July 31, 2008

Scott Nugent, Taser-Killer Cop Fired and Facing Murder Charges

Seeking to defuse growing racial tensions in the small Louisiana town of Winnfield, the local district attorney announced Monday that he will seek an indictment against a white police officer for the death of a Black man who was shocked nine times with a Taser device while handcuffed in police custody.

Winn Parish District Atty. Chris Nevils said he would convene a grand jury Aug. 12 to consider possible charges against the officer, Scott Nugent, 21, who was fired from the Winnfield Police Department following the death of Baron "Scooter" Pikes.

Pikes, 21, died Jan. 17 within 39 minutes of being arrested on a drug possession warrant. His death has been ruled a homicide.

In his own written report of the Pikes' incident, Nugent acknowledged that he had subdued and handcuffed Pikes after a foot chase and that Pikes had not struggled or resisted arrest. Instead, Nugent wrote, he began tasering Pikes after the suspect did not respond quickly enough to Nugent's order to stand up and walk to a waiting police car.

Witnesses reported that Pikes had pleaded with Nugent and two other arresting officers to stop tasering him.

Click here to read the full story from Howard Witt.

3 comments:

Tayo (AllTayo.com) said...

Whoa. All the corruption going on in that town/area: the district atty, the police chief, the governor? I'm glad that someone finally got in that would do something about the unlawful/unnecessary tasering. One small step, right (she said with hope)?

Unknown said...

Tayo - Yes, perhaps the only thing that will change the culture of taser killing by police is if some of them are placed on trial for criminal action...

Unknown said...

All - Appeals court throws out the civil suit against Scott Nugent. Court says being pounded with 8 shot, 50k volts each, by a taser gun isn't excessive.