Taser Autopsy: Death of Audrecas Davis is Ruled a 'Homicide'

DeKalb County medical examiner Pat Bailey ruled that the death of Audrecas Davis was a homicide and the use of a Taser was one of several contributing factors. [SOURCE]

Other factors that contributed to death were drugs, prior medical conditions and obesity. Davis, 29, died from cardiorespiratory arrest and had marijuana, caffeine and nicotine in his system. He also suffered from hypertension and sickle cell disease.

Physical exertion and morbid obesity also contributed to his death; Davis was 445 pounds when police used their taser on him.

“If you remove the Taser, you can’t say they wouldn’t have died anyway,” Bailey said.

The report showed Davis suffered a seizure and drug hallucinations on May 9. Paramedics called police after Davis became combative, according to a police report.

During the struggle, officers used a Taser on Davis five times to get him to comply with their commands. Officers said in their report that they repeated the shocks because the weapon had no effect on the man.

It was only after paramedics injected Davis with valium that he calmed down. His heart also slowed down after the drug, the report stated. He was pronounced dead about 25 minutes later at the hospital.

The medical examiner also indicated that a Taser had been used on Davis before by Gwinnett Police in 2006 and he had a history of drug-related arrests.

The next step in this process rests with the prosecutors. They need to review the autopsy report and decide whether or not to bring criminal charges against the taser-wielding police officers for their role in this homicide.

Taser Autopsy: Death of Sukeba Jackson-Olawunmi is Ruled a 'Homicide'

DeKalb County medical examiner Pat Bailey ruled that the death of Sukeba Jackson-Olawunmi was a homicide and the use of a Taser was one of several contributing factors. [SOURCE]

Other factors that contributed to death were drugs, prior medical conditions and obesity.  Jackson-Olawunmi, 40, died of a cocaine-induced delirium. In addition to cocaine, she had blood pressure medication in her system to treat her hypertension.

Physical exertion and morbid obesity also contributed to his death; Jackson-Olawunmi was 359 pounds when police used their taser on her.

“If you remove the Taser, you can’t say [she] wouldn’t have died anyway,” Bailey said.

Jackson-Olawunmi died May 14 after a Taser was used on her four times. Police were called to a Clarkson apartment complex after neighbors reported she was frantically shouting that someone was trying to kill her, according to witness statements. She kicked in several doors before falling off a second-floor balcony.

Police arrived to find Jackson-Olawunmi stealing a car and attempting to flee, the report stated. A Taser was used on her after she refused to surrender and fought officers. She remained violent until police used the Taser against her side. Thirty seconds later, she became unresponsive. She was pronounced dead 30 minutes later.

The next step in this process rests with the prosecutors. They need to review the autopsy report and decide whether or not to bring criminal charges against the taser-wielding police officers for their role in this homicide.

Two Georgia Cops Fired for Taser Abuse of Janice Wells [VIDEO]

Me, Myself and I pointed us to this Huffington Post blog entry:

Two police officers have lost their jobs after repeatedly tasering a woman who called them fearing a burglar was outside her house.

Janice Wells told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution in an interview, "All of it's just unreal to me. I was scared to death. He kept tasing me and tasing me. My fingernails are still burned. My leg, back and my butt had a long scar on it for days."

This blog usually reports on taser incidents that result in death. However, this case of taser abuse is unusual because it results in police officers losing their jobs.

What are you thoughts about the video and the story? What say u?

Taser Death: Audrecus Davis (Atlanta GA)

I don't have many details on this taser-related death.  What we know is that DeKalb County police offers electrocuted Audrecus Davis five times with their taser guns during a struggle on May 9th.  Paramedics had been attempting to treat the man for a possible drug overdose when he became violent. That’s when police arrived and found the 6′-4″, 375lb man foaming from the nose and mouth and defecating all over the room.

The father of Audrecas Davis said his son had never been violent. [SOURCE]

“I want to say, ‘Do they think he is some type of vicious animal,’” said Jimmy Davis, father of Audrecas Davis, 29, who police say was combative to paramedics who tried help him at a DeKalb motel room. “If a bear comes into the yard and is not harming anyone, you would just let him go into the wild. Why didn’t you just let him go back in his room and call his relatives?”

