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 Death: Dennis Sandras (Houma, LA)

The police in America continue to have a love affair with their taser guns that results in a weekly extra-judicial electrocution. The police do not seem to understand that their taser guns are not toys ... that they kill. Otherwise, they would not pull out their taser guns to kill people that simply need to be restrained.

The latest incident occurred in Louisiana. 49-year old Dennis Sandras died shortly after being handcuffed by a number of Houma police officers. Sandras made a fatal mistake of struggling with the arresting officers. Of course, he thought that resisting arrest was a crime that would give him jail time ... he had no way to know that the Houma poice intended to impose their own version of the death penalty.

Sandras was electrocuted with 50,000 volts from the taser guns of at least two unidentified police officers. [SOURCE]

Officers went to St. Francis de Sales Cathedral about 11:20 a.m. when alerted by a caller that a man was “jumping off of roofs,” Houma Police Chief Todd Duplantis said.

The first officer to arrive approached Sandras, who fought with her, Duplantis said.

Two other officers went to the first officer’s aid, twice using a Taser to subdue the “combative” Sandras, police said.

After he was handcuffed, officers determined Sandras was “unresponsive.”

He was taken to Terrebonne General Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead, Duplantis said.

Duplantis deosn't want to acknowledge that the cause of death was the taser guns. He wants to wait to get results from the autopsy.

Officials refused to release the names of the officers involved, though Houma Police Sgt. Dana Coleman did say the two who came to the first officer’s aid were put on administrative leave pending an internal-affairs investigation. Such an investigation is routine when a suspect dies in custody, authorities said.

Duplantis said releasing the officers’ names could jeopardize the ongoing investigation.

The first officer did not discharge the Taser and remains on the job, police said.

Authorities would not say whether one of the other officers shocked Sandras twice or if each administered a single shot. Police did say that both officers are certified to administer the electric jolt intended to subdue a combative suspect.

The autopsy was conducted Monday, and results are pending the outcome of tissue tests, said Terrebonne Coroner’s Office investigator Danny Theriot. Those results typically take several weeks.

The investigation into Sandras’ death is being conducted by Houma Police and the Terrebonne Parish Sheriff’s Office.