Before It’s News – by Josey Wales
According to Amnesty International, between 2001 and 2008, 351 people in the United States died after being shocked by police Tasers. Add the 181 deaths listed below in this article, and the total documented deaths by electrocution comes up to 532 since 2001.
Death can occur from any shock that carries enough current to stop the heart. Small currents (70–700 mA) usually trigger fibrillation in the heart which is reversible via defibrillator, but large currents (> 1 A) cause permanent damage via burns, and cellular damage.
Whether an electric current is fatal is also dependent on the path it takes through the body, which depends in turn on the points at which the current enters and leaves the body. The heart is the organ most vulnerable to damage from electricity, next is the brain.
Women are more susceptible to macroshock electrocution than men, but men are equally susceptible to microshock electrocution.
Execution by electrocution, using an electric chair, has been employed as an official method ofcapital punishment in only two countries, the United States and the Philippines, and is now almost obsolete.
It was invented in the US in 1881 as a more humane alternative to hanging. It was promoted by inventor Thomas Edison, who built the first electric chair, and conducted many public tests on animals, using alternating current (AC) electricity.
The first person to be executed by electrocution was William Kemmler in New York’s Auburn prison on August 6, 1890.
One thousand volts was passed through his body for 17 seconds, however he was found to be still breathing and a second shock of 2000 volts was required to kill him.
But our Law Enforcement in America use tasers that send 50,000 VOLTS through your body. Is this cruel and unusual punishment? Or execution by Cop, without the chair ? Watch the video, you decide.
A video taken by the California Highway Patrol may be the first time a camera has captured all of the events leading up to a cardiac arrest following the use of a TASER® electronic control device.
According to the arrest report, the CHP officer hit the trigger on his TASER® X-26 TM three times, sending three separate 50,000 jolts into Jones’ chest, Killing her on her feet. Death by Cop, electrocution.
At last count, there are more than 514,000 Tasers among law enforcers and the military nationwide. Tasers are now deployed in law enforcement agencies in 29 of the 33 largest U.S. cities. Some states,such as New Jersey, are loosening up their rules for taser use.
Do you think this is an isolated incident? Think again, here is a list of Police Taser deaths just from 2009 to Sept 2012.
- Jan 9, 2009: Derrick Jones, 17, Black, Martinsville, Virginia
- Jan 11, 2009: Rodolfo Lepe, 31, Hispanic, Bakersfield, California
- Jan 22, 2009: Roger Redden, 52, Caucasian, Soddy Daisy, Tennessee-
- Feb 2, 2009: Garrett Jones, 45, Caucasian, Stockton, California
- Feb 11, 2009: Richard Lua, 28, Hispanic, San Jose, California
- Feb 13, 2009: Rudolph Byrd, 37, Black, Thomasville, Georgia
- Feb 13, 2009: Michael Jones, 43, Black, Iberia, Louisiana
- Feb 14, 2009: Chenard Kierre Winfield, 32, Black, Los Angeles, California
- Feb 28, 2009: Robert Lee Welch, 40, Caucasian, Conroe, Texas
- Mar 22, 2009: Brett Elder, 15, Caucasian, Bay City, Michigan
- Mar 26, 2009: Marcus D. Moore, 40, Black, Freeport, Illinois
- Apr 1, 2009: John J. Meier Jr., 48, Caucasian, Tamarac, Florida
- Apr 6, 2009: Ricardo Varela, 41, Hispanic, Fresno, California
- Apr 10, 2009: Robert Mitchell, 16, Black, Detroit, Michigan
- Apr 13, 2009: Craig Prescott, 38, Black, Modesto, California
- Apr 16, 2009: Gary A. Decker, 50, Black, Tuscon, Arizona
- Apr 18, 2009: Michael Jacobs Jr., 24, Black, Fort Worth, Texas
- Apr 30, 2009: Kevin LaDay, 35, Black, Lumberton, Texas
- May 4, 2009: Gilbert Tafoya, 53, Caucasian, Holbrook, Arizona
- May 17, 2009: Jamaal Valentine, 27, Black, La Marque, Texas
- May 23, 2009: Gregory Rold, 37, Black, Salem, Oregon
- Jun 9, 2009: Brian Cardall, 32, Caucasian, Hurricane, Utah
- Jun 13, 2009: Dwight Madison, 48, Black, Bel Air, Maryland
- Jun 20, 2009 Derrek Kairney, 36, Race: Unknown, South Windsor, Connecticut
