Death by Tazer

Spartan · Post by **Spartan** » Wed Nov 01, 2006 2:30 pm

Teen dies after being shot by stun gun
Wednesday Nov 1 14:57 AEDT
AP - A teenager carrying a Bible and shouting "I want Jesus" was shot twice with a police stun gun and later died at a St. Louis hospital, authorities said.

The growing use of stun guns by US law enforcement agencies has raised concerns among human rights groups. In a report released in March, the international group Amnesty International said it had logged at least 156 deaths across the US in the previous five years related to police stun guns.

In a statement obtained, police in Jerseyville, about 65 kilometres north of St. Louis, said 17-year-old Roger Holyfield would not acknowledge officers who approached him and he continued yelling, "I want Jesus."

Police tried to calm the teen, but Holyfield became combative, according to the statement. Officers fired the stun gun at him after he ignored their warnings, then fired again when he continued struggling, police said.

Holyfield was flown to St. Louis' Cardinal Glennon Hospital after the confrontation on Saturday; he died there Sunday, police said.

An autopsy was planned for on Tuesday.

The statement expressed sympathy to Holyfield's family but said city and police officials would not discuss the matter further.

Calls Tuesday to Jerseyville Police Chief Brad Blackorby were not immediately returned. The department has been using stun guns for about five months, according to the statement.

The rise in stun gun-related deaths accompanies a marked increase in the number of U.S. law enforcement agencies employing devices made by Taser International Inc. of Scottsdale, Arizona. About 1,000 of the nation's 18,000 police agencies used Tasers in 2001; more than 7,000 departments had them last year, according to a government study.

Police had used Tasers more than 70,000 times as of last year, Congress' Government Accountability Office said.

Amnesty International has urged police departments to suspend the use of Tasers pending more study. Taser International said the group's count was flawed and falsely linked deaths to Taser use when there has been no such official conclusion.

Â©AAP 2006

Thoughts??

fly_on_the_wall · Post by **fly_on_the_wall** » Wed Nov 01, 2006 2:35 pm

HMMMM, not good.

Wonder how long it will take for taser guns to be in full use with every state across australia. Usually whatever america does australia does also.

Monkey see, monkey do.

Post by **vk6hgr** » Wed Nov 01, 2006 3:58 pm

A terrible tragedy.

It will remain to be seem whether the tazer actually killed him or mearly triggered an existing medical condition.

jmmw · Post by **jmmw** » Wed Nov 01, 2006 4:43 pm

Walks · Post by **Walks** » Wed Nov 01, 2006 5:55 pm

It's mainly a pre-existing aliment or the drugs that kill them.

Walks.

WPXZBP · Post by **WPXZBP** » Wed Nov 01, 2006 9:40 pm

That's a shocking story.....

Post by **vk6hgr** » Wed Nov 01, 2006 9:42 pm

WPXZBP wrote:That's a shocking story.....

You've just been fined by the pun police

Spartan · Post by **Spartan** » Wed Nov 01, 2006 10:00 pm

that was such a bad one-liner! Congrats!

I find it typical that for years humanitarian groups and wowsers have been calling for non-lethal solutions to protect the 'rights' of those breaking the LAW, now we have those means, and it's being compained about again by those very groups!
What next? SHOUT at them in the hope they surrender?
If you are doing something where the option is to get shot or nailed by a tazer and you don't make the correct CHOICE, you deserve it!

WPXZBP · Post by **WPXZBP** » Wed Nov 01, 2006 10:18 pm

vk6hgr wrote:
WPXZBP wrote:That's a shocking story.....
You've just been fined by the pun police

HM-106 · Post by **HM-106** » Wed Nov 01, 2006 10:52 pm

Like this one

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQVE3xiJ ... ed&search=

Regards
HM-106

dazla · Post by **dazla** » Thu Nov 02, 2006 1:00 am

I would look at more the "why did they use the tazer", if Police Officers are in a position where they use a tazer then the POI is obviously causing a danger to themselves or someone else.

Whiskey1Urgent · Post by **Whiskey1Urgent** » Thu Nov 02, 2006 1:03 pm

HM-106 wrote:Like this one

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQVE3xiJ ... ed&search=

Regards
HM-106

Now that's funny.....

Ride the lightning babe !!!

HM-106 · Post by **HM-106** » Thu Nov 02, 2006 5:42 pm

Thought you'd like it

Regards
HM-106

Spartan · Post by **Spartan** » Thu Nov 02, 2006 6:17 pm

hehehe, she was warned how many times?
Man, just shut up, be polite, take the ticket and be on your way.

Man, some people just ask for it!

Kanye · Post by **Kanye** » Thu Nov 02, 2006 9:09 pm

Funny stuff guys! Funny until your wife gets tazered by two grown men for speeding...

Ask yourself as her husband, how would you feel?

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Death by Tazer

Death by Tazer

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