Taser Death: David Werblow (Branford, CT)

Unidentified Branford Police Department officers used their tasers to kill an unarmed 41-year old man, David Werblow, in front of his home on March 15. [SOURCE]  Werblow's neighbors indicate that he was tased by police at least three times.

Police arrived at the scene as a result of a 911 call earlier in the evening reporting a disturbance at this residence. When they arrived Werblow was walking down the street of his neighborhood. There is no indication that anyone was in harm's way. The victim was unarmed. After the tasers were used the police placed him in handcuffs ... he was pronounced at Yale-New Haven Hospital.

The American Civil Liberties Union said in 2014 that since 2005 at least 14 people have died in the state after police deployed a Taser stun gun on them.

The ACLU released a statement on Monday regarding the Branford incident, saying while they don’t have any details on the incident, it “reinforces the need for oversight mechanisms associated with Tasers.” The release said the organization will seek any available video and documentary evidence as well as accounts of what happened.

634 Taser-Related Deaths in the United States Since 2001

Today we added 54-year old Macario Garcia (Pleasanton, TX) as the 283rd taser-related death in America since 2009. [NOTE: the full list is shown below].

According to Amnesty International, between 2001 and 2008, 351 people in the United States died after being shocked by police Tasers. Our blog has documented another 283 taser-related deaths in the United States in 2009-2014. That means there have been 634 documented taser-related deaths in America.

This blog has been pointing out incidents of police taser torture for quite awhile. The work done over the past few years by Patti Gillman and Cameron Ward continue to be the inspiration for our work. Gillman and Ward documented over 869 taser-related deaths in North America on their blog.

I wonder if anyone cares about the rising use of the taser as a lethal weapon?  At least we know that the Department of Justice cares.  They issued a report about the pattern of abuse against the mentally ill in Portland that included the frequent, unnecessary use of Tasers.   Recent deaths have begun to reignite the debate on taser torture.   They are protesting in Phoenix, Arizona and the ACLU says that taser policies are ineffective in Iowa.

On the other hand, I think that something is wrong in America when the police electrocute folks on a WEEKLY basis with their taser arsenal ... and the public is mute in its response. Cops are so liberal with their use of the taser that a blind man isn't safe! Sometimes it takes a lawsuit ... like the one recently settled in Ohio ... to get the police to cool it.  The police in Cincinnati, Ohio took the hint ... they changed their taser policy!  The top cop in Georgia thinks it is time to get more training.   The police chief in Dallas purchased taser guns that he thinks will be safer.

I encourage you to use our COMMENTS ('Post a Comment') option at the bottom of this blog post to let us know what you think about these weekly taser-related killings.

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1. Jan 9, 2009: Derrick Jones, 17, Black, Martinsville, Virginia
2. Jan 11, 2009: Rodolfo Lepe, 31, Hispanic, Bakersfield, California
3. Jan 22, 2009: Roger Redden, 52, Caucasian, Soddy Daisy, Tennessee-
4. Feb 2, 2009: Garrett Jones, 45, Caucasian, Stockton, California
5. Feb 11, 2009: Richard Lua, 28, Hispanic, San Jose, California
6. Feb 13, 2009: Rudolph Byrd, 37, Black, Thomasville, Georgia
7. Feb 13, 2009: Michael Jones, 43, Black, Iberia, Louisiana
8. Feb 14, 2009: Chenard Kierre Winfield, 32, Black, Los Angeles, California
9. Feb 28, 2009: Robert Lee Welch, 40, Caucasian, Conroe, Texas
10. Mar 22, 2009: Brett Elder, 15, Caucasian, Bay City, Michigan
11. Mar 26, 2009: Marcus D. Moore, 40, Black, Freeport, Illinois
12. Apr 1, 2009: John J. Meier Jr., 48, Caucasian, Tamarac, Florida
13. Apr 6, 2009: Ricardo Varela, 41, Hispanic, Fresno, California
14. Apr 10, 2009: Robert Mitchell, 16, Black, Detroit, Michigan
15. Apr 13, 2009: Craig Prescott, 38, Black, Modesto, California
16. Apr 16, 2009: Gary A. Decker, 50, Black, Tuscon, Arizona
17. Apr 18, 2009: Michael Jacobs Jr., 24, Black, Fort Worth, Texas
18. Apr 30, 2009: Kevin LaDay, 35, Black, Lumberton, Texas
19. May 4, 2009: Gilbert Tafoya, 53, Caucasian, Holbrook, Arizona
20. May 17, 2009: Jamaal Valentine, 27, Black, La Marque, Texas
21. May 23, 2009: Gregory Rold, 37, Black, Salem, Oregon
22. Jun 9, 2009: Brian Cardall, 32, Caucasian, Hurricane, Utah
23. Jun 13, 2009: Dwight Madison, 48, Black, Bel Air, Maryland
24. Jun 20, 2009 Derrek Kairney, 36, Caucasian, South Windsor, Connecticut
25. Jun 30, 2009, Shawn Iinuma, 37, Asian, Fontana, California
26. Jul 2, 2009, Rory McKenzie, 25, Black, Bakersfield, California
27. Jul 20, 2009, Charles Torrence, 35, Caucasian, Simi Valley, California
28. Jul 30, 2009, Johnathan Michael Nelson, 27, Caucasian, Riverside County, California
29. Aug 9, 2009, Terrace Clifton Smith, 52, Black, Moreno Valley, California
30. Aug 12, 2009, Ernest Ridlehuber, 53, Race: Unknown, Greenville, South Carolina
31. Aug 14, 2009, Hakim Jackson, 31, Black, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
32. Aug 18, 2009, Ronald Eugene Cobbs, 38, Black, Greensboro, North Carolina
33. Aug 20, 2009, Francisco Sesate, 36, Hispanic, Mesa, Arizona
34. Aug 22, 2009, T.J. Nance, 37, Race: Unknown, Arizona City, Arizona
35. Aug 26, 2009, Miguel Molina, 27, Hispanic, Los Angeles, California
36. Aug 27, 2009, Manuel Dante Dent, 27, Hispanic, Modesto, California
37. Sep 3, 2009, Shane Ledbetter, 38, Caucasian, Aurora, Colorado
38. Sep 16, 2009, Alton Warren Ham, 45, Caucasian, Modesto, California
39. Sep 19, 2009, Yuceff W. Young II, 21, Black, Brooklyn, Ohio
40. Sep 21, 2009, Richard Battistata, 44, Hispanic, Laredo, Texas
41. Sep 28, 2009, Derrick Humbert, 38, Black, Bradenton, Florida
42. Oct 2, 2009, Rickey Massey, 38, Black, Panama City, Florida
43. Oct 12, 2009, Christopher John Belknap, 36, Race: Unknown, Ukiah, California
44. Oct 16, 2009, Frank Cleo Sutphin, 19, Caucasian, San Bernadino, California
45. Oct 27, 2009, Jeffrey Woodward, 33, Caucasian, Gallatin, Tennessee
46. Nov 13, 2009, Herman George Knabe, 58, Caucasian, Corpus Christi, Texas
47. Nov 14, 2009, Darryl Bain, 43, Black, Coram, New York
48. Nov 16, 2009, Matthew Bolick, 30, Caucasian, East Grand Rapids, Michigan
49. Nov 19, 2009, Jesus Gillard, 61, Black, Bloomfield Hills, Michigan
50. Nov 21, 2009, Ronald Petruney, 49, Caucasian, Washington, Pennsylvania
51. Nov 27, 2009, Eddie Buckner, 53, Caucasian, Chattanooga, Tennessee
52. Dec 11, 2009, Andrew Grande, 33, Caucasian, Oak County, Florida
53. Dec 11, 2009, Hatchel Pate Adams III, 36, Black, Hampton, Virginia
54. Dec 11, 2009, Paul Martin Martinez, 36, Hispanic, Roseville, California
55. Dec 13, 2009, Douglas Boucher, 39, Caucasian, Mason, Ohio
56. Dec 14, 2009, Linda Hicks, 62, Black, Toledo, Ohio
57. Dec 19, 2009, Preston Bussey III, 41, Black, Rockledge, Florida
58. Dec 20, 2009, Michael Hawkins, 39, Caucasian, Springfield, Missouri
59. Dec 30, 2009, Stephen Palmer, 47, Race: Unknown, Stamford, Connecticut