Davis’ family has hired an attorney and is considering a lawsuit, his father told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Tuesday.

Paramedics were called to Audrecas Davis’ room at the Budgetel Inn on Chamblee-Tucker Road on May 9 after motel staff found him passed out. Paramedics summoned police after Davis, who was 375 pounds, awoke during treatment and became combative according to the police report.

During the struggle, officers used a Taser on Davis five times to get him to comply with their commands. Officers said in the report that they repeated the shocks because the weapon seemed to have little effect on Davis. After each stun, Davis continued to fight. One time, he ripped the prongs from the Taser out of his skin, the report indicated.

Police also indicated they found evidence of drug activity in the room.

Jimmy Davis said his son had a previous criminal record involving drugs, but had cleaned up his life.

“I know he was not a violent person,” Jimmy Davis said. “That’s out of character for him. I don’t know if he was hallucinating or what. He is always the one that calms the family down.”

Stephen Apolinsky, a lawyer for Davis’ family, said he is still waiting for more information, but he doesn’t understand why police were trying to handcuff him.

“Why did they use this Taser as a cattle prod to force him in an ambulance? It’s his decision to decline medical treatment,” Apolinsky said.

According to the police report, Davis was foaming at the mouth and nose and had defecated in the hotel room. He became unresponsive after the stuns with the Taser, in addition to two injections of a medication to calm him down.

Apolinsky said Davis had hypertension and may have had clogged arteries, but he is waiting on the autopsy to determine the cause of death.

Audrecas Davis was working with his grandfather on a farm in Albany to make money to help care for his two children. He was in DeKalb County visiting family for Mother’s Day, his father said.

Please let us know if you have any additional information on this taser electrocution.

Perp Walk: Jamal Anderson Arrested for Sniffing Cocaine

Someone needs to give former Atlanta Falcons running back Jamal Anderson the URL for my blog. I told all villagers that nothing good happens after 3:00 am.

Anderson didn't listen. He was arrested early Sunday morning, about 3 a.m., after an off-duty police officer witnessed him sniffing cocaine in the men’s room of a Buckhead bar. Anderson and a young 20-year old white guy were in the same stall inside the men’s room at Peachtree Tavern sniffing two lines of powdered cocaine off the toilet tank.

A tavern patron alerted an off-duty Atlanta police officer to possible illegal drug use inside the restroom.

Police said they found a 1-inch square bag of cocaine and a marijuana cigarette inside Anderson’s pocket. The men were arrested without incident and booked into the Fulton County Jail for felony possession of cocaine. Anderson was also cited for misdemeanor possession of marijuana.

During the 1998 season, Anderson rushed for a franchise-record 1,846 to help power the Falcons to their only Super Bowl appearance. He celebrated his long runs and touchdown scores by doing the “Dirty Bird” dance.

He suffered a knee injury that required surgery and only had two rushes the following season. Overall, he played eight seasons with the Falcons, from 1994 to 2001, before a second knee injury ended his career.

He worked as an NFL analyst for ESPN’s First Take this past season. It goes without saying that he'll lose the ESPN gig. I hope he has a real-estate license or some other skill that he can fall back on now that he has phuqued up his sports-television career. This isn't the first time that Anderson demonstrated loss of self-control at Atlanta night club.

What are your thoughts as you learn of this sad story?

Can Barack Obama Unify America?

Politics is not for the weak. One of best political moments that I've experienced in my life occured earlier this month when Barack Obama gave a remarkable victory speech after winning the Iowa Caucus. One of the worst political moments occurred this past week as I watched former president Bill Clinton support the candidacy of his wife by engaging in a persistent campaign of subtle and not-so-subtle racial attacks on Obama.

Yesterday, Obama was a guest at the Atlanta, GA church home of Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. Obama's prepared remarks show me again why he is the right person to become our next US President. Obama speaks to the concept of unity. The concept of unity (or umoja) is one of the principles that many Villagers support. It is difficult for me to see our nation being unified under Hillary Clinton. Too many people have too many negative feelings about her ... and her husband. On the other hand, I sense that our nation can become unified under Barack Obama.

