Coroner Rules 'Homicide' in the Taser-Killing of Alonzo Ashley

This blog told you about the taser killing of 29-year old Alonzo Ashley that took place at the Denver Zoo earlier this year. Denver's coroner recently ruled that the death at the hands of the police was a homicide. [SOURCE]

Officers said Ashley bit them before they electrocuted him with 50,000 volts of electricity from a taser gun. Police shot the taser gun FIVE times even though they had Ashley face-down on the ground, with shoulders pressed down, hands cuffed behind his back and legs crossed, flexed and pressed toward his buttocks, the autopsy by Dr. John Carver says.


Ashley began convulsing and he was dead before paramedics arrived.

Denver District Attorney Mitch Morrissey, however, said Ashley's death met no legal criteria for prosecution under Colorado homicide statutes.

"This clearly is not a homicide under Colorado law," Morrissey said. "I have some real questions about using the term homicide."

Police Chief Gerry Whitman said all the officers who responded to the incident will remain on duty. Additional investigations by police and Manager of Safety's Office to determine whether policies were violated are pending.

Ashley's death sparked protests by the Greater Metro Denver Ministerial Alliance. Dr. Timothy Tyler, pastor of Denver's Shorter Community AME Church, said that the city promised changes after Marvin Booker's death at the city jail in July 2010 but that apparently nothing has changed.

He predicted the Police Department will investigate its own and determine that the officers followed the restraint policy.

"Perhaps the restraint policy needs to be changed," Tyler said.

I suspect that the next thing we hear from this case will be a lawsuit filed by Mr. Ashley's family.

Taser Autopsy of Kevin Campbell Claims Death Caused by 'Cocaine-Related Excited Delirium'

The powers-that-be in Tallahassee claim that the 50,000 volts of electricity shot into the body of Kevin Campbell wasn't the cause of his death back in April. The autopsy report of Kevin Campbell noted the presence of cocaine in Campbell’s blood, urine, and brain, as well as significantly elevated body temperature. The medical examiner ruled the cause of death as “cocaine-related excited delirium.”

I'm not the only one who doubts that excited delirium is a legitimate cause of death in these taser-related deaths.

Taser Autopsy: Otto Kolberg (Waycross, GA)

The powers-that-be down in Waycross (GA) are trying to convince themselves and the public that 55-year old Otto Kolberg died from injuries in a truck crash and not from the 50,000 volts of electricity that were pumped into him from a Ware County sheriff's deputy's Taser.

The preliminary results from an autopsy are being widely released to mitigate the fault of the taser in this man's death.

"The preliminary results show Mr. Kolberg died due to injuries consistent with the car wreck. Those results also indicate the Taser didn't have any effect in causing his death," said Russell Mansfield, special agent in charge of the GBI office in Douglas, which is handling the investigation.

Read the rest of the Florida Times-Union article on this taser-related death.

Taser Autopsy: Rodney Brown (Cleveland, OH)

I think it is fair to say that most county coroners have a great deal of 'book sense' and very little 'commonsense'.

Commonsense tells me that 40-year old Rodney Brown would have been alive to see the new year if his path hadn't crossed the path of taser-wielding Cleveland police officers on December 31, 2010.

'Book sense' tells the Cuyahoga County coroner's office that 50,000 volts of electricity from a taser gun had nothing to do with Rodney Brown's death. [SOURCE]

Brown died of "cardiopulmonary arrest following physical exertion during law enforcement activity," spokesman Powell Caesar said.

Contributing factors were "hypertensive cardiovascular disease" and "chronic pulmonary disease," Caesar said.

Villagers will recall that unidentified police officers stopped Brown's car near his home for a traffic offense on 12/31/2010. Brown lost his cool and ran from the officers. They caught up to him less than two blocks away ... and they electrocuted him with a taser gun. Brown was rushed to University Hospitals, where he was pronounced dead later that evening.

Brown's family criticized the use of force after a traffic offense. They said he was shocked at least twice. There were no warrants for his arrest.

The city's Use of Deadly Force and Integrity Control teams have not yet completed their investigations.

Mississippi Coroner Signs Off on Frederick Jermaine Carter's Autopsy Results

Dr. Adel Shaker

Soulclap to W.E. A.L.L. B.E. for breaking news about the imminent release of the autopsy results in the hanging death of Frederick Jermaine Carter.  Dr. Adel Shaker, the Deputy Medical Examiner for the state of Mississippi, says that he will be mailing the autopsy results to the Carter family tomorrow morning.