60. Jan 6, 2010, Delano Smith, 21, Black, Elkhart, Indiana
61. Jan 17, 2010, William Bumbrey III, 36, Black, Arlington, Virginia
62. Jan 20, 2010, Kelly Brinson, 45, Black, Cincinnati, Ohio
63. Jan 27, 2010, Joe Spruill, Jr., Black, Goldsboro, North Carolina
64. Jan 28, 2010, Patrick Burns, 50, Caucasian, Sangamon County, Illinois
65. Jan 28, 2010, Daniel Mingo, 25, Black, Mobile, Alabama
66. Feb 4, 2010, Mark Morse, 36, Caucasian, Phoenix, Arizona
67. Mar 4, 2010, Roberto Olivo, 33, Hispanic, Tulare, California
68. Mar 5, 2010, Christopher Wright, 48, Black, Seattle, Washington
69. Mar 10, 2010, Jaesun Ingles, 31, Black, Midlothian, Illinois
70. Mar 10, 2010, James Healy Jr., 44, Race: Unknown, Rhinebeck, New York
71. Mar 20, 2010, Albert Valencia, 31, Hispanic, Downey, California
72. Apr 10, 2010, Daniel Joseph Barga, 24, Caucasian, Cornelius, Oregon
73. Apr 30, 2010, Adil Jouamai, 32, Moroccan, Arlington, Virginia
74. May 9, 2010, Audreacus Davis, 29, Black, Atlanta, Georgia
75. May 14, 2010, Sukeba Olawunmi, 39, Black, Atlanta, Georgia
76. May 24, 2010, Efrain Carrion, 35, Hispanic, Middletown, Connecticut
77. May 27, 2010, Carl Johnson, 48, Caucasian, Baltimore, Maryland
78. May 29, 2010, Jose Martinez, 53, Hispanic, Waukegan, Illinois
79. May 31, 2010, Anastasio Hernández Rojas, 42, Hispanic, San Ysidro, California
80. Jun 8, 2010, Terrelle Houston, 22, Black, Hempstead, Texas
81. Jun 12, 2010, Curtis Robinson, 34, Black, Albuquerque, New Mexico
82. Jun 13, 2010, William Owens, 17, Black, Homewood, Alabama
83. Jun 14, 2010, Jose Alfredo Jimenez, 42, Hispanic, Harris County, Texas
84. Jun 15, 2010, Michael White, 47, Black, Vallejo, California
85. Jun 22, 2010, Daniel Sylvester, 35, Caucasian, Crescent City, California
86. July 5, 2010, Damon Falls, 31, Black, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
87. July 5, 2010, Edmund Gutierrez, 22, Hispanic, Imperial, California
88. July 8, 2010, Phyllis Owens, 87, Caucasian, Clackamas County, Oregon
89. July 9, 2010, Marvin Booker, 56, Black, Denver, Colorado
90. July 12, 2010, Anibal Rosario-Rodriguez, 61, Hispanic, New Britain, Connecticut
91. July 15, 2010, Jerome Gill, Race: Unknown, Chicago, Illinois
92. July 18, 2010, Edward Stephenson, 46, Caucasian, Leavenworth, Kansas
93. July 23, 2010, Jermaine Williams, 30, Black, Cleveland, Mississippi
94. Aug 1, 2010, Dennis Sandras, 49, Caucasian, Houma, Louisiana
95. Aug 9, 2010, Andrew Torres, 39, Hispanic, Greenville, South Carolina
96. Aug 18, 2010, Martin Harrison, 50, Caucasian, Dublin, California
97. Aug 19, 2010, Adam Disalvo, 30, Caucasian, Daytona Beach, Florida
98. Aug 20, 2010, Stanley Jackson, 31, Black, Washtenaw County, Michigan
99. Aug 24, 2010, Michael Ford, 50, Black, Livonia, Michigan
100. Aug 25, 2010, Eduardo Hernandez-Lopez, 21, Hispanic, Las Vegas, Nevada
101. Aug 31, 2010, King Hoover, 27, Black, Spanaway, Washington
102. Sep 4, 2010, Adam Colliers, 25, Caucasian, Gold Bar, Washington
103. Sep 10, 2010, Larry Rubio, 20, Caucasian, Leemore, California
104. Sep 12, 2010, Freddie Lockett, 30, Black, Dallas, Texas
105. Sep 16, 2010, Gary L. Grossenbacher, 48, Caucasian, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
106. Sep 18, 2010, David Cornelius Smith, 28, Black, Minneapolis, Minnesota
107. Sep 18, 2010, Joseph Frank Kennedy, 48, Caucasian, La Mirada, California
108. Oct 4, 2010, Javon Rakestrau, 28, Black, Lafayette Parish, Louisiana
109. Oct 7, 2010, Patrick Johnson, 18, Caucasian, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
110. Oct 12, 2010, Ryan Bain, 31, Caucasian, Billings, Montana
111. Oct 14, 2010, Karreem Ali, 65, Black, Silver Spring, Maryland
112. Oct 19, 2010, Troy Hooftallen, 36, Caucasian, Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania
113. Nov 4, 2010, Eugene Lamott Allen, 40, Race: Unknown, Wilmington, Delaware
114. Nov 6, 2010, Robert Neill, Jr., 61, Caucasian, Mount Joy, Pennsylvania
115. Nov 7, 2010, Mark Shaver, 32, Caucasian, Brimfield, Ohio
116. Nov 23, 2010, Denevious Thomas, 36, Black, Albany, Georgia
117. Nov 26, 2010, Rodney Green, 36, Black, Waco, Texas
118. Nov 27, 2010, Blaine McElroy, 37, Race: Unknown, Jackson County, Mississippi
119. Dec 2, 2010, Clayton Early James, Age: Unknown, Black, Elizabeth City, North Carolina
120. Dec 11, 2010, Anthony Jones, 44, Black, Las Vegas, Nevada
121. Dec 12, 2010, Linel Lormeus, 26, Black, Naples, Florida
122. Dec 20, 2010, Christopher Knight, 35, Black, Brunswick, Georgia 
123. Dec 31, 2010, Rodney Brown, 40, Black, Cleveland, Ohio 

