Ranger Uses Taser To Disarm Knife Wielding Man

On September 15th, an Edmonson County deputy sheriff requested back up from Mammoth Cave rangers in dealing with an armed man who’d been involved in a domestic dispute. Deputy Shane Doyle responded to the call and encountered 24-year-old Christopher Nowak, who’d assaulted his grandmother. Nowak was intoxicated and was waving a knife around. Doyle drew his gun and ordered Nowak to drop the knife, but Nowak refused and continued to walk around, waving it in the air. Ranger Peter Zahrt then arrived at the scene and told Nowak to drop the knife or he would receive a taser shock. Nowak continued to disobey commands to drop the knife, so Zahrt fired the taser at him. Nowak immediately fell to the ground and Doyle moved in to secure the knife and handcuff him. Nowak was transported to a nearby medical facility for treatment of self-inflicted knife wounds, then taken to the Grayson County Correctional Center.  Doyle later said that he would have used deadly force to stop Nowak if Zahrt hadn’t used his taser.