A police officer shocked a handcuffed Baron “Scooter” Pikes nine times with a Taser after arresting him on a cocaine charge. He stopped twitching after seven, according to a coroner’s report. Soon afterward, Pikes was dead.
Now the officer, since fired, could end up facing criminal charges in Pikes’ January death after medical examiners ruled it a homicide.
Dr. Randolph Williams, the Winn Parish coroner, told CNN the 21-year-old sawmill worker was jolted so many times by the 50,000-volt Taser that he might have been dead before the last two shocks were delivered.
Williams ruled Pikes’ death a homicide in June…
But Winnfield police Lt. Chuck Curry said race “isn’t an issue at all” in the matter. “This has come down to a police officer that was trying to apprehend a suspect that they had warrants for,” he said. “He done what he thought he was trained to do to bring that subject into custody. At some point, something happened with his body that caused him to go into cardiac arrest or whatever.”
Curry said Pikes told officers he suffered from asthma and had been using PCP and crack cocaine. But Williams said he found no sign of drug use in the autopsy, and no record of asthma in Pikes’ medical history.
Isn’t this when the federal government steps in like in the 1950s and 1960s because the locals are so corrupt and racist?!?
That lieutenant sounds like he’s from Louisi.. oh wait.
#1: People cared back then. Everyone is so complacent now that no action will ever be taken.
[sarcasm]
He is just a bad apple.
[end sarcasm]
People, the whole barrel of apples is rotten from top to bottom.
#1 No it isn’t. This is when the legal system works like it is supposed to. The cop may have committed a crime and it looks like he will be prosecuted for it. If the state doesn’t I’ sure he will be charged federally.
WAIT just a minute !!! Tazers don’t kill !!! It must have been the PCP they didn’t find in his blood.
[quote]He done what he thought he was trained to do to bring that subject into custody[/quote]
So maybe the training methods are wrong? Maybe more heads should fly?
This is shocking.
(ok I’ll shut up now.)
“Don’t taser me man!” ~ DumbAss Punk
Used in the intended manner, tasers are pretty safe. But then again, so is a billy club. But no means of subduing a violent individual can EVER be %100 safe. It’s like the government promising there will NEVER be another terrorist attack. And when used in an innapropriate manner, they can be very dangerous.
As far as I can tell, the BOZO cop SHOULD fry. (Sorry, I couldn’t help myself.)
He actually should be sentenced to being locked in a room with several members of the victims family, each armed with a TASER.
Don
“…something happened with his body that caused him to go into cardiac arrest or whatever.”
Yeah! It was getting hit repeatedly with a taser. Yeesh!
I thought that 1-2 shots was SUPPOSED to make the person DUMB, and a cop could do anything AFTER that.
cops are THINKING that this is a SAFE weapon..
To be used like a FOAM BAT.
THAt it wont HURT anyone.
I figure, that if the person is STILL A PROBLEM after 2 HITS from a taser…
GET YOUR GUN OUT AND CALL FOR BACKUP.
7 hits from a Taser will kill a DOG..
zzzzappp
“Stop twitching!”
zzzzappp
“Do you want me to keep shooting you? Stop twitching!”
zzzzappp
A few moments later… “He’s unresponsive sir.”
zzzzappp
“I said, he’s unre-”
“Do you want me to Taser you? Stand back and shut-up!”
zzzzappp
News headline next day:
‘Whatever Syndrome’ Blamed in Man’s Death
The “real” problem is that there is another drug dealer right around the corner to take his place. Why aren’t you pissed off at the worthless druggie? Fools!
I am not sure this would even make the Times- Picayune. Suicide by Cop is alive and well in New Orleans.
I think somebody is in a whole heap of trouble and they ought to be.
They should head over to Taser HQ and taser the CEO and the board of directors.