124. Jan 5, 2011, Kelly Sinclair, 41, Caucasian, Amarillo, Texas
125. Feb 5, 2011, Robert Ricks, 23, Black, Alexandria, Louisiana
126. Feb 24, 2011, Jermaine Sanford, 36, Race: Unknown, Los Angeles, California 
127. March 14, 2011, Christopher Davis, 36, Race: Unknown, Los Angeles, California
128. March 15, 2011, Brandon Bethea, 24, Black, Harnett County, North Carolina
129. March 17, 2011, Chris Apericio, 24, Hispanic, Las Cruces, New Mexico 
130. March 20, 2011, Dale Lee Mitchell, 34, Black, Pinellas Park, Florida
131. March 21, 2011, Jerry Perea, 38, Hispanic, Albuquerque, New Mexico 
132. March 24, 2011, Johnny Leija, 34, Hispanic, Madill, Oklahoma
133. April 3, 2011, Jairious McGhee, 23, Black, Tampa, Florida 
134.  April  4, 2011, Demetrius Johnson, 38, Black, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
135. April 9, 2011, Ervin Motley, 38, Black, Forrest City, Arkansas 
136. April 13, 2011, Casey Babovec, 30, Caucasian, Saline County, Arkansas
137. April 22, 2011, Adam Spencer Johnson, 33, Caucasian, Orlando, Florida
138. April 23, 2011, Ronald Armstrong, 43, Caucasian, Pinehurst, North Carolina
139. April 25, 2011, Kevin Darius Campbell, 39, Black, Tallahassee, Florida 
140. May 1, 2011, Marcus Brown, 26, Black, Waterbury, Connecticut
141. May 6, 2011, Matthew Mittelstadt, 56, Caucasian, Boundary County, Idaho 
142. May 6, 2011, Daniel McDonnell, 40, Caucasian, West Babylon, New York
143. May 11, 2011, Allen Kephart, 43, Caucasian, San Bernadino County, California 
144. June 13, 2011, Howard Hammon, 41, Caucasian, Middleburg, Ohio 
145. June 22, 2011, Otto Kolberg, 55, Caucasian, Waycross, Georgia 
146. June 28, 2011, Dalric East, 40, Black, Montgomery County, Maryland
147. July 5, 2011, Kelly Thomas, 37, Caucasian, Fullerton, California
148. July 10, 2011, Joshua Nossoughi, 32, Caucasian, Springfield, Missouri
149. July 19, 2011, Alonzo Ashley, 29, Black, Denver, Colorado 
150. July 21, 2011, La'Reko Williams, 21, Black, Charlotte, North Carolina 
151. July 30, 2011, Donald Murray, 39, Caucasian, Westland, Michigan
152. August 4, 2011, Pierre Abernathy, 30, Black, San Antonio, Texas
153. August 6, 2011, Everette Howard, 18, Black, Cincinnati, Ohio
154. August 6, 2011, Debro Wilkerson, 29, Black, Prince William County, Maryland
155. August 6, 2011, Gregory Kralovetz, 50, Caucasian, Kaukauna, Wisconsin 
156. August 12, 2011, Joseph Lopez, 49, Hispanic, Santa Barbara, California
157. August 17, 2011, Roger Chandler, 41, Caucasian, Helena, Montana 
158. August 21, 2011, Montalito McKissick, 37, Black, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
159. August 24, 2011, Michael Evans, 56, Race: Unknown, Fayetteville, North Carolina
160. August 30, 2011, Nicholas Koscielniak, 27, Caucasian, Lancaster, New York
161. September 11, 2011, Tyree Sinclair, 31, Black, Corpus Christi, Texas
162. September 13, 2011, Damon Barnett, 44, Caucasian, Fresno, California 
163. September 17, 2011, Richard Kokenos, 27, Caucasian, Warren, Michigan
164. September 24, 2011, Bradford Gibson, 35, Black, Mt. Pleasant, Michigan
165. September 24, 2011, Donacio Rendon, 43, Hispanic, Lubbock, Texas
166. September 29, 2011, Howard Cook, 35, Black, York, Pennsylvania
167. October 4, 2011, Glenn Norman, 46, Caucasian, Camden County, Missouri
168. October 9, 2011, Darnell Hutchinson, 32, Black, San Leandro, California
169. October 31, 2011, Chad Brothers, 32, Caucasian, Colonie, New York
170. November 6, 2011, Darrin Hanna, 43, Black, North Chicago, Illinois
171. November 13, 2011, Ronald Cristiano, 51, Caucasian, Bridgeport, Connecticut
172. November 15, 2011, Jonathan White, 29, Black, San Bernardino, California
173. November 22, 2011, Roger Anthony, 61, Black, Scotland Neck, North Carolina
174. December 16, 2011, Marty Atencio, 44, Hispanic, Phoenix, Arizona
175. December 22, 2011, Wayne Williams, 27, Black, Houma, Louisiana
176. December 25, 2011, Micah Abbey, 33, Caucasian, Reno, Nevada

