Another TASER victim?

[MAB32]

This one happened close to home. From what my sources tell me this kid, around 19 or so, was walking along a county road in a Township early in the morning last week. People called about this kid acting very strange and yelling while walking. The PD was called and a female with only a few years on the force responded. She spotted the subject walking towards a barn and got out of the car to approach the subject on foot. As she got up the subject she found him agitated and swinging his arms. She advised him to stop several times and tried to talk to him with no response other than his incoherent yelling. He continued into the barn with her right behind him. She then called for assistance. Guess what, nobody was even close to her which meant NO back-up! Inside the barn the subject evidentally had had enough of her and suddenly turned and rushed her. She quickly grabbed her TASER and hit him with it (the exact location on the body is still unknown at this time). While giving him the full charge of the TASER the subject fell to the ground. She walked up to him and found him to be not breathing and with no heartbeat. She immediately called the dispatcher on her portable and asked for a squad. She also advised them (the dispatcher) of what had just taken place. They arrived a short time later and pronounced him DOA. Subject was 6'2" and 170 pounds.

While no mother should have to go through this, I do find her comments rather important. His mother told the Akron Beacon Journal (ie., the Akron Reekin Urinal) that her son was greatly loved by all who new him and that he would never have hurt anybody nor did he in the past. She also couldn't understand why the officer didn't just shoot her son in the leg instead of using the TASER, because if she would have, he would still be here today. (sorry, I cannot help myself) By the way, the subject has an extensive record as a juvenile and as an adult. The coroner, however, may rule this one a "homicide" like he did under the same circumstances last year when the Akron Police Department used a TASER on a large person who was extremely combatative with approximately 4-7 officers. He died on scene also from what I was told.

Now for the "$64,000" question, do we all think he was on some kind of illicit drug? With Meth being the principle cash crop for low lifes these days in Summit County, and prelimanary speculation by those of us who have dealt with these "tweekers" before, it will be of no surprise to us if it comes back Crystal Meth. It also probably doesn't help matters to know that the township where he resided in is a well known area for cooking up Meth via the "Nazi" method. Also, FYI, Summit County was ranked #1 in the state out of the other 87 counties for Meth production and seizure of Meth Labs with 147 found last year. The next closest county was Cuyahoga (Cleveland) with something like 89. According to "insiders" in the Drug Task Force, they didn't even make a dent.

Please remember I am geting this second hand and just a little from the ARU so this information may contain some inaccuracies. More info will be posted as it is given to me.

What do you think will happen next?

PS: Does anybody else wish the days of either going to Prison or to Vietnam for anything less than Murder or Rape was back?

[Smokin Joe]

Originally Posted by MAB32

She spotted the subject walking towards a barn and got out of the car to approach the subject on foot. As she got up the subject she found him agitated and swinging his arms. She advised him to stop several times and tried to talk to him with no response other than his incoherent yelling. He continued into the barn with her right behind him. She then called for assistance. Guess what, nobody was even close to her which meant NO back-up!

Sounds like EDP or Dope. I'd put 10 bucks on Dope. Another 10 on the fact that even if he wasn't Taser'd he would have died due to the amount of Dope he injested. Suprising she let him go into the barn, bad things that can ruin your day are stored in barn's.

Originally Posted by MAB32

The coroner, however, may rule this one a "homicide" like he did under the same circumstances last year when the Akron Police Department used a TASER on a large person who was extremely combatative with approximately 4-7 officers. He died on scene also from what I was told.

Sounds like your Coroner needs some training in what the Taser will and will not do.

Originally Posted by MAB32

What do you think will happen next?

Mom will sue the agency and Taser. Agency will pay her to shut up Taser will laugh at her suit and she won't see a dime from them.

Originally Posted by MAB32

PS: Does anybody else wish the days of either going to Prison or to Vietnam for anything less than Murder or Rape was back?

(sic)Yup also get ride of Taser's, O.C. spray, and Baton's we'll go back to shooting people when we can't beat them in a fight.

I say it everyday Taser is the best thing to hit law enforcement since the baton and O.C. Spray. Problem is that with Meth these days people are injesting it like its oxygen; and in cases like the above stated so much and so fast that they, freak out, start walking down the street pealing off there clothes, screaming, they are non responsive to verbal commands when Officers arrive to deal with the subject, when Officers then try to make a physical intervention subject usually loses it and the fight is on. Officers then Taser said subject because the Taser is the new Wonder Bullet. Subject usually dies because of there ETOH (Alcohol and Drug Levels) not the Taser but because the Taser was used the Medical Examiner won't rule it out as a cause of death. Subject would have most likely died even IF he was never in a phyiscal altercation. Also Taser has deep pockets and the Mothers want compensation because the "Police Murdered" there poor helpless innocent little boy, who never hurt anyone in his entire life. Oh, and "the Police are lying that he attacked one of there Officers because he just wouldn't do that."

Own it lady your kid was a freaking drug addict who freaked out on Meth and attacked an Officer who was trying to stop him from getting run over.