What is Mississippi Hiding in Frederick Jermaine Carter Lynching?

Soulclap to Ronald Herd for pointing out some tangible action that villagers can take to support the family of Frederick James Carter. Carter is the 26-year old African American found hanging from an oak tree in Greenwood, Mississippi back in December 2010. Prior to his death, Carter’s stepfather, a painter, said he and Carter were working in Greenwood and that Carter wandered off after he was instructed to go and get some tools.


The county sheriff ruled the death a suicide and most white folks in Mississippi agreed with him. These folks note that Carter had spent eight months in the state mental hospital in 2008, and tried to kill himself by drug overdose and cutting himself.

Most Black folks in Mississippi disagree. After all, Greenwood is about 12 miles from Money, Miss., the place where 14-year old Emmett Till was lynched after he allegedly made remarks to a white woman.

I don't know the truth. I do know that it is not a good sign to learn that the autopsy of Carter's body has not been publicly released yet. The first autopsy was completed by a local political hack -- Leflore County coroner Debra Sanders. The second autopsy was completed by a competent medical examiner from out-of-state. The second autopsy cannot be released to the public until the first one has been released.

What is Leflore County and the state of Mississippi hiding from us? If the death was truly a suicide then you have to wonder why they aren't releasing the autopsy results to the public?





Here is where 'villagers' come in.  Please let Gov. Haley Barbour know you want the first autopsy results officially released so that the truth can finally come out:

Phone:   

1-877-405-0733 or 601-359-3150

Mailing address:
P.O. Box 139
Jackson, Mississippi 39205

E-mail:  

governor@governor.state.ms.us
 

Also contact the U.S. Department of Justice:
 

By Mail:
Correspondence to the Department, including the Attorney General, may be sent to:
U.S. Department of Justice
950 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20530-0001
 

By Phone:
Department of Justice Main Switchboard - 202-514-2000
Office of the Attorney General Public Comment Line - 202-353-1555
 

E-Mail:
AskDOJ@usdoj.gov

Please visit http://www.andjusticeforus.org/ for future updates.

Taser Autopsy: Coroner Says Death of Philadelphia Teenager Was 'Accidental' | Being Tased Twice Did Not Cause His Death

Powers-That-Be in Philadelphia found a way to work their magic on the taser-related death of 18-year-old Patrick Johnson. Johnson was shot with 50,000 volts of electricity TWICE by unidentified police officers. Yet the city's Medical Examiner ruled that his October 2010 death was ruled accidental.

The coroner tells us that Patrick Johnson died from right ventricular cardiomyopathy -- a form of heart disease. [SOURCE]
 
Villagers, it is difficult for me to believe that Johnson would have died that day if the police didn't put two taser shots into his young body. It boggles the mind to think that his heart disease would have kicked in on that very same October day if the police never arrived to 'help'.

The coroner indicates that the shocks were a factor in the teen's death and could have kick started the heart condition but were only a factor -- not a cause of death -- for Johnson.


A young, mentally-challenged man is dead and nobody is responsible? It was an accident? Mind-boggling!?!

Taser Autopsy: Adam Colliers Tased, Unresponsive and Dead; Coroner Says His Death Was 'Accidental'

Am I the only one who thinks that doctors seem like they enjoy peeing in our face and calling it 'rain'? That's what it feels like whenever I hear a coroner use some bogus condition like 'excited delirium' to excuse an extra-judicial electrocution by a police officer.

Villagers may recall that Adams Colliers, 25, was unarmed and non-violent when police received a 911 call. Colliers was running up and down the street. He was acting strange, however, he hadn't touched anyone. Sheriff’s Deputy Ian Whipple arrived first. Deputy Bryson McGee arrived next. McGee fired his Taser, which made contact with Colliers’ body, according to the search warrant. McGee said Colliers became unresponsive, and he and Whipple started CPR. CPR didn't work as Colliers died moments later.

The guy gets tased ... and within moments he's dead. Nothing accidental about it.


The Snohomish County Medical Examiner's office sees it differently. They claim that Colliers had acute methamphetamine intoxication and likely had excited delirium as well. The manner of death was ruled an accident.

Colliers’ death remains under investigation by the Snohomish County Multiple Agency Response Team. Hopefully, they will understand that an unarmed and non-violent Colliers should not be dead. The fact that he *is* dead is not an 'accident' ... it is criminal!

What say u?