177. January 2, 2012, Mario Marin, 53, Caucasian, Santa Ana, California
178. January 15, 2012, Daniel Guerra, 24, Hispanic, Ft. Worth, Texas
179. January 15, 2012, Hutalio Serrano, 43, Hispanic, Colton, California
180. January 24, 2012, Thomas Lumpkin, 57, Black, Alamance County, North Carolina 
181. January 29, 2012, Camilo Guzman, 28, Hispanic, North Miami, Florida 
182. February 10, 2012, Marius Asanachescu, 28, Caucasian, Clark County, Washington 
183. February 13, 2012, Johnnie Warren, 43, Race: Unknown, Dothan, Alabama 
184. February 16, 2012, Charmin Bennett, 30, Black, Donaldsville, Louisiana
185. February 29, 2012, Raymond Allen, 34, Black, Galveston, Texas
186. March 5, 2012, Nehemiah Dillard, 29, Black, Gainesville, Florida
187. March 12, 2012, Jersey Green, 37, Black, Aurora, Illinois 
188. March 15, 2012, Alex Martin, 24, Caucasian, Pine Valley, California
189. March 19, 2012, James Barnes, 38, Caucasian, Pinellas County, Florida
190. April 10, 2012, Bobby Merrill, 38, Black, Saginaw, Michigan
191. April 21, 2012, Angel Hiraldo, 41, Hispanic, Meriden, Connecticut 
192. April 22, 2012, Bruce Chrestensen, 52, Caucasian, Grass Valley, California
193. May 10, 2012, Damon Abraham, 34, Black, Baldwin, Louisiana
194. May 31, 2012, Randulph Rodas, 35, Hispanic, Merced, California
195. June 9, 2012, Randolph Bonvillian, 41, Caucasian, Houma, Louisiana
196. June 20, 2012, Macadam Mason, 39, Caucasian, Thetford, Vermont 
197. June 30, 2012, Victor Duffy, 25, Black, Tukwila, Washington
198. July 1, 2012, Corey McGinnis, 35, Black, Cincinnati, Ohio
199. July 5, 2012, Sampson Castellane, 29, Native American, Fife, Washington 
200. July 6, 2012, Joshua Salvato, 21, Hispanic, Ocala, Florida 
201. August 21, 2012, Jerry Nichols, 64, Caucasian, Bend, Oregon
202. September 1, 2012, Denis Chabot, 38, Caucasian, Houston, Texas 
203. September 5, 2012, Christopher Ladue, 23, Race: Unknown, Medford, Oregon
204. September 14, 2012, Bill Williams, 60, Caucasian, Everett, Washington
205. September 17, 2012, Phillip McCue, 28, Caucasian, Bangor, Maine
206. September 26, 2012, Timothy Dennis, 42, Black, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
207. October 4, 2012, Travis Maupin, 32, Caucasian, Paola, Kansas
208. October 21, 2012, Anthony Lawson, 27, Black, Corona, California 
209. October 30, 2012, Derrick Birdow, 33, Black, Forest Hill, Texas
210. November 29, 2012, Robert Maurina, 46, Caucasian, West Allis, Wisconsin
211. December 13, 2012, Philip Coleman, 38, Black, Chicago, Illinois
212. December 15, 2012, Darryll Briston, 49, Black, Washington, Pennsylvania
213. December 25, 2012, Kevin Culp, 29, Black, Richmond, Washington
214. January 1, 2013, Andrew Layton, 26, Caucasian, Mankato, Minnesota
215. January 4, 2013, Marcus Slade, 32, Black, Marshall, Texas 
216. January 17, 2013, Bruce Thomson, 49, Caucasian, Logan, Utah
217. February 4, 2013, Cody Towler, 34, Caucasian, Roswell, New Mexico 
218. February 8, 2013, Stephen MacKenzie, 54, Caucasian, Flint, Michigan 
219. February 16, 2013, Charles Baker, Jr., 30, Black, Jamestown, New York
220. February 23, 2013, Christopher Parker, 33, Caucasian, Spokane, Washington 
221. March 3, 2013, Ray McKelvey, 26, Caucasian, Canyonville, Oregon
222. March 21, 2013, Bobby Madewell, 51, Caucasian, Longview, Texas
223. March 24, 2013, Khari Illidge, 25, Black, Phenix City, Alabama
224. March 30, 2013, Lawrence Baumann, 51, Caucasian, Santa Barbara, California
225. April 5, 2013, Mark Couturier, 50, Caucasian, Los Angeles, California
226. April 10, 2013,Thomas Sadler, 45, Caucasian, Raleigh, North Carolina 
227. April 12, 2013, Rodney Evans, 42, Black, Flint, Michigan
228. April 16, 2013, Carl Ballard, 29, Black, Williamsburg County, South Carolina
229. April 19, 2013, Anthony Howard, 51, Black, Gaithersburg, Maryland
