August 18, 2009

Taser Death: Hakim Jackson (Philadelphia, PA)

I guess police officers are big fans of Batman. They continue to 'zap' folks to death with 50,000 watts of electricity from their taser guns. Apparently, the Philadelphia state troopers feel that running from the scene of a traffic ticket is punishable by death.

The Philadelphia Daily News informed us that Hakim Jackson died after being hit by taser fire during a traffic stop on Friday, August 14. Jackson, 31, was the passenger in a car driven by Ashley McDaniel, 21, of Elkton, Md., that was pulled over about 5:20 p.m. on Interstate 95 South, in Tinicum Township, for tinted window and other violations, police said.

When the car was stopped, both occupants appeared nervous and gave false identification, police said.

McDaniel was asked to step out of the car. While Trooper Yingling was speaking with Jackson through the passenger window, Jackson climbed in the driver's seat and put the vehicle in gear, court documents said.

In response, Yingling reached through the passenger window and pulled the keys out of the ignition. But while he was doing that, Jackson punched him repeatedly in the head, leading Yingling to Taser him, court documents said.

The second officer on the scene, Trooper Michael McKeon, then tried to remove Jackson through the driver side door of the car, but Jackson, who had just been Tasered, jumped into the back seat, fled out a rear door and ran into the John Heinz Wildlife Refuge, the affidavit said.

During Jackson's escape, McDaniel allegedly jumped on McKeon's back and began to assault him.

When back-up officers arrived, three troopers, including McKeon and Yingling, chased Jackson into the Wildlife Refuge and after about a mile, arrested him in a "thick swamp," police said. Jackson died while in police custody. The local medical examiner has not determined a cause of death, however, it seems obvious that the use of the taser had something to do with his death.

McDaniel was charged with aggravated assault on police, hindering apprehension, resisting arrest, driving under a suspended license and related offenses. She remains in the Delaware County Prison on $50,000 bail.

We will try to keep villagers informed of the outcome of this taser-related death.

4 comments:

Gunfighter said...

Unfair, Wayne.

Shoud the Troopers shot him with their pistols? Should they have beaten them with steel batons? Have you ever seen a gunshot wound up close?

The suspects weren't just belligerent, they were assaultive, they were felony suspects (giving false identification is a felony in many places).

If what we read in the article is even mostly accurate, then the officers were, by law, fully justified in using the levels of force that they used.

The death of the subject is unfortunate, but surely wouldn't have happened had he not assaulted the Troopers.

Unknown said...

just because they were felons doesn't mean that they should have been treated like animals. police lie everyday. I don't know any smart police officer that would stick their head into a vehicle that has a person that appears to be suspicious in it. that part of the story alone doesn't sound right, and if he was giving false I.D, I don't blame him for not wanting too go back to jail. if he was any threat he would have blown that officers head off instead of allegedly punching him in the head.

Unknown said...

If he was any threat I think he would have blown that officers head off instead of allegedly punching him in his head. If he was giving false I,D, I don;t blame him for not wanting to go back to jail. That story just doesn't sound truthful. I don't think any smart police officer would stick their head into a vehicle that has a person that appears to be suspicious in it.... but than again it doesn't take much education to be an officer...

Unknown said...

Malikahb - I haven't heard much about the Hakim Jackson case since he was first tasered-to-death. Have you heard any updates? autopsy results? lawsuits?