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Suspect shocked 9 times before death
by elle / crosspost
Wednesday, Feb. 23, 2005 at 3:46 PM
A central Toledo man who died in custody Monday night had been stunned with a Taser gun nine times by prior to his death
A central Toledo man who died in custody Monday night had been stunned with a Taser gun nine times by prior to his death, authorities said today.
Toledo police said Jeffery Turner, 41, of 2115 Collingwood Blvd., was shocked five times by its officers during his arrest. Lucas County sheriff’s department officials said today that their employees shocked Mr. Turner another four times during struggles at the Lucas County jail.
Mr. Turner died yesterday at St. Vincent Mercy Medical Center. Results of an autopsy are inconclusive as to his cause of death, the Lucas County coroner said today. Toxicology tests and further investigation are needed before his cause of death can be established.
Rick Keller, jail corrections administrator, said Mr. Turner was responsive after he was stunned. He was then placed in handcuffs and leg restraints. Later, he became unresponsive, a jail nurse was summoned, and CPR was administered.
The prisoner was transported at 9:18 p.m. to St. Vincent Mercy Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead at 9:40.
A study released by Amnesty International in November found more than 70 Taser-related deaths nationwide in four years. The report charged that police use them excessively, when using such force is not necessary. It said that in Florida, the weapons have been used on a woman arrested for nude swimming and a 14-year-old boy who tried to flee after allegedly breaking a window.
Last month, the Securities and Exchange Commission opened an informal inquiry into Taser International’s statements about the safety of the stun guns.
More than 5,000 U.S. law enforcement agencies, including the Toledo, Lake Township, and Oregon police departments, Ohio Highway Patrol, and the Lucas County Sheriff’s Office use Tasers, which fire darts delivering a 50,000-volt shock.
www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050201/NEWS03/50201028/-1/AR...
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