230. April 19, 2013, Anthony Firkins, 33, Caucasian,  Nampa, Idaho
231. May 2, 2013, Jayson Carmickle, 28, Caucasian, Salt Lake City, Utah
232. May 16, 2013, Jermaine Darden, 34, Black, Ft. Worth, Texas 
233. May 17, 2013, Guillermo Cedano, 44, Hispanic, Montibello, California 
234. June 2, 2013, Guy Guthrie, 55, Unknown, Conifer, Colorado
235. June 7, 2013, Will Berger, 34, Caucasian, Spokane, Washington
236. June 9, 2013, Mark Koves, 28, Caucasian, Thornton, Illinois 
237. June 9, 2013, Noel Mendoza, 43, Hispanic, Meriden, Connecticut
238. June 22, 2013, Gregory Price, 56, Caucasian, Roseburg, Oregon 
239. June 29, 2013, George Harvey, 39, Black, Augusta, Georgia
240. July 10, 2013, Gerald Altomare, 30, Caucasian, St. Cloud, Florida
241. July 11, 2013, Antonio Johnson, 40, Black, Bridgeton, Missouri
242. July 21, 2013, Deomain Hayman, 28, Black, Wilmington, Delaware 
243. July 22, 2013, Thomas Martinez, 40, Caucasian, Coralville, Iowa 
244. July 23, 2013, Jason Nalls, 40, Black, Wenatchee, Washington
245. July 24, 2013, Dainell Simmons, 29, Black, Middle Island, New York 
246. July 26, 2013, John Wrana, 95, Caucasian, Forest Park, Illinois 
247. July 29, 2013, Zheng Diao, 76, Asian, St. Louis Park, Minnesota
248. August 6, 2013, Israel Hernandez, 18, Hispanic, Miami, Florida 
249. August 21, 2013, Michael Ruiz, 44, Hispanic, Phoenix, Arizona 
250. September 2, 2013, Norman Oosterbroek, 43, Caucasian, Miami, Florida 
251. September 3, 2013, Gary Beto, 52, Caucasian, East Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
252. September 14, 2013, Jonathan Ferrell, 24, Black, Charlotte, North Carolina
253. September 22, 2013, Michael Zubrod, 39, Caucasian, Northwood, Iowa
254. October 11, 2013, Raymond Johnson, 41, Black, Moreno Valley, California
255. October 13, 2013, Brad Evans, 32, Caucasian, Starr, South Carolina 
256. October 13, 2013, Fernando Gomez, 36, Hispanic, El Paso, Texas
257. February 4, 2014, Randall Hatori, 39, Asian Pacific Islander, Kailua-Kona, Hawaii
258. February 5, 2014, Willie Sams, 21, Black, Liberty City, Florida
259. February 27, 2014, Treon 'Tree' Johnson, 27, Unknown, Hialeah, Florida 
260. February 27, 2014, Maykel Barrera, 37, Hispanic, Miami, Florida
261. April 11, 2014, Gregory Towns, 24, Black, East Point, Georgia 
262. April 13, 2014, Edward Caruth, 38, Caucasian, Phoenix, Arizona 
263. April 13, 2014, Jose Maldonado, 22, Hispanic, East Hartford, Connecticut
264. May 11, 2014, Ron Hillstrom, 44, Caucasian, University Place, Washington
265. May 14, 2014, George King, 18, Black, Baltimore, Maryland 
266. May 24, 2014, Carlos Ocana, 54, Hispanic, Los Angeles, California
267. June 7, 2014, Daniel Best, 34, Caucasian, Gilbert, Arizona
268. June 21, 2014, Dominic Graffeo, 56, Caucasian, Chelsea, Massachusetts
269. July 7, 2014, Ennis Labaux, 37, Black, LaPlace, Louisiana 
270. July 12, 2014, Ronald Hewett, 50, Caucasian, Wilmington, North Carolina
271. July 19, 2014, Francisco Rocha, 41, Hispanic, Chicago, Illinois
272. August 8,  2014, Jose Paulino, 38, Hispanic, Tamaqua, Pennsylvania
273. August 12, 2014, Dante Parker, 36, Black, Victorville, California 
274. August 20, 2014, Arvel Williams, 30, Black, Perry Hall, Maryland
275. August 24, 2014, Timothy Griffis, 35, Caucasian, Lake City, Florida 
276. August 25, 2014, Timothy Rice, 33, Caucasian, Austin, Texas 
277. August 29, 2014, Michael O'Connell, 44, Caucasian, Littlefield, Arizona 
278. September 13, 2014, Ricky Hinkle, 47, Black, Birmingham, Alabama
279. September 21, 2014, Daniel Satre, 43, Caucasian, Ballston Spa, New York 
280. October 4, 2014, Lashano Gilbert, 31, Black, New London, Connecticut 
281. October 6, 2014, Balantine Mbegbu, 60, Black, Phoenix, Arizona
282. October 13, 2014, Macario Garcia, 54, Hispanic, Pleasanton, Texas

