Sindawe
Member
DMF blazed the path with inflammatory Subject lines, so I'll follow and see where it goes.
Saw on recast of 2 News here in Denver, Denver PD reponded to a call (details not given). Seems a Denver resident was 'foaming at the mouth' from a drug overdose, reportedly cocaine. His family had call for an ambulance, while neighbors call the Police.
According to the report, the man who died had overdosed on cocaine, which he had done in in the past and abtained medical treatment for. He had charged/threatened Officers with a length of pipe. Officers responded with a Taser hit. The man resisted THREE hits from a Taser, even to the point of pulling the terminals out of his body and charging again. It took a total of FOUR shocks to get the man to surrender, at which point I presume EMS took over. The man later died.
News report reports that this is not the first time this man had done this, and the previous time he was informed that he has a "heart condition". News report then goes on to indicate that of the 80s some Taser 'related' deaths, roughtly 1/2 of those involved drugs and people with 'heart conditions'. Seeming to make a link (no scientific data presented) between those with a heart condition and death following being hit with a Taser.
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K, my opinion on this. While I have been critical of Denver PD and their use of lethal force in the past, in this case Denver PD acted with a great deal of tolerance and consideration toward an individual who was, from the reports given, off his rocker and being aggresive. Four shocks were applied to the man in question before he surrendered/was taken under control. The man was armed with a blunt force weapon (pipe) and had acted in an aggresive and hostile manner toward the Police. It would have quite rational on the first charge to draw and fire on this man IMHO. I would have drawn and fired after the 2nd, but I'm not a trained LEO. Denver PD did not. They used their less than lethal devices to try and control the situation and keep people from being injured or killed. Unfortunatly, the man later died.
To my laymans eye, Denver PD acted in an appropriate and reasonable fashion, and then some. While lamentable that the man died, Denver PD bears no culpabilty in this case.
The mans adult step-daughter was shown on the Channel 2 news report stating that someone need to be held accountable for this man dying.
Yes, someone does. That someone was the man who died. According the to the data provided, HE is the one who injested cocaine, sufficent to prompt him to take leave of his senses and behaive in a manner such to merit is family calling for medical help and his neighbors to call the Police. HE was the one who injested cocaine, even though he had been informed that he had a heart condition, and had a problem with the substance in the past.
Though it may mean naught to the Officers on the scene and Denver PD in general: Good job folks, IMHO this was more than correct performance of your duties.
Side note: While reponding to this call, two other Denver PD patrol cars narrowely avoided a collision with each other. Sadly, in swerving, one of the police cars struck and damaged a private vehicle which was stopped at a stop sign. No injuries reported.
To Denver PD: Folks, we've seen you run into each other once on national TV. As entertaining as THAT was, please don't make a habit of it. It reflects poorly on the greater Denver area, cop cars are not cheap, and most importantly, Denver does want and need you guys on the street, not laidup in the hospital or filling a hole in the ground.
EDIT: Link to local news story: http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/3668640/detail.html
Saw on recast of 2 News here in Denver, Denver PD reponded to a call (details not given). Seems a Denver resident was 'foaming at the mouth' from a drug overdose, reportedly cocaine. His family had call for an ambulance, while neighbors call the Police.
According to the report, the man who died had overdosed on cocaine, which he had done in in the past and abtained medical treatment for. He had charged/threatened Officers with a length of pipe. Officers responded with a Taser hit. The man resisted THREE hits from a Taser, even to the point of pulling the terminals out of his body and charging again. It took a total of FOUR shocks to get the man to surrender, at which point I presume EMS took over. The man later died.
News report reports that this is not the first time this man had done this, and the previous time he was informed that he has a "heart condition". News report then goes on to indicate that of the 80s some Taser 'related' deaths, roughtly 1/2 of those involved drugs and people with 'heart conditions'. Seeming to make a link (no scientific data presented) between those with a heart condition and death following being hit with a Taser.
------
K, my opinion on this. While I have been critical of Denver PD and their use of lethal force in the past, in this case Denver PD acted with a great deal of tolerance and consideration toward an individual who was, from the reports given, off his rocker and being aggresive. Four shocks were applied to the man in question before he surrendered/was taken under control. The man was armed with a blunt force weapon (pipe) and had acted in an aggresive and hostile manner toward the Police. It would have quite rational on the first charge to draw and fire on this man IMHO. I would have drawn and fired after the 2nd, but I'm not a trained LEO. Denver PD did not. They used their less than lethal devices to try and control the situation and keep people from being injured or killed. Unfortunatly, the man later died.
To my laymans eye, Denver PD acted in an appropriate and reasonable fashion, and then some. While lamentable that the man died, Denver PD bears no culpabilty in this case.
The mans adult step-daughter was shown on the Channel 2 news report stating that someone need to be held accountable for this man dying.
Yes, someone does. That someone was the man who died. According the to the data provided, HE is the one who injested cocaine, sufficent to prompt him to take leave of his senses and behaive in a manner such to merit is family calling for medical help and his neighbors to call the Police. HE was the one who injested cocaine, even though he had been informed that he had a heart condition, and had a problem with the substance in the past.
Though it may mean naught to the Officers on the scene and Denver PD in general: Good job folks, IMHO this was more than correct performance of your duties.
Side note: While reponding to this call, two other Denver PD patrol cars narrowely avoided a collision with each other. Sadly, in swerving, one of the police cars struck and damaged a private vehicle which was stopped at a stop sign. No injuries reported.
To Denver PD: Folks, we've seen you run into each other once on national TV. As entertaining as THAT was, please don't make a habit of it. It reflects poorly on the greater Denver area, cop cars are not cheap, and most importantly, Denver does want and need you guys on the street, not laidup in the hospital or filling a hole in the ground.
EDIT: Link to local news story: http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/3668640/detail.html
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