WATCH: Local superintendent gets tased in front of students
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SHELLEY — A school superintendent promised students he would get tased by police if they raised more than $3,500 for a good cause, and they did just that.
In fact, students at Hobbs Middle School in Shelley exceeded the goal and raised $5,000. The funds are used to help students in need during the holiday season.
“We are thankful for everybody’s generosity —- parents, families and students. I think it’s pretty awesome that people show how generous they are. I see how generous people are very often, and this was one of the highlights for sure,” said Superintendent Chad Williams.
Williams told students he would get tased after he set the bar high to raise over $3,500. Since they did, Shelley Police officers came to a charity auction assembly on Thursday.
He told EastIdahoNews.com that he’s always had an itch to get tased.
“I have a brother who is actually in law enforcement, and I appreciate everything that law enforcement does, and I’ve always heard that part of the requirements in their training is to get tased,” he said.
Police posted a video of Williams to social media.
Watch the video in the player above.
In the video, School Resource Officer Joseph Pacheco and Chief Chad Purser hold onto Williams.
Cpl. Robert Tincher stands behind Williams and says, “Superintendent Williams, are you ready?”
Tincher says, “Taser, Taser, Taser,” and deploys the device.
Williams reaction is, “Ooo, this is NOT fun!” Pacheco and Purser, still holding onto him, let him fall gently onto his stomach.
The assembly erupts into roaring applause.
Pacheco described the tasing process to EastIdahoNews.com.
“The Taser, once you press and hold, it shoots out the two probes that hit. It’s a five-second automatic interval of electricity going through the Taser system and then shuts off after five seconds,” he said.
On the receiving end, Williams said, “I would describe it as a full-body charley horse for the longest five seconds of my life.”
He doesn’t regret doing it, though.
“I had various students come up afterward and thank me, and I hope it served as a motivation for them, too, to raise some extra funds for helping out some families,” Williams said.
Pacheco said he was very impressed with the superintendent and grateful for the support in raising funds.
“There’s not a lot of people who are willing to go through with that type of thing, so to have him show his support for the kids in that way and putting himself in the line and do something that not a lot of people do, is pretty impressive in my opinion,” Pacheco said. “It was an amazing amount of money for the small community that we have that we were able to help the kids in need.”
The Shelley Police Department additionally participated in raising money at the assembly by letting students buy the opportunity to “Pie the pig,” where they could throw a pie at Purser, Tincher and Pacheco.
