UPDATE: Following reports that the photo associated with the original article was uploaded to imgur a full year before the incident in question, the Pensacola News Journal updated its article Friday morning with the following clarification:
According to court documents, Wohlers later attempted to apologize to Byron by baking her a cake. Byron’s attorney, Alistair McKenzie, clarified Friday that Wohlers sent Byron a text message stating that he baked her a cake and wanted to give it to her. The text message included a photo of a cake with the phrase, “Sorry I Tased You” written on it.
A Florida woman is suing a local sheriff’s deputy who shot her with a stun gun during what was described as “horseplay” at an apartment complex and then tried to apologize for the incident by baking her a cake that said “Sorry I Tased you.”
Stephanie Byron of Pensacola claims that deputy Michael Wohlers showed up at the complex where she worked after his shift in June 2015. Wohlers is alleged to have bullied Byron and the other staff, then shot her in the chest with a stun gun after the two argued over glass of sweet tea.
Byron’s complaint, according to a report in the Pensacola News Journal, alleges that the deputy jumped on her when she fell to the ground, placed his knees on her chest, and forcefully yanked the Taser prods from her flesh.
In the federal lawsuit, Byron is charging Wohlers with using excessive force, violating her civil rights, committing battery and causing her all manner of hardships, including physical injuries, monetary loss, medical expenses, humiliation and mental anguish. She is seeking compensatory damages and attorney’s fees.
According to the lawsuit, Wohlers later attempted to apologize to Byron by making a cake with the phrase, “Sorry I Tased You” written on it.
Wohler’s lawyers have denied the allegations and stated in court filings that, even if Byron’s version of events is truthful, his actions amount to negligence at worst and did not arise out of any bad faith or malicious purpose. Wohlers resigned from the Escambia County Sheriff’s department a month after the incident after he was accused of lying about it to a training officer and filing a false report.
On Monday, the Criminal Justice Standards and Training Commission said it had reviewed the case and placed Wohlers on a one-year probationary period during which he is forbidden from serving at any law enforcement agency in Florida.
