A suicidal man took three discharges from a Taser to bring under control, according to a report released yesterday by the sheriff's department. Deputies were called to Tony Blackburn's home on Greenbriar Road Monday afternoon when it was reported he had threatened to kill himself and was armed with a gun. The 42-year old Blackburn became agitated when the deputies told him they would not be able to leave without also taking him for commitment to the hospital, because he was a danger to himself. He began to threaten the deputies, and one of them says he arose as if he planned to assault them. At that point, the deputy pulled his Taser to protect the other deputy, and fired it, hitting Blackburn with the first stun pulse. That didn't affect him at all, and the deputy reports it took two more jolts of electricity to get Blackburn to comply with deputies. However he remained combative in the things he said, although he was handcuffed and no longer presented a danger to the deputies. He was committed for mental evaluation without further incident.

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