Take a moment to check out his speech in honor of MLK Day.



What say u? Do you think that this is a person that could unify our nation ... that can help us move closer to MLK's dream? Can Barack Obama unify our nation?

War On Greed: Fight For the Dream

I notice in the recent debates and stump speeches from the political candidates that there is much greater focus on the economy as an election issue. Barack Obama and billionaire Warren Buffet have each noted that most CEOs pay less taxes than their secretaries. Today, we have powerful people and institutions that stand in the way of working Americans realizing their dreams. Among them are leveraged buyout firms like KKR, and multibillionaire Wall Street tycoons like Henry Kravis.

Drumbeats came to our village from the folks at Brave New World about a premiere screening of Robert Greenwald's new short documentary on the leveraged buyout industry taking place on January 20 in Atlanta, GA. They shared the following info:

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The buyout industry is bigger than ever, and growing. The top 20 buyout firms today control companies that employ nearly 4 million workers. Last year, buyout firms in the U.S. controlled a $400 billion war chest -- and that’s just cash-on-hand, not even counting the amount that private equity funds are able to leverage. That influence is only rising. Nine of the ten biggest private equity deals of all time took place since 2005. According to CFO.com, 2008 could become the one of the biggest years yet in terms of total deal volume.

Likewise, ever since Accuride was bought (and then sold) by KKR, its workers have faced layoffs, wage freezes, reduced hours, diminished benefits, tightened managerial control, and a complete lack of dignity on the job. Meanwhile, Henry Kravis and other buyout moguls enjoy tax breaks that the average American does not. At least according to his own interpretation of the tax code, the law currently allows Kravis to pay the lower capital gains tax rate of 15% on a majority of his $450,000,000 income rather than the regular income tax rate. Percentage-wise, that means that Kravis pays less tax than teachers, firefighters, police officers, and the majority of Americans.

This is precisely the kind of inequality Dr. King stood against, as "The War on Greed: Fight for the Dream" illustrates. Scheduled to premiere during the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend, "Fight for the Dream" makes the case against the buyout industry in a documentary film format that is broadly accessible to a lay audience. The video tells the story of the workers at Accuride’s Rockford, Illinois plant, and contrasts the exploitation they face with Dr. King’s message of equality and dignity. The video ends by asking viewers to sign a petition urging the presidential candidates to pledge to close the tax loophole for leveraged buyout tycoons.

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This YouTube video in the "War on Greed" series was first shown on the sidewalk in front of Kravis’ Park Avenue mansion. In honor of Dr. Martin Luther King's birthday, Brave New Films will escalate their campaign against the buyout industry with a premiere screening of "Fight for the Dream" at a Baptist church in Dr. King's hometown on January 20th. Reverend Timothy McDonald, Reverend Lennox Yearwood and Dr. Charles Steele of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference will speak about Dr. King's message and the dangers that the Wall Street buyout industry poses to working families.

Villagers in the greater Atlanta area are encouraged to attend on Sunday, January 20, 2008 @ 2pm.

The First Iconium Baptist Church
542 Moreland Ave. SE, Fellowship Hall
Atlanta, GA 30316
Pastor: Rev. Tim McDonald

In addition, Brave New Films seeks partnerships with influential Black bloggers and opinion-leaders in an attempt to invite presidential hopefuls to the premiere and pressure candidates into pledging to address the tax loop-holes that so many wealthy corporate CEOs like Henry Kravis enjoy.

Well, Villagers, what say u? Is this an issue that resonates with Black workers and voters?

Blogging While Brown Conference Call For Papers

Planning is underway for Blogging While Brown: The First International Conference for Bloggers of Color, scheduled for July 25-27, 2008 at the Georgia World Conference Center and Hilton Downtown in Atlanta, GA.