Taser Autopsy: Coroner Unsure if Taser Contributed to Death of Curtis Robinson

The family of Curtis Robinson is still seeking answers. The coroner indicates in his report that there is no way to tell if the multiple jolts from the taser of an unidentified Albuquerque police officer contributed to his death.







The most recent autopsy reveals that while the manner of death is still undetermined the cause was due to cocaine intoxication. Unidentified Albuquerque police officers say they were forced to use their taser on him after he became violent with them. They thought that Robinson was under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

According to police, officers approached Robinson back in June after seeing him slamming a young child, who turned out to be his 3-year-old daughter, against the dashboard of a car he had just crashed into a pole.

Robinson fell ill later on June 11 and died the next day.

An autopsy conducted in June did not provide enough evidence to determine the cause of death.

Taser Autopsy: Coroner Rules that Death of Edmund Gutierrez is 'Homicide'

Edmund Gutierrez will never celebrate his 23rd birthday.  He died on July 5th after a violent struggle with Imperial (CA) police officers.  The autopsy report labels Gutierrez's death as a homicide.  The question that needs to be answered by the local district attorney is whether this homicide will lead to criminal charges against the unidentified Imperial police officer who pulled the trigger.

The autopsy report says the cause of death was “agitated behavior associated with alcohol and marijuana intake needing restraint and other unknown factors.”  The report also details significant blunt force trauma to Gutierrez. It mentions multiple abrasions and contusions to Gutierrez’s face, mouth, abdomen, back, arms and legs.

The report also reveals that there were eleven marks consistent with police baton marks on Gutierrez’s legs.

The police are quick to point out that had a blood alcohol level of 0.16, which is twice the legal limit. The toxicology report also showed that Gutierrez had marijuana in his system.

Friends and family continue to seek justice for Gutierrez. They are upset about the lack of journalistic reporting on his death.   They hope that the release of this autopsy report will bring them closer to justice and truth.   You can learn more on the Justice for Gutierrez Facebook page.

Taser Autopsy: Coroner Says Freddie Lee Lockett Died from Drugs (Not Six Taser Shots?)

Freddie Lee Lockett, 30, was killed on September 12 after being electrocuted ... not once ... not twice ... but on six separate occasions by unidentified police officers. Seems simple enough. It seems that pumping 300,000 volts of electricity into a person who dies 21 minutes later is a simple 'cause and effect'.

Not so fast my friends!


The Dallas County Medical Examiner’s Office says toxic levels of cocaine, PCP and Ecstasy caused the death of Lockett after Dallas police electrocuted him with a Taser.

Lockett's family sees it differently. They feel that the police murdered him.

Taser Autopsy: Coroner Says Dennis Sandras Died of Accidental Overdose

The cover-up of another taser-related death continues in Houma, Louisiana. The death of 49-year old Dennis Sandras in August was determined to be an accidental overdose, and not due to a Taser's shock.

Sandras died at Terrebonne General Medical Center after two officers, Nicholas Pellegrin and Coty Knoblock, shocked him twice with a Taser. However, Gary Alford, senior investigator at the coroner's office, says that the cause of death was not due to the Taser, but rather an accidental overdose.

“The Taser didn't faze him due to the amount of drugs in his system,” said Alford.

Alford wouldn't say what type of drugs were found in Sandras' system.

Police attempted to arrest Sandras after getting a call that a man was jumping off of roofs at St. Francis de Sales Cathedral and school. Police say Sandras was shocked after acting combative.

Some villagers may wonder why I consider this coroner statement to be part of a cover-up. My understanding is that overdoses happen immediately after taking the drug and its very uncommon for someone that has the energy to be jumping off of roofs to be on any kind of drug that would kill them.

Taser Autopsy: Coroner Rules 'Homicide' in Death of Andrew Torres

The Greenville County coroner's office said that the death of 39-year old Andrew Torres was a homicide. On Aug. 9, two Greenville police officers went to the home of Andrew Torres to serve him with involuntary commitment papers when police said he became combative. Officers said they eventually were forced to kill Torres with their taser guns. Torres was electrocuted with multiple taser attacks, was winded after officers subdued him and became unresponsive about 10 minutes later.
Andrew Torres died from a cardiac arrhythmia as a result of having an enlarged heart, the use of Tasers and the physical strain of tussling with police, Coroner Park Evans said. [see VIDEO]

Evans said Tuesday that the use of Tasers "certainly would have added to the stress and strain he was under that brought on the lethal event." Another factor was a physical altercation in which Torres wrestled with police as they tried to take him to the hospital for evaluation.

