Taser Death: Ronald Eugene Cobbs (Greensboro, NC)

It happened again! This time we learn that an inmate in the Guilford County Jail died after a detention officer used a Taser on him during a scuffle inside the jail on August 18. [SOURCE]

Ronald Eugene Cobbs, 38, of Greensboro, was being held in the jail on charges of kidnapping, armed robbery and a probation violation. Cobbs was pronounced dead at a local hospital.

The police say that Cobbs resisted and assaulted a detention officer when the officer was trying to recover contraband in Cobbs' cell. An unnamed officer physically attempted to make Cobbs comply and thought it would be a good idea to pump Cobbs with 50,000 volts from a Taser gun.

Cobbs was then restrained, handcuffed and shackled. When Cobbs became unconscious the officers realized that they messed up big time. They rushed Cobbs to the hospital ... but, it was too late.

Sheriff BJ Barnes of Guilford County said that Cobbs' death is a sad event.

"I hate it for the family and for the officers," Barnes said. "I want the public to know and have confidence that everything was done that should have been done and the investigation will show exactly what happened."

The sheriff appears to have no compassion for the family of the dead man. He appears to have been a bad guy ... however, the penalty for being disrespectful to a prison guard ain't death.

This is the 31st taser-related death in America this year. I still think that something is seriously wrong with the current taser policy in our country. Something is wrong when our law enforcement officials are killing an average of one person per week with these so-called 'non-lethal' weapons.

It is popular to blame the deaths on the victims. However, the excuse that I keep hearing is basically, 'Shyt Happens'.

Villagers ... This continual killing is unacceptable ... especially when we see that over 40% of these taser deaths are African American men. I renew my call for congressional hearings on these taser-torture deaths. Please sign our online petition to support this call to action!

Taser Death: Johnathan Michael Nelson (Riverside County, CA)

27-year-old inmate Jonathan Michael Nelson died last month after deputies had used a Taser on him for the second time within 24 hours. [SOURCE]

Nelson had been arrested on suspicion of resisting an officer. According to the police, when deputies arrived and contacted Nelson, he tried to run, and deputies quickly chased him down, tackled him and shocked him with a Taser.

Nelson was taken to Hemet Valley Medical Center and later released for booking at the Southwest Detention Center in French Valley. Nelson was placed in a holding cell but when he tried to harm himself early Thursday by hitting the cell door and banging his head, deputies moved him to a padded "safety" cell, according to police.

As deputies left the cell, Nelson became aggressive toward them and grabbed the leg of one, Lujan said. Deputies restrained him and shocked him with a Taser, according to police.

Nelson "became nonresponsive" and first aid was administered, a sheriff's news release said. He was taken by ambulance to Rancho Springs Community Hospital in Murrieta where he was pronounced dead at 3:15 am on July 30, 2009.

Deputies said Nelson's behavior had been "bizarre," as if he were on drugs or had a mental problem, Lujan said. But investigators will not know if drugs were involved until they receive the results of toxicology tests.

Reached by phone at Nelson's Rancho Cucamonga home Friday, his godmother, Helen Baca, said the family had little information about what happened and did not know what Nelson was doing in Sage.

"It's an awful lot to process," Baca said. "This is a devastating loss."

Baca said family members learned Nelson had been arrested and his 19-year-old brother went to an animal shelter to pick up his dog, which was with Nelson when he was taken into custody. Coroner's officials notified him at the animal shelter that his brother had died, Baca said.

Baca said Nelson was employed as a truck driver but was off work that day. Baca said she was unaware of any medical problems that he might have had and said that while he had used drugs in the past, she had no reason to think he still did.

Nelson was a big man -- 6-foot-2, 340 pounds, according to booking information.

"He is a gentle giant," said his mother, Charlene Nelson. "He's a big guy, but he's kind. He's got a big heart."

Nelson said she doubts deputies' claims that he was being violent.

"I just don't believe it," she said. "I think they're trying to cover something."