The most important purpose of the conference is to share knowledge. The conference will promote intellectual, social, and cultural development of the blogging community by bringing bloggers of color together. Blogging While Brown is an opportunity to meet other bloggers and blog readers of color for the first time, discuss current issues of interest to bloggers of color, network with individuals and organizations interested in leveraging online activity with offline results, and learn about the latest technology that will assist bloggers with publishing their work and improving their readers experience by fully engaging in the newest media technology.

Blogging While Brown is currently accepting proposals for workshops that will appear at the conference. The three Conference Tracks are:

1. From the Screens to the Streets: News, Politics, and Social Justice - This track will feature sessions related to blogging about current events, activism, and bloggers who are leveraging their online resources to get offline results.


2. Blogging Building Blocks -This conference track will feature sessions related to the nuts and bolts of blogging such as technology, blogging widgets, the business of blogging, monetizing blogs, increasing blog traffic, legal issues, design, layout and improving the reader experience.


3. The Blogs of Our Lives -This conference track will feature sessions related to entertainment, gossip, lifestyle and social networking, how not to get sued, artist promotion, and the blogs that are our favorite guilty pleasures.

Who may submit workshop proposals? - Any and all individuals interested in bloggers of color and the issues or interest to them should submit proposals. Individuals from for- profit and not-for-profit entities may submit proposals for consideration provided the proposed workshop supports the theme, goals or workshop subject areas of the Conference.

DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSIONS IS FEBRUARY 5, 2008.
Villagers, don't wait until the last minute! Download the Workshop Proposal Form or review some of the other suggested topics on the Blogging While Brown blog.

I am hopeful that The AfroSpear will find a way to market our organization. Be as creative as you want to be. Work with other bloggers and blog readers. If you have any questions, email bloggingwhilebrown@gmail.com.

Blogging While Brown Conference

I have only been a blogger since January 2007. When I first entered the blogosphere the only blogger that I knew was my sister. Over the past few months I have enjoyed the exchange of ideas with bloggers of all nationalities, politics and geography. With one or two exceptions ... every blogger that I've met has been through my computer screen ... out here in cyberspace.

Perhaps it is time for us to meet face-to-face?!

The 2008 Blogging While Brown conference is my opportunity to meet some of these talented brothers and sisters in the so-called real world. The Electronic Village plans to attend this conference next year. Early Registration is now open for Blogging While Brown 2008. In the spirit of Ujamaa I plan to take advantage of the $100 early registration rate. It will never get less expensive!

The purpose of the event is to give Bloggers of Color an opportunity to meet each other for the first time, discuss current issues affecting Bloggers of Color, and learn about the latest technology that will assist them with publishing their work.

Blogging While Brown was created in response to widespread dissatisfaction with the amount of diversity in some of the largest blogging conferences. A critical mass of Bloggers of Color have yet to attend these established conferences, however the initial response from Bloggers of Color to the idea of holding their own conference has been overwhelmingly enthusiastic.

Bloggers of Color are excited about a conference, for, by and about them and look forward to moving beyond the single panel or discussion focusing on diversity that are typically featured at some of the larger blogging conferences.

The conference is in Atlanta, GA on July 25-27, 2008. The host hotel is the Hilton Atlanta Downtown. Pass this on to your friends and readers.

Those of you that share your village voices by posting comments on the Electronic Village are just as important as I am to the growing success of our online community. As such, this invitation to attend the 2008 Blogging While Brown conference is open to any of the active villagers that come here regularly.

Stay tuned! I understand that the Conference Planning Committee will provide guidelines for workshop suggestions and facilitator proposals in the near future. Get on board now because 2008 will be an amazing year for bloggers! Blogging While Brown is the first international conference for, by, and about Bloggers of Color and the readers who love and comment on them.

Will you be in attendance?

Unarmed Blackman Killed by Police

4/20/07 - Updated information for those able to attend the march or funeral services.


This has been a violent week. Hundreds died in Iraq. Hundreds more died in Darfur. 32 were killed on the Virginia Tech campus. As such, you may not have heard. Another unarmed Blackman was shot in the back and killed by the police. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation is looking into the shooting of two brothers by Fulton County police officers that left one dead and the other seriously injured outside a nightclub early Sunday. Neither of the brothers were armed.