"One (of those things) in itself would probably not be a cause for his demise, but when the combination came together it caused his death," said Evans.

The findings have been forwarded to the State Law Enforcement Division and the solicitor's office to decide if charges will be filed against the officers, Dale Dirton, Kevin Hill and Eric Koepke. The officers involved have been on administrative leave since Torres' death.

Andrew Torres' brother, Frank, says that his sisters heard an officer tell emergency medical personnel that their brother was stunned six times.

Family members have said in a written statement that doctors struggled to find the right medicine for Andrew Torres, and that it was sometimes necessary to have him involuntarily committed.

Three officers charged his door to force it open, and one of them reached inside to "blindly" stun him with a Taser, sending Torres into a panic, family members have said.

Family members said they don't hold anything against the officers, but that using force caused the situation to escalate unnecessarily.

Frank Torres said the family wants more training for officers, citing an almost identical previous situation in which 45 minutes of negotiation helped de-escalate the confrontation.

Greenville police are getting new training on dealing with the mentally ill after the death of a man stunned by officers with Tasers. Chief Terri Wilfong told multiple media outlets Wednesday that her officers will get up to 40 hours of crisis intervention training. [SOURCE]

Taser Autopsy: Coroner Says Phyllis Owens Died From 50,000-volt Jolt

I suppose that 100% of the deaths in America can be classified as 'heart stopped ticking'. Dr. Larry Lewman, Oregon State medical examiner, says that 87-year old Phyllis Owens died of "chronic heart disease" after he completed her autopsy.

Of course, Dr. Lewman, clarified a little when he added that the manner of death for the octogenarian, who had a pacemaker since 2007, was receiving a 50,000-volt jolt from a Taser fired by a Clackamas County sheriff's deputy. [SOURCE]

"The cause of her death is hypertensive cardio-vascular disease," Lewman said. "But it occurred because of the electric stun gun, which probably intercepted a pacemaker wire."

The two deputies involved in this taser-killing are Steve Shelly and Alan Alderman. Both were placed on administrative leave after the July 8 homicide.

Owens was shot with a Taser after about 15 minutes of negotiations, during which Owens was waving a pellet gun replica of a firearm.

At one point, deputies convinced Owens to put down the pellet gun, which she laid on her porch railing. But when Deputy Alderman advanced toward her, she reached for the pellet gun again.

The other deputy, Steve Shelly, believing Owens was reaching for a handgun, electrocuted her with a Taser. Owens died shortly afterwards.

I guess I need to see a photo of a "pellet gun replica" to understand how trained police officers can't tell the difference between it and a real gun.


Also, I have to wonder what the rush was for these officers. They killed Mrs. Owens after talking with her for 15 minutes? Was their coffee getting cold in the police car? She was contained on the front porch of her own home. These two 'Barney Fife' deputies couldn't wait and talk longer with her ... giving her a chance to calm down?

Anyhow, the next step in this process belongs to the Clackamas County District Attorney's Office. They are reviewing the case to determine if criminal charges will be brought against either of the two police officers.

Taser Autopsy: Denver Coroner Rules 'Homicide' in Taser-Related Killing of Marvin Booker

The Denver Coroner has ruled that the July 9 death of an inmate at the new jail was the result of HOMICIDE.

Marvin Booker was being processed on a charge of possession of drug paraphernalia when he got into a scuffle with jail deputies. He was killed with a Taser gun shot at him by unidentified prison guards while being held to the floor.

Other inmates said Booker, 56, was then carried to the holding cell and dropped face first. He never recovered.

The coroner's finding means simply that another human being caused Booker's death instead of natural causes, suicide or an accident. It is not the coroner's role to determine who might have caused the death, or whether the homicide was justifiable.

The coroner ruled Booker's death was caused by "cardiorespiratory arrest during physical restraint." The coroner said deputies had their body weight on Booker's back continuously for four minutes while he was face down and put him in a "sleeper hold" for more than two minutes while shocking him with a Taser for 8 seconds.

An investigation is ongoing into the actions of the jail deputies who scuffled with Booker. Five deputies were placed on paid administrative leave.

Inmates who witnessed the event said Booker was trying to retrieve his shoes a short distance away when a jail deputy ordered him to immediately go to the holding cell. When he refused and tried to explain, he pushed the deputy and then was held down as several others dove on top of him, according to the witnesses.