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You can see that we don't know the race or national origin (RNO) for Christopher Davis, Michael Evans, Jerome Gill, Guy Gutherie, James Healy Jr.,  Treon 'Tree' Johnson, Christopher Ladue, T.J. Nance, Stephen Palmer, Earnest Ridlehuber, Jermaine Lynnard Sanford or Johnnie Warren.  We can use some research assistance from villagers to help us identify the RNO for these folks who died after being electrocuted by police taser guns.

We track the RNO information because we sense that these taser-related deaths are happening at a disproportionate level to people of color.

For example, we see that at least 118 (117 men and a 62-year old woman) of these taser-torture killings occurred against African Americans. Black people are only 13.6% of the total population, yet 42% of the 2009-2014 taser-related deaths in America are Black people.

At last count, there are more than 514,000 Tasers among law enforcers and the military nationwide. Tasers are now deployed in law enforcement agencies in 29 of the 33 largest U.S. cities. Some states, such as New Jersey, are loosening up their rules for taser use.  Other states, like Delaware, seek to justify taser use in spite of rising death toll.

However, the tide may be turning. As taser-related deaths and injuries have continued to rise (as well as the amount of Taser litigation), many departments are starting to abandon the weapon in favor of other means of suspect control. Currently, Memphis and San Francisco have opted to ban the use of tasers by law enforcement. Charlotte (NC) pulled all the tasers off the street.  Nevada revised their taser policy so that it would be more aligned to proposal from the ACLU.

South Carolina is beginning to question its use of tasers. Additionally, a federal court has ruled that the pain inflicted by the taser gun constitutes excessive force by law enforcement. The courts don't want police to electrocute people with their tasers unless they pose an immediate threat.

Perhaps the idea of an electric rifle made sense when it was first invented. "Taser" refers to an electrical weapon trademarked by the Scottsdale, Arizona-based company known as Taser International. The word Taser stands for "Tom A. Swift Electrical Rifle."

The Taser was developed by Jack Cover, a contract scientist on NASA's Apollo moon program in the 1960s. Inspired by his favorite childhood book series - Victor Appleton's Tom Swift - Cover drew up plans for a non-lethal weapon like the one the series' main character used.

In 1993, Rick and Tim Smith, who launched Taser International, worked with Cover to improve his design and introduced the device the next year. Since then, use of the word Taser has became part of the common American language.

However, we now see too much taser abuse. First available to law enforcement in February 1998, now used by more than 14,200 law enforcement agencies in more than 40 countries. More than 406,000 taser guns have been sold since the product hit the market. It may be time for congressional hearings.

Some tell us that tasers are making America safer. Police kill about 600 people per year in shootings. So what?! Should we be we be happy that they are ONLY killing people once-a-week with taser guns?

How Do Tasers Work? When a Taser’s trigger is pulled, two wires shoot out of the device at the suspect from up to 35 feet away. At the ends of the wires are probes that either embed in a person's skin or cling to clothing.

• When the probes hit, an electrical pulse is delivered for five seconds, causing involuntary muscular contractions in the subject.
• At the end of the first pulse, police tell the person to roll onto their abdomen, so they can be handcuffed. If they do not comply, they may be shocked again.
• Once a person is arrested, police remove the barbs and call EMTs to the scene.
• The person is taken to the hospital to be checked out. If the barbs remain in the person after police try to remove them, they are removed at the hospital.
• The Taser is equipped with a chip that records information on each use, which can be used in court if someone alleges they were shocked multiple times.

Personally, I think that the 'Use of Force Continuum' needs to show tasers as 'near-lethal' ... definitely an error to claim that they are 'non-lethal'.

Many of us think that that immediate problem with Taser use is the lack of state and federal training standards for Taser certification. There are too many police officers with a taser on their hip and insufficient training on how ... or when ... to use it. Without set training standards (which includes a block on the liabilities of the weapons use in the event of bodily injury or death), officers are not fully aware of the ramifications of Taser use.

What say u?What would you suggest we do to deal with these weekly taser-related deaths?

Related articles

• Taser is paying out millions in secret death settlements
• Teen death reignites Taser debate
• Police ignore Taser heart attack risk and keep firing at suspects' chests

Taser Death: Lashano Gilbert (New London, CT)

It happened again! This time we learn that 31-year old Lashano Gilbert was killed by the taser-happy police officers of New London, CT.  [SOURCE]

Why do I call them "taser-happy"? Because they pumped 50,000 volts of electricity into this man once ... took him to the hospital ... brought him back to the jail ... then TASERED HIM AGAIN! They rushed him to the hospital the second time and he was pronounced dead in the emergency room. We don't know the names of the taser-happy police officers at the moment. All we know for sure is that an unarmed man in custody of the police is dead.

It appears that these unidentified police officers didn't like being disrespected in their own jail. They used their tasers to elicit some type of respect and it didn't work out quite the way that they expected ... a man died.

The young man was accused of car-jacking. The penalty for car-jacking isn't death. Someone needs to let the New London Police Department know that the pre-judicial electrocution of a prisoner isn't appropriate. Period.