Fulton and state officers are looking for evidence and talking to people who witnessed the shooting of Roy Pettaway III, 27, and his brother, Ron Pettaway, 26. The incident happened on a sidewalk outside the Frozen Palace nightclub in south Fulton County. Shots were fired after the brothers allegedly got into an altercation with the two officers who arrived to break up a fight at the nightclub. I'm fairly certain that barroom fights don't carry a death penalty in America. Yet, one brother is dead and the other had a bullet removed by doctors in the emergency room.

The officers, each of whom has fewer than two years on the force, are on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation. Their names have not been released.

Services will be held for Ron on Saturday at Liveoak Baptist Church, 2601 Flat Shoals Road, in College Park on what would have been his 27th birthday. The Rev. Markel Hutchins, a civil rights activist and Pettaway family spokesman, said there will be a march from the Frozen Palace to the church for the funeral. The funeral itself will be held on Saturday, April 21 at 10:00 am, on what would have been Ron's 27th birthday.

We encourage any villagers who live in the Atlanta area, or anywhere in Georgia, to attend the march. A special section in Liveoak's sanctuary will be set aside for families of other metro Atlantans allegedly victimized by police, Hutchins said. Hutchins and the victims' relatives have been vocal in their outrage over the shooting that they have described as nothing short of murder and a violation of the brothers' civil rights.

You can learn more about this situation from other AfroSpear bloggers here, here and here. Also, I see where the Pettaway family posted relevant news and video on the case.

I live in Cincinnati, OH. We had similar issues with our police department that came to a head in April 2001 when the 15th Black man was killed by the local police. The Cincinnati uprising made international news. The city is still dealing with the real and perceived problems in community-police relations.

I understand that DeKalb police had a dozen fatal shootings in 2006 and Atlanta officers shot an elderly woman to death during a botched police raid on her home. My hope is that folks will learn from the past and deal proactively with this situation in Fulton County before it blows up into a similiar situation.

Yesterday, activists asked the governor to get engaged in the issue.

It was a violent week. However, we cannot afford to let the shooting of unarmed Blackmen be swept under the rug. The African American Online Network, known as the AfroSpear, must ask the major newspapers and mass media, why they have not come out with editorials condemning this shooting. What justification can there be for not speaking out?

Bring Black Back

The new book by W.D. Wright, The Crisis of the Black Intellectual, contains the following passage on page 311.

"Today there is no general Black leadership and the Black political body is fragmented isolated, individualistic, fanciful, delusional, susceptible to posturing, and has no real sense of engaging with Black politics that are designed to help Black people in America, specifically those millions still ‘stuck at the bottom.’ What could interrupt this situation and force Blacks back to a general leadership and to a consciousness of Black politics would be the emergence of new and differently oriented local Black leaders. This would include some individuals drawn from those ‘stuck at the bottom.’ There are enough Black local leaders, community organizers, and activists who could initiate this new and different leadership across the country and who could consciously and actively seek to recruit and train individuals ‘up from varied misery’ for local leadership."

There is a group of such leaders coming together at the Bring Black Back conference in Atlanta, GA on April 20-21. The group wants to develop and implement a more effective leadership model that better addresses the needs of African Americans who are disconnected from the mainstream in the USA and across the African Diaspora. This leadership model will address the need for more effective political action, and grassroots economic development that benefits African American communities – primarily in urban areas. They seek to address the "authentic needs" of African American communities, and place a high priority on Africentric education as a foundation for our children.

The Bring Back Black gathering comprises Black folks who have been working for decades empowering our people. They do their work quietly and without fanfare. They work by building their own businesses, opening their own schools, and being serious about their political involvement. They do their work by meeting payrolls from which their Black employees take care of their families. They do it by standing up and speaking out against injustice and inequity. They do it by sacrificing their time and their resources for the collective cause of Black people.

It turns out that one of the first gatherings of this group occurred in Cincinnati, OH. The next gathering is later this month at the Bring Back Black conference in Atlanta, GA. Care to share your comments on this grassroots effort?