District Attorney Will Not Charge Cops Who Tasered Daniel Barga to Death

Daniel Barga, 24, died after being taken into custody following a disturbance in the backyard of a upper-income home in Cornelius, Oregon that was less than half-mile from his residence. Cornelius police officer Mark Jansen found Barga in the backyard covered with blood and refusing to cooperate, police said. Jansen used a Taser, which delivers a 50,000-volt shock, in an effort to subdue Barga. Barga died while in Jansen's custody.

Cornelius Officer Mark Jansen and the other two officers involved in Barga's death (Forest Grove Sgt. Dean Foster and Officer Scott King) will not face criminal charges. [SOURCE]

This result was inevitable after the autoposy in which the medical examiner said that the young man died from "excited delirium" due to the toxic effects of psilocybin, or hallucinogenic mushrooms.

Taser Autopsy: Daniel Joseph Barga (Cornelius, OR)

The 'powers-that-be' in Oregon would have us believe that being zapped with 50,000 volts of electricity from multiple taser shots had nothing to do with the death of 24-year old Daniel Joseph Barga on April 10.

Instead, the state Medical Examiner's office says that the young man died from "excited delirium" due to the toxic effects of psilocybin, or hallucinogenic mushrooms.

Dr. Karen Gunson, state medical examiner, said generally people experiencing excited delirium constantly demonstrate purposeless violent activity; have incoherent speech; don't respond to stimuli, such as pain, in a normal way; experience hallucinations; and die from a misbeat of their heart. [SOURCE]

Gunson said Barga would not have died if he hadn't used the mushrooms. [NOTE: Personally, I think that Barga wouldn't have died if the police didn't overreact and shoot him up with taser guns over and over and over again ... but, that's just me!]

Excited delirium cases are generally seen in people who are schizophrenic, experience manic phases or who have used cocaine, methamphetamine or mushrooms, Gunson said. People who are experiencing excited delirium become stimulated, Gunson said, and often become extremely warm with increased sweating.

Gunson said excited delirium can be part of a restraint death, such as when officers restrain suspects on the ground to handcuff them. But, Gunson said, there was no evidence of a restraint death in Barga's case. Gunson said the medical examiner's office carefully reviews what witnesses, police and medics say to determine whether a person died from restraint because there often isn't evidence on the body.

Barga died after being taken into custody following a disturbance in the backyard of a upper-income home in Cornelius. Cornelius police officer Mark Jansen found Barga in the backyard covered with blood and refusing to cooperate, police said. Jansen used a Taser, which delivers a 50,000-volt shock, in an effort to subdue Barga, police said. Barga died while in Jansen's custody.

We still await final word from the county prosecutor about whether or not criminal charges will be filed agains the police officers involved in this case.

Taser Death: Daniel Joseph Barga (Cornelius, OR)

Our blog missed this taser-related killing when it first occurred last month. We now have 72 people dead as a result of being shot by taser guns in America over the past 16 months. That is an average of a death per week. Despite the taser-incident at the Philadelphia Phillies baseball field the other day ... this ain't no joking matter. People are dying!

Daniel Joseph Barga died on April 10, after being taken into custody by Oregon police officers from Cornelius and nearby Forest Grove. [SOURCE]

Cornelius Officer Mark Jansen, a 14-year law enforcement veteran and Taser instructor with the department, Forest Grove Police Sgt. Dean Foster, a 25-year law enforcement veteran, and Officer Scott King, a nine-year law enforcement veteran, were suspended from duty while the investigation into the death of Barga took place.

Police were called to a house at about 3 a.m. April 10, after a report of a disturbance in the backyard. The homeowner told Jansen that a partially clothed man had confronted him, and was behaving erratically and threatening violence.

Jansen found Barga in the backyard covered with blood and refusing to cooperate. Jansen used a Taser, which delivers a 50,000-volt shock, in an effort to subdue Barga, police said.

Barga reportedly resisted as Jansen tried to wrestle him to the ground, according to police. Barga then bolted and ran, not following Jansen's commands to stop, police said.

Foster and King were called to assist and joined the chase after Barga, police said. The officers continued attempts to stop Barga, using Tasers and pepper spray, but he resisted, police said. He then stopped breathing while being taken into custody.

Medics transported Barga to a hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.

Human life doesn't mean much in Washington County, Oregon. The County District Attorney, Bob Hermann, doesn't feel that there was any criminal conduct on the officers' part. Hermann and his investigators determined that there was no reason for the officers to remain on suspension, especially because they are from small agencies with a high need for officers. Cornelius has 13 sworn officers; and Forest Grove has 17 sworn officers.

"I can't wait to get an officer back," said Cornelius Police Chief Paul Rubenstein. "There's no indication of wrongdoing on any of the officers' sides. We want to know why someone died just like everyone else."

Police say they believe Barga was under the influence of psilocybin mushrooms at the time of his death, but the results from the toxicology test still may not be available for weeks, authorities said.

Tasers are killing Americans all over the nation ... and all we do is laugh. Very sad...