A video captured the struggle, but has not been released while the investigation is underway. The coroner's report describes what is on the video, which confirms the inmates' accounts of the homicide.

"When he turned to return to the holding area for his shoes, the booking officer called him towards and isolation cell, and when he failed to come to her, she went to the holding area and placed her arms on his. He swung his arms to shake her off," the coroner's report says.

"The booking deputy was joined by three other officers who forced the decedent first to a chair, and then face down on the floor. Two officers struggled to cuff his hands behind his back; another tried to control his legs; a fourth lay across his upper back and applied a carotid "sleeper" hold around his neck.

"The decedent continued to resist, and the officer applying the neck hold requested a Taser. A fifth officer applied the Taser to his leg and discharged it for 8 seconds. The decedent ceased resisting shortly after the use of the Taser."

The sleeper hold was applied to him for two minutes and 30 seconds, but deputies said it was released intermittently to check whether Booker was still resisting.

After Booker was placed face down in the holding cell, a deputy remained on his back for another 90 seconds to two minutes.

A short time later, another deputy saw he was not breathing and began CPR.

Folks in Denver know that this man was done wrong. The powers-that-be know it as well. They are holding onto their videotape evidence of the electrocution in much the same way that Los Angeles Police Department never wanted the public to see the Rodney King video.

I sense that one or more of the five jailhouse deputies who killed Marvin Booker will be charged with a crime. What say u?

Taser Autopsy: Coroner Lists Death of Michael Ford as 'Accidental'

The Oakland County Medical Examiner completed their autopsy of 50-year old Michael Ford. Villagers may recall that Ford was taken off life support earlier this week after a confrontation with Livonia Police Department that resulted in a taser gun being used on him. After being tased ... Ford violently hit his head on the ground. The coroner says that the cause of death was the blunt force head injury ... an accident ... not the use of the taser. [SOURCE]

Livonia Police Deputy Chief Curtis Caid jumped all over the coroner's decision to put distance between the actions of his officers and the death:

“We extend our sympathies to the Ford family for their loss,” he said, but “claims that police used extensive force are proven to be inaccurate by the results of the autopsy, by the medical records and the hospital.”

He said Ford was not beaten as has been alleged by family members, and that if Ford had listened to police, the incident would have been a non-event.

Police said Ford was electrocuted with a taser gun when he approached a police cruiser. They said he ignored commands to drop to the ground and believed he had knives in each hand.

At this point we have no independent confirmation that any weapons were found on Ford ... much less "knives in each hand". The unidentifed officer who killed Ford is currently on desk duty.

Vervena Johnson, a friend of Ford’s, said he was a special person and not at all like he’s been portrayed.

“He was one of the sweetest, nicest people you could meet,” she said.

Taser Autopsy * Was It Drugs or Taser That Killed Edward Stevenson (Leavenworth KS)?

The powers-that-be in Leavenworth, Kansas don't want to be liable for multi-million dollar lawsuits or potential criminal charges for their extra-judicial electrocution of 46-year old Edward Stevenson. They are trying to get the public to look elsewhere for the cause of his death.

A preliminary autopsy report says Edwards, who died while in police custody, was under the influence of cocaine and had underlying health problems. The autopsy also found that Stevenson had an enlarged heart and the altercation with police may have been secondary contributing factors in his death.

Leavenworth Police Chief Pat Kitchens wants us to know that Stevenson may have been under the influence of alcohol and opiates. [SOURCE]

I encourage villagers to use a little commonsense. Stevenson was handcuffed and sitting in the back of a police cruiser. He would be alive today if unidentified Leavenworth police officers didn't electrocute him three times with their taser guns. Officers eventually used physical force to subdue him ... and the man died.

The penalty for using drugs or being under the influence of alcohol should be the lost of brain cells. The penalty for such an offense is not supposed to be the DEATH PENALTY. The powers-that-be in Leavenworth hope that you won't use commonsense as you analyze this taser-related death ... one of 90 such deaths over the past 85 weeks.

What say u?

Taser Autopsy: Death of 17-Year Old William Owens Ruled a 'Homicide'

A 17-year old African American child died after being electrocuted mulitple times by the taser gun of an unidentified white Homewood (AL) police officer. The Jefferson County Coroner's Office ruled that the taser was part of the reason that the young man died.

