcomed the decision announced Tuesday by the Glenrock Police Department.

“Hopefully this will kind of help bring the community together and be an answer to a lot of questions and problems,” he said.

Kavenius shot Grose with a Taser on Aug. 1 near the end of Glenrock’s annual Deer Creek Days parade after, police say, Grose disobeyed a traffic command and fled. Sgt. Paul Brown was also relieved of duty.

“After considering all aspects of the unfortunate event which occurred after the parade during Deer Creek Days this year, the decision has appropriately been made that the two Glenrock police officers involved are relieved from duty,” the department said in its statement. The officers had been on paid administrative leave.

An attorney representing Brown and Kavenius said the officers will appeal the firing.

The department said the decision came after a consultant’s internal investigation and a probe by the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation. The Converse County Attorney’s Office decided against filing any charges in the incident.

The Division of Criminal Investigation report said Grose disobeyed Kavenius’ traffic command and steered around Kavenius to head toward the town park rather than the end of the parade. Kavenius told state investigators he was struck by Grose’s tractor, but Grose denied hitting the officer.

The report said Kavenius then chased Grose on foot until Brown joined the pursuit in a police SUV and caught up to Grose’s tractor.

The police pulled in front of the tractor, which came to a stop as it bumped the SUV. That’s when Kavenius shocked Grose with the Taser.

Grose, a retired truck driver, said he’s unlikely to participate in future parades. “I think I probably have retired from parades,” he said.