Taser Death: Daniel Satre (Ballston Spa, NY)

Daniel Satre

It happened again! This time an unarmed man was electrocuted by 50,000 volts from each of the taser guns used on him by some or all of the six unidentified Ballston Spa (NY) police officers called to his home on Saturday, September 20, 2014.

The police officers were coming to arrest 43-old Daniel Satre for 'disorderly conduct'. I'm not a lawyer ... but, I'm fairly certain that the death penalty is not the legal penalty for 'disorderly conduct'. Again, we see a case of overzealous police officers using their not-quite-lethal taser guns when they feel the slightest bit of disrespect from a citizen.



This time the taser torture was caught on video by a neighbor.

A total of six officers were at the scene. They couldn't be patient or strategic enough to take Mr. Satre into custody without taser-torture. As a result, another unarmed human being is dead.

At a news conference the next day, Village Police Chief Charles Koenig said Satre was warned several times that officers were preparing to tase him. Koenig said criminal and internal investigations are being conducted, and that no disciplinary action had been taken against the officers who used the taser guns on Satre. Officers from both Ballston Spa and the State Police electrocuted Satre, officials confirmed.

Alabama Deputy Sheriff Serves as Judge, Jury and Executioner-by-Taser of Unarmed Ricky Hinkle

Ricky Hinkle

It happened again! This time we learned from one of our blog readers about the taser-torture applied to 47-year old Ricky Hinkle by unidentified officers of the Jefferson County Jail in Birmingham, AL on September 13, 2014. The Jefferson County Sheriff's office indicates that one of its deputies was disrespected by this unarmed inmate and as a result they feel justified in taking his life with this extra-judicial electrocution. [SOURCE]

"While in the process of moving, the inmate threatened to harm himself. At that point it was determined the inmate should be placed in a cell that allowed twenty-four-hour monitoring to prevent any possible suicide attempt," the agency said.

"When they arrived at the cell the inmate became combative, refused to enter and began scuffling with one of the deputies. A second deputy deployed a Taser to bring the inmate under control. After engagement the inmate fell to the floor and became unresponsive," according to the statement.

... or as I like to think of it:

"Unarmed human being disrespected a sheriff deputy. Sheriff deputy and his posse pulled out their tasers and pumped the unarmed human being with over 50,000 volts of electricity. Surprise. He fell to the floor and died."

Mr. Hinkley is just another in a growing list of human beings that are being killed in front of our eyes. I wonder if the unidentified deputy sheriff will be disciplined for serving as judge, jury and executioner?

Taser Lawsuit: Gregory Towns (East Point, GA)

Gregory Towns

It is nice to see that the family of Gregory Towns is suing the police department and its officers who killed him on April 11, 2014 when they fired at him 13 times with their taser guns while he was in handcuff.

The wrongful death lawsuit seeks damages from the East Point police department and two former police officers - Marcus Eberhart and Howard Weems.

Perhaps the best way to change the hearts and minds of the police who seem to use their taser guns at the slightest whim is to win some more of these lawsuits.

Taser Death: Jose Paulino, Jr. (Tamaqua, PA)

It happened again! This time an unarmed 38-year old man - Jose Paulino, Jr. - was electrocuted to death after several taser shots by unidentified Tamaqua police officers. The police officers indicate that Mr. Paulino didn't comply with their orders.

So they killed him.


Since when did being disrespectful of a police officer become a death penalty offense? Were the officers in a hurry to clock out? They couldn't wait to see if there was some other way to help this unarmed husband and father?

Our blog had been sharing updates on taser-related deaths for a number of years. Perhaps it is time for us to get back into it again! Let us know if you have any additional information on this specific taser torture incident or others that may come across your timeline.

In the meantime, our prayers are with the Paulino family as they deal with the results of this horrible police encounter.

Use of Force Continuum

Originally posted in Feb 2008.

We have talked about the more frequent use of tasers by police on citizens of all genders, races and ages. Tasers have been used on hearing-impaired and pregnant people in recent months. Many of us feel that the taser is used too quickly. It turns out that the police have a very specific process that they follow. It is called the 'use of force continuum'.

There may be local variations, however, a police test guru indicates that the force continuum is broken down into six broad levels. Each level is designed to be flexible as the need for force changes depending on the situation. The six levels are:

