Family of Daniel McConnell Win $2.25 Million Settlement in Taser-Torture Case

Daniel McConnell

I suspect that taser-related deaths should begin to fall if we keep having these large lawsuit settlements that go against law officials. The latest to pay the price for taser-happy police officers is Suffolk County (New York). County officials agreed to pay a $2.25 million settlement to the family of Daniel McDonnell. [SOURCE]

Mr. McConnell, 40, suffered with bipolar disorder and a heart condition when he as placed in police custody on May 5, 2011. He was arrested for violating an order of protection against a neighbor. The penalty for violating court order should not be death. However, the Suffolk County officers decided to play judge, jury and executioner. McConnell's mother came to the station to bring him his medication. The police refused to accept the medication ... and McConnell's mental condition deteriorated in the 18 hours that he was in police custody.

For some reason, the police thought that he would act better without the medication. Instead they came to his holding cell and repeatedly electrocuted him with their taser guns while beating him.

Two detectives decided to lie. They informed McDonnell’s family that he died of a heart attack. His death was later ruled a homicide. The state Commission on Correction concluded that McDonnell's death was preventable and criticized the medical examiner and the Suffolk County district attorney's office for failing to properly investigate his death.

A lawsuit brought by McDonnell's wife and young son was settled last spring on the second day of a civil trial in Brooklyn Federal Court. The settlement was approved by the Suffolk County Legislature and by U.S. District Judge William Kuntz in an order issued today.

A young man will never return to his family. The county will have to pay $2.25 million in the settlement. I wonder if the police officers who killed him will be fired?

Taser Death: Dainell Simmons (Suffolk County, NY)

It happened again. This time an autistic 29-year old Dainell Simmons was in need of help. The folks at the group home where he lived called 911 to seek assistance. Three unidentified Suffolk County police officers arrived. The officers initially were able to calm Simmons after they were summoned to the Maryhaven Center of Hope facility, a tidy, two-story house with brown shingles and black and white trim in Middle Island. [SOURCE]

But when they told Simmons they were taking him to a hospital for a psychiatric evaluation, he began kicking and punching them ... and within minutes one officer began to pepper spray the mentally-ill man, while the other two police officers unleashed their taser guns on Mr. Simmons. He was tased at least twice by the officers.

Simmons became unresponsive. He was transported to John T. Mather Memorial Hospital, where he died.

The police told reporters that Simmons was acting "violent and uncontrollably" and that the decision to use a Taser appeared appropriate under the circumstances. Of course, that is usually how the police try to justify the unjustifiable. There were multiple police officers at the scene. Mr. Simmons was unarmed and he was autistic. Perhaps there are better ways to handle the situation then to pump 50,000 volts of electricity into his body on multiple occasions?