Taser Autopsy: Roberto Olivo (Tulare CA)

The Tulare County Coroner's Office says that Roberto Olivo, a 33-year old man who died in police custody earlier this month, suffered a fatal drug overdose. [SOURCE]

"According to the medical examiner, the levels of methamphetamine in the decedent's blood were phenomenal," Tulare police Capt. Wes Hensley said.

Unidentified Tulare police officers responded to a local motel after receiving calls about a man, later identified as Olivo, knocking on doors, calling for help and causing chaos, police said. After arriving at the motel, officers spotted the man, who seemed disoriented and appeared to be under the influence of an intoxicant, police said.

Instead of helping the man ... or calling for medical assistance ... the police decided to get in a fight with the Olivo. A struggle ensued and the unidentified officers used pepper spray and then a Taser to gain control and take the man into custody.

Olivo lost consciousness and had difficulty breathing. 50,000 volts of electricity into your body tends to do that. Anyhow, he was transported to Tulare Regional Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.

Olivo was calling for help. Instead of help ... he received 50,000 volts of electricity and death from the Tulare police officers.

The penalty for being a meth-head is not death ... yet, we are forced to watch another taser-related death being swept under the rug under the guise of 'drugs'.

Something smells ... don't you think?

Taser Death: Roberto Olivo (Tulare CA)

It happened again. Tulare police department use of a taser gun on 33-year old Roberto Olivo resulted in his death back on March 4, 2010. [SOURCE]

Olivo's brother Ernist Wheeler said, "they maced him, tased him with two tasers at the same time — until he stopped moving and my brother left in a body bag."

The Tulare Police Department was called to the Virginia Motor Lodge on K Street on March 4th, after receiving complaints of a man banging on doors and screaming. Tulare Police Capt. Wes Hensley described Olivo's state of mind..."agitated, combative disoriented, typical signs of some kind of intoxication."

Captain Hensley said officers tried talking to Olivo, but when that didn't work, they wrestled him to the ground, used pepper spray and finally pulled out a Taser. The unidentified officer jolted Olivo three times in the back while trying to handcuff him, he said.

"While waiting for the ambulance the suspect started to lose consciousness and later started showing signs of difficulty breathing," Hensley said.

Olivo was pronounced dead at Tulare Regional Medical Center.

"No one wants this to happen," Hensley said. "Our officers are out there trying to do their job at the best of their ability in responding to a call for service — in no way did anyone want this to happen, unfortunately it did and now we are in the process of investigating the cause of that death."

The coroner's office is investigating. They don't expect toxicology results for another 6 weeks. Olivo's family is seeking a second opinion. They've hired an independent autopsy expert.

The officers involved in the incident were initially placed on administrative leave. Their actions have been deemed "within department policy". They are back on the force.

I don't doubt that the police have a difficult job. However, this cop used his taser three times -- 50,000 volts each -- in the back of Mr. Olivo. Was that level of force truly necessary? Or did this police officer simply feel entitled to use his taser gun to help him get the handcuffs on Mr. Olivo? It just seems that being intoxicated is not a good reason to kill a man.

What say u?