Chief Deputy Coroner Pat Curry classified the cause of death as "sequelae of confrontation of Taser use." The manner of death is classified as a homicide. [SOURCE]

The pre-existing condition, combined with the stress of the events including the 50,000 volts of electricity from the taser gun, all worked together to end in his death. Absent one link in the chain events, whether that be the struggle with police, the taser gun or the heart condition, Owens may or may not have died, Curry said

"The totality of the circumstance killed him," Curry said.

Owens died June 14. He was struck by a Homewood police officer's Taser after lawmen caught him and three of his cousins, including a 12-year-old, allegedly breaking into cars at Herzing University just before 1 a.m. Police said Owens was struck with the taser after the teen repeatedly resisted arrest. [NOTE: I'm fairly certain that there is no death penalty for 'repeatedly resisting arrest'.]

The case is under investigation by the Alabama Bureau of Investigation, the Homewood Police and the Jefferson County District Attorney's Office.

District Attorney Brandon Falls said he wanted to withhold comment until completion of the investigation.

The Homewood Police Department released this statement:

"The findings from the coroner's office are consistent with any death where the actions of one person cause the death of another. This ruling is consistent whether the actions of the remaining person(s) are direct or indirect. This finding does not reflect any misconduct on the part of Homewood officers responding to the scene. Officers on the scene acted reasonably and quickly to the circumstances surrounding this incident."

The next step in this process is to see what the District Attorney does. Not all homicides lead to criminal prosecution. Will the unidentifed police officer be charged with a crime? Or will this young man's life end without any legal recourse against the person that electrocuted him without a trial?

Taser Autopsy: Death of Anastasio Hernandez is 'Unclear'

I have to admit that I often think that doctors aren't much more different than witch doctors. Both professions seem to guess without any real answers. San Diego medical examiner Glenn Wagner did the autopsy on 42-year old Anastasio Hernandez ... a man tasered-to-death by unidentified US Border Patrol agents.

He says that he still can't tell what caused the death of Hernandez.

Wagner's autopsy report characterizes Hernandez' methamphetamine blood level of 0.16 milligrams per liter as acute but lists it as only one of several potential causes. He says it's also unclear how much blame to assign to the taser gun, Hernandez' agitated state and the position in which he was restrained by law enforcement officers.

It appears that we will have to wait for the legal system to determine who is responsible for the death of the 42-year-old father of five U.S.-born children came to the U.S. when he was 14.

Taser Autopsy: Death of Efrain Carrion is Ruled 'Excited Delirium'

The autopsy of 35-year old Efrain Carrion is complete. Villagers may recall that this is the man police say was acrobatic enough to get loose from five officers (Sgt. James Prokop, K-9 Handler Doug Clark and officers William Hertler, Chris Lundberg and Elias Martz), a K-9 police dog and two handcuffs that held his arms behind his back. Yep ... this man was the 'Houdini' of Middletown CT. The police felt a need to electrocute him multiple times with their taser guns in his own backyard.

Anyhow, the medical examiner indicates that the cause of death is “excited delirium”.

The term isn't one recognized by the American Medical Association and has become controversial because excited delirium is most often listed as a cause of death in cases where someone died after being electrocuted with a taser gun.

The co-chairman of the legislature's Judiciary Committee, state Rep. Michael P. Lawlor, says he can't recall another case in Connecticut where excited delirium has been listed as the cause of death.

"Whether that's a diagnosis or a cause of death, I don't know," says Lawlor. "I'm not a doctor, but I have not heard of this as a cause of death before [in Connecticut]."

Some activists claim the term is being used to cover up cases where police have used excessive force, particularly when an incident involved the use of a Taser.

The Middletown Police Chief is hiding behind the finding by the medical examiner.

“Tasers are very safe if used properly. They are designed to minimize any injury to individuals and injury to police officers. It eliminates the need to use a nightstick or police dogs that can bite and harm someone. Absolutely nothing at the time indicates any wrong-doing done by the officers,” acting Middletown Police Chief Patrick McMahon said. “I think the medical examiner’s findings speak for themselves.”

Of course, there is another point of view from a witness at the scene of this prejudicial electrocution. Eunice Barrientos told reporters she called police to calm down her brother, Efrain Carrion who was acting irrational, but she never expected them to taser him to death.

“They just tasered him and tasered him and let the dog chew him up,” the Middletown woman said.

She said after the officers were finished tasering her brother, they kicked him down the stairs as they were taking him out of the apartment.






My understanding is that the family will file a 'wrongful death' lawsuit against the city and the police officers. The Connecticut State Police Eastern District Major Crime Squad is currently still under investigation.

Villagers ... what are your thoughts about this taser-related killing?