SMITHFIELD – A former Selma police officer, who served as a school resource officer at Selma Middle School, has been indicted by a Johnston County Grand Jury in Smithfield. Former officer Dannya Denise Tavarez was indicted Monday on two counts of simple assault.
Officer Tavarez resigned from the Selma police force in April 2024. In June 2024, Johnston County Assistant District Attorney Paul Jackson requested the NC SBI investigate allegations Officer Tavarez assaulted a teacher at Selma Middle School with a taser.
According to a search warrant obtained by the NC SBI, a school teacher reported that Officer Tavarez shocked her with a taser. The teacher reported the offense to the school principal and Selma Police. Police then notified the Johnston County District Attorney’s Office.
According to court documents, the teacher said the assault occurred in October or November 2023 during the school’s first period. This was a planning period for the teacher.
Officer Tavarez was reportedly making her rounds throughout the school when she went into the teacher’s classroom to talk.
The teacher asked Tavarez what the taser was, and Tavarez allegedly responded, “I am going to tase you with it.” The teacher responded by saying, “No, you’re not.”
Taverez then reportedly tased the teacher by sparking the taser and making contact with the teacher’s left hip area, conducting what is called a “drive stun”.
The teacher said she yelled and told the resource officer it hurt. Tavarez replied by saying that she did not do it “full force” and that she had “tased kids around here and they don’t act like that,” according to court documents.
The teacher asked the officer if she had tased any middle school kids and Tavarez allegedly responded, “the ones that I know their parents.” After the incident, Tavarez walked out of the room and the teacher did not disclose the assault until she spoke with another Selma police officer on June 6, 2024.
The teacher told law enforcement the taser had left a bruise but she did not take any photographs of it after the incident.
Taverez was originally hired as a Selma police officer in October 2020.
Responding to the indictment, Selma Mayor Byron McAllister released the following statement Tuesday afternoon to The Johnston County Report: “The Selma Police Department opened up an investigation of former officer Dannya Tavarez in April of this year when concerns were raised about her behavior and work performance. In the midst of the investigation officer Tavarez resigned and our police department handed the investigation over to the SBI. I do not know detailed information about the investigation or indictment, but I commend our Selma Police Department for acting swiftly to address concerns in our community.”
Teacher looking for a lawsuit! Imagine that! Absolutely ridiculous.
Probably another snowflake, liberal educator who would like to “defund” the police.
I mean the teacher waited over a month to report it!
Way more than a month. She said it happened October 2023 but she reported it on June 6th 2024. That is insane and I think the teacher should have resigned for handing out BS. I am unable to see a Police Officer using a stun gun as a toy. I think this is a lie and the poor Police Officer is now the one who is going to suffer.
Sounds funny to me why waite so long to report the incident. Don’t buy this story.
She teacher sounds like Cristine Ford during the Brett Kavanaugh confirmation hearing. Not sure, no evidence, waited too long to report, no witness.
She resigned from the Selma PD rather than face an investigation. That tells us all we need to know — innocent people aren’t afraid.
How does the teacher not know if the assault occurred in October or November? I feel like being the victim of a taser by a police officer is something I would remember thoroughly, especially under such circumstances. This whole story sounds a little fishy to me… the not remembering which month the assault occurred, having no evidence (pictures of the alleged bruising) and waiting months to report it.