1. Level One * Officer Presence - The mere presence of a police officer in uniform or in a marked police unit is often enough to stop a crime in progress or prevent most situations from escalating. Without saying a word, the mere presence of a police officer can deter crime by the simple use of body language and gestures. At this level gestures should be non-threatening and professional. This "zero" level of force is always the best way to resolve any situation if possible.
2. Level Two * Verbal Commands - Used in combination with a visible presence, the use of the voice can usually achieve the desired results. Whether you instruct a person to, "Stop.", "Don't Move.", "Be quiet.", "Listen to me.", "Let me see your ID.", or, "You're under arrest."-- voice commands in conjunction with your mere presence will almost always resolve the situation. The content of the message is as important as the officer's demeanor. It’s always best to start out calm but firm and non-threatening. The choice of words and intensity can be increased as necessary, or used in short commands in more serious situations. The right combination of words in combination with officer presence can de-escalate a tense situation and prevent the need for a physical altercation. Training and experience improves the ability of a police officer to communicate effectively with everyone she comes in contact with.
3. Level Three * Empty Hand Control - Certain situations will arise where words alone will not reduce the aggression. This is the time police officers will need to get involved physically. This is a level of control employed by police officers minus the aid of equipment or weapons. There are two subcategories called, “soft empty hand techniques” and “hard empty hand techniques.” Soft Empty Hand Techniques: At this level minimal force would involve the use of bare hands to guide, hold, and restrain -- applying pressure points, and take down techniques that have a minimal chance of injury. Hard Empty Hand Techniques: At this level the use of force includes kicks, punches or other striking techniques such as the brachial stun or other strikes to key motor points that have a moderate chance of injury.
4. Level Four * Pepper Spray, Baton, Taser - When the suspect is violent or threatening, more extreme, but non-deadly measures must be used to bring the suspect under control, or affect an arrest. Before moving to this level of force, it is assumed that less physical measures have been tried and deemed inappropriate. Pepper spray results in considerable tearing of the eyes, as well as temporary paralysis of the larynx, which causes subjects to lose their breath. Contact with the face causes a strong burning sensation. Pepper spray, once thought an effective street tool for police officers has lost popularity over the years because of its ineffectiveness, especially on intoxicated persons. The typical baton is a round stick of various lengths, and is made of hardwood, aluminum or plastic composite materials. A blow with a baton can immobilize a combative person, allowing officers to affect an arrest. Common impact weapon used by police today include the PR-24 and collapsible baton. The Taser discharges a high voltage spark (50,000 volts) at very low amperage. The Taser fires two small darts, connected to wires, which drops a suspect at non-contact distance. These devices are easily carried. They are lightweight and affordable. Extensive training is not required, and they may be more effective on persons under the influence of PCP and other drugs who do not respond to chemical irritants. They can be especially useful for controlling non-criminal violent behavior, such as persons who are mentally impaired, or under the influence of mind-altering substances.
5. Level Five * Less Lethal - This is a newer, acceptable and effective level of force that numerous police agencies have added to their use of force continuum policy and procedure. Less-lethal weapons were developed to provide law enforcement, military and corrections personnel with an alternative to lethal force. They were designed to temporarily incapacitate, confuse, delay, or restrain an adversary in a variety of situations. They have been used in riots, prison disturbances, and hostage rescues. Less-lethal weapons are valuable when: Lethal force is not appropriate. Lethal force is justified and available for backup but lesser force may subdue the aggressor. Lethal force is justified but its use could cause collateral effects, such as injury to bystanders or life-threatening damage to property and environment.
6. Level Six * Deadly Force - If a police peace officer has probable cause to believe that a suspect poses a significant threat of death or serious physical injury to the officer or others then the use of deadly force is justified (see Tennessee v. Garner). By the very nature of the profession, peace officers may at times be confronted with a potentially lethal threat. In most of these instances, peace officers will have no other option but to discharge their firearm in order to protect their life or, the life of others.

The use of force is an integral part of a police officer's job, particularly when arresting criminal suspects. No one disputes that police should be permitted to protect themselves and others from threats to safety. What many of us think is wrong ... is that it doesn't appear that police officers are getting to Level Four and pulling out that taser gun much quicker than necessary. As a result, people are dying (Level Six) when it isn't warranted.

Anyhow, a number of AfroSpear bloggers have been talking about taking some type of action to combat the increasing frequency with which tasers are being used in the Black community. I thought it worthwhile to document the Use of Force Continuum that governs taser use by most police officers. What say u?

Oregon Officers Justified in Taser Deaths of Walter McKelvey and Gregory Price

A Douglas County grand jury has found that police officers in two separate incidents were justified in using taser guns against unarmed men -- both of whom died when their paths crossed with police.

The findings, released by the Douglas County District Attorney's office, involve a March 3 incident in which Douglas County Sheriff's deputies used a Taser on Walter Ray McKelvey, 26, and a June 22 incident in which Roseburg Police officers used a Taser on Gregory Allen Price, 56.

Read the rest of the OregonLive article.

This blog will continue to track taser-related killings that occur in America from time to time. However, we are unable to maintain the daily vigil on this issue that we once kept. Please feel free to let us know if you have any taser-related news that you think we should share in the future.

Online Petition: Call on Federal Government to Regulate Tasers

Morgan Brown is an activist who wants to eliminate taser-related deaths in America. He recently created an online petition to 'Call on Federal Government to Regulate Stun Guns'. The petition reads as follows:

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Although it might be true that neither bullets or gunpowder are used in the deployment of Tasers or other stun guns, and even when the intention of the shooter is not to seriously maim or kill, nonetheless, these weapons are still deployed much like firearms and other lethal weapons in use by police and civilians, firing projectiles and also, no matter what the purported causes given whenever serious bodily injury or deaths occur after their use, these weapons employ enough energy with which to be lethal; either that or serious bodily injury or death can result afterwards, whether from the impact of a fall or other circumstance involved. This can particularly be the case when these weapons are used on certain populations who are at greater risk of serious bodily injury or even death.

It is deeply disturbing about how, more often than not, these weapons are deployed on unarmed citizens and most especially on people with disabilities, people living homeless, young children, senior citizens and so on, including when these individuals have not been a danger to others or themselves.

In fact, it has been the case that these weapons are being used for matters of mere non-compliance as well as convenience and, sometimes -- particularly when used in 'drive stun' mode -- apparently even to inflict pain as a means of torture.

It is obvious that this is a matter sorely in need of proper governmental intervention, oversight, regulation and enforcement.

How much serious bodily injury or how many more deaths are necessary in order to finally have something meaningful and real happen in order to change how and when Tasers and other stun guns are used?

Is it not time to call on the federal government to govern and regulate the law enforcement and civilian use of Tasers or other stun guns, just as they do with the law enforcement and civilian use of firearms and other lethal weapons?

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Tasers kill. That is why I signed a petition to President Barack Obama and U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy (Vermont), which reads:

"The undersigned petitioners call on the Government of the United States to govern and regulate the law enforcement and civilian use of Tasers as well as other stun guns in the exact same manner it governs and regulates the law enforcement and civilian use of firearms and other lethal weapons."

Villagers, if you agree with the above petition language, please sign onto this petition calling on President Obama and the U.S. Congress to take action: http://petitions.moveon.org/sign/call-on-federal-government