Oh jeez sorry for the rant....

Just my .02 cents YMMV

[jasonglh]

I wonder if anyone has the numbers of how many have died after being sprayed with the OC. I can think of one here locally that I know of and his BAC was spectacular. At that guys height and weight he could have been on meth but he could also be bi-polar or some other mental illness. I used to be the unlucky bastard that had to draw blood on the yahoos the cops dragged into the ER at night. Some of them I remembered and knew before I ran the labs that they were not drunk or stoned just plain ole nuts.

The public via the media needs to figure all these things are "Less than lethal" devices. Its just like the drugs on the market today somewhere someone is going to have a fatal reaction that most would not.

I am not familiar with police SOP but I was under the impression they were not allowed to shoot to wound but to shoot until the subject was no longer a threat?

[Razor]

Shoot to wound? You mean accurately engage a small, erratically moving limb when someone is bearing down on you with hate and discontent in their eyes? And if you miss and pop them in the head or chest they die, which is far more likely to happen than if they get a snootfull of OC or get temporarily shut down with a TASER. Yeah, that sounds like a viable plan.

[Roguish Lawyer]

Originally Posted by Smokin Joe

I say it everyday Taser is the best thing to hit law enforcement since the baton and O.C. Spray.

In LA, they now call the PR-24 the RK-56.

OK, that was old.

[MAB32]

I talked to the officer's FTO today and he stated that she is about 100 pounds wet, which I agree with after seeing her before, and extremely mild manner but very firm when the need arises. By the way, on a scale from 1 to 10 she's defiantely a 9.5! Just FYI. Is it in poor taste to ask her if she would need comfort in a time like this? Her FTO told me that the reason why the Coroner rules these as "homicides" is because she states that when doing an investigation she has three categories to rule under. They are: 1) Natural Causes, 2) Suicide, and 3) Homicide. In the Akron case she ruled it a Homicide because it didn't fit into any of the other categories. She also stated that the TASER was defiantely a contributing factor in his death. What she really ruled was that it was a "Justifiable Homicide" By the APD. The ARU only printed it as a "Homicide". This slight oversight on their part has caused the citizens (read "minorities") to protest in front of the Akron Police Department demanding that ALL TASERS BE ELIMINATED FROM ALL DEPARTMENTS IN SUMMIT COUNTY BECAUSE THEY ARE ALL TORTURE DEVICES THAT POLICE ABUSE THE CITIZENS WITH!!! There next comment was that EVERYTHING and EVERY situation could be handled by just talking to the individual(s). Wow , I wasn't aware of such majical wammy jammy that could easily tell a subject high on Meth to put the gun down and come peacefully with me, it's OK that you just killed your children, we can forgive you! BS!!!

Now for the update, Subject was pronounced dead at Akron City Hospital, not on scene. My fault.

Everybody here that has posted is EXACTLY right in every respect. TR , yep you are very right. I shoot the guy in the kneecap because I'm a "sniper" so I do. Well I get slandered and sued because now I have crippled mama's boy for life. She will also state, why didn't he just beat my son over the head with a "baton" or shoot him that "Zapper thing"? At least he would be able to walk"!
Roguish Lawyer, now that is a beautiful thing!
Smokin Joe, lets make it a $20 and I will go with Meth. Do you want to try another drug of choice?

jasonglh, what would you have said if this poor innocent tweeker came in to your ER with no vitals and expired knowing the circumstances and with everybody around to listen? I think I would stat aloud: "ep, condition is definately stable now!"

[jasonglh]

Originally Posted by MAB32

jasonglh, what would you have said if this poor innocent tweeker came in to your ER with no vitals and expired knowing the circumstances and with everybody around to listen? I think I would stat aloud: "ep, condition is definately stable now!"

Probably something along the lines of "dumbass" and "Wheres that number for the organ donor team?"

I cant imagine her following that guy into a barn at 100lbs and no backup.

I have had my ass handed to me by female meth heads that are her size before in the back of the ambulance. There is no reasoning with them and they are strong beyond belief. Most of the time we just subdued them with 3" tape and the spine board when we could. The jail here will not take anyone like that and calls EMS to transport them to the ER. In the past the PD did it and has had more than 1 stop breathing enroute to the ER.


This pic was in the paper here recently. The time between mug shots is 2.5 years. Amazing what meth will do to a person in such a short time.

[Smokin Joe]

Pics are of signature marks of a 5-7 200 lb woman I Tasered tonight. This sweet innocent little lady was drunk, high, and grumpy.

The reason she got Tasered is because she was actively trying to kick another Sergeant while we were dragging her into jail.

I preformed a 5 second drive stun to her pelvic girdle but due to the immense size of her GUT she didn't feel it. So, I stepped it up and she got another 5 second drive stun except this time it was to her cartoid artery. She really chilled out after that. Best part was she actually thanked me for Tasering her...no I'm not kidding, I couldn't believe it either.