Taser Death: Eugene Lamott Allen (Wilmington, DE)

Delaware State Police say they are investigating the death of 40-year old Eugene Lamott Allen after he was electrocuted with taser gun wielded by an unidentified police officer. [SOURCE]

Police say they were called to the 1000 block of South Market Street in Wilmington early Thursday morning for a report of a possible domestic altercation in the middle of the roadway.

Police say that the first trooper arrived to find Allen and a woman fighting in the middle of the street. As the trooper attempted to escort the two subjects out of the roadway, Allen allegedly refused to comply.

Allen then became combative and actively resisted arrest. A struggle then took place between the trooper and Allen. The trooper then deployed his Taser, however the trooper was unable to successfully take the suspect into custody.

At this point, two additional troopers arrived at the scene and attempted to assist in taking the subject into custody. Allen allegedly continued to actively resist arrest. It was at this time that a 15 year veteran of the state police deployed his Taser.  Allen quit resisting arrest and was placed in handcuffs. It was at this point that the troopers realized that he had gone into cardiac arrest and immediately began administering CPR and additional life saving efforts until paramedics arrived.

Allen's girlfriend, 42-year-old Lisa Badur of the New Castle, Del., area, told a different story.

Badur said Allen left her motel room acting strangely and walked onto U.S. 13 and then into the sports bar parking lot, where he started flapping his arms and calling out for his mother.

"He just lost his mind," she said, adding he had only been drinking beer. Badur said she was calming him down as they walked in the middle of the highway when the first trooper arrived, ordered him to the ground and fired his Taser.

But he got up again as other officers arrived and pulled out their Tasers and fired, said Badur, who claimed she counted at least 10 Taser firings.

Allen was then transported to the Christiana Hospital where he was pronounced dead at 1:13 a.m. His body was turned over to the Delaware State Medical Examiner’s Office where an autopsy will be performed to determine the exact cause and manner of death.

The 15-year veteran of the state police was not injured. A three year veteran trooper sustained a minor injury to his knee and refused treatment. The third trooper, a six-year member, who had responded to the incident, was transported from the scene to the Christiana Hospital where he was treated and released with a hand injury. All three Troopers involved in this incident have been placed on administrative leave, as per department policy, pending the outcome of this investigation by the State Police and the Attorney General’s Office.