- Jun 30, 2009, Shawn Iinuma, 37, Asian, Fontana, California
- Jul 2, 2009, Rory McKenzie, 25, Black, Bakersfield, California
- Jul 20, 2009, Charles Anthony Torrence, 35, Caucasian, Simi Valley, California
- Jul 30, 2009, Johnathan Michael Nelson, 27, Caucasian, Riverside County, California
- Aug 9, 2009, Terrace Clifton Smith, 52, Black, Moreno Valley, California
- Aug 12, 2009, Ernest Ridlehuber, 53, Race: Unknown, Greenville, South Carolina
- Aug 14, 2009, Hakim Jackson, 31, Black, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Aug 18, 2009, Ronald Eugene Cobbs, 38, Black, Greensboro, North Carolina
- Aug 20, 2009, Francisco Sesate, 36, Hispanic, Mesa, Arizona
- Aug 22, 2009, T.J. Nance, 37, Race: Unknown, Arizona City, Arizona
- Aug 26, 2009, Miguel Molina, 27, Hispanic, Los Angeles, California
- Aug 27, 2009, Manuel Dante Dent, 27, Hispanic, Modesto, California
- Sep 3, 2009, Shane Ledbetter, 38, Caucasian, Aurora, Colorado
- Sep 16, 2009, Alton Warren Ham, 45, Caucasian, Modesto, California
- Sep 19, 2009, Yuceff W. Young II, 21, Black, Brooklyn, Ohio
- Sep 21, 2009, Richard Battistata, 44, Hispanic, Laredo, Texas
- Sep 28, 2009, Derrick Humbert, 38, Black, Bradenton, Florida
- Oct 2, 2009, Rickey Massey, 38, Black, Panama City, Florida
- Oct 12, 2009, Christopher John Belknap, 36, Race: Unknown, Ukiah, California
- Oct 16, 2009, Frank Cleo Sutphin, 19, Caucasian, San Bernadino, California
- Oct 27, 2009, Jeffrey Woodward, 33, Caucasian, Gallatin, Tennessee
- Nov 13, 2009, Herman George Knabe, 58, Caucasian, Corpus Christi, Texas
- Nov 14, 2009, Darryl Bain, 43, Black, Coram, New York
- Nov 16, 2009, Matthew Bolick, 30, Caucasian, East Grand Rapids, Michigan
- Nov 19, 2009, Jesus Gillard, 61, Black, Bloomfield Hills, Michigan
- Nov 21, 2009, Ronald Petruney, 49, Race: Unknown, Washington, Pennsylvania
- Nov 27, 2009, Eddie Buckner, 53, Caucasian, Chattanooga, Tennessee
- Dec 11, 2009, Andrew Grande, 33, Caucasian, Oak County, Florida
- Dec 11, 2009, Hatchel Pate Adams III, 36, Black, Hampton, Virginia
- Dec 11, 2009, Paul Martin Martinez, 36, Hispanic, Roseville, California
- Dec 13, 2009, Douglas Boucher, 39, Caucasian, Mason, Ohio
- Dec 14, 2009, Linda Hicks, 62, Black, Toledo, Ohio
- Dec 19, 2009, Preston Bussey III, 41, Black, Rockledge, Florida
- Dec 20, 2009, Michael Hawkins, 39, Caucasian, Springfield, Missouri
- Dec 30, 2009, Stephen Palmer, 47, Race: Unknown, Stamford, Connecticut
- Jan 6, 2010, Delano Smith, 21, Black, Elkhart, Indiana
- Jan 17, 2010, William Bumbrey III, 36, Black, Arlington, Virginia
- Jan 20, 2010, Kelly Brinson, 45, Race: Unknown, Cincinnati, Ohio
- Jan 27, 2010, Joe Spruill, Jr., Black, Goldsboro, North Carolina
- Jan 28, 2010, Patrick Burns, 50, Caucasian, Sangamon County, Illinois
- Jan 28, 2010, Daniel Mingo, 25, Black, Mobile, Alabama
- Feb 4, 2010, Mark Morse, 36, Caucasian, Phoenix, Arizona
- Mar 4, 2010, Roberto Olivo, 33, Hispanic, Tulare, California
- Mar 5, 2010, Christopher Wright, 48, Race: Unknown, Seattle, Washington
- Mar 10, 2010, Jaesun Ingles, 31, Black, Midlothian, Illinois
- Mar 10, 2010, James Healy Jr., 44, Race: Unknown, Rhinebeck, New York
- Mar 20, 2010, Albert Valencia, 31, Hispanic, Downey, California
- Apr 10, 2010, Daniel Joseph Barga, 24, Caucasian, Cornelius, Oregon
- Apr 30, 2010, Adil Jouamai, 32, Moroccan, Arlington, Virginia
- May 9, 2010, Audreacus Davis, 29, Black, Atlanta, Georgia
- May 14, 2010, Sukeba Olawunmi, 39, Race: Unknown, Atlanta, Georgia
- May 24, 2010, Efrain Carrion, 35, Hispanic, Middletown, Connecticut
- May 27, 2010, Carl Johnson, 48, Caucasian, Baltimore, Maryland
- May 29, 2010, Jose Martinez, 53, Hispanic, Waukegan, Illinois
- May 31, 2010, Anastasio Hernández Rojas, 42, Hispanic, San Ysidro, California
- Jun 8, 2010, Terrelle Houston, 22, Black, Hempstead, Texas
- Jun 12, 2010, Curtis Robinson, 34, Black, Albuquerque, New Mexico
- Jun 13, 2010, William Owens, 17, Race: Unknown, Homewood, Alabama
- Jun 14, 2010, Jose Alfredo Jimenez, 42, Hispanic, Harris County, Texas
- Jun 15, 2010, Michael White, 47, Black, Vallejo, California
- Jun 22, 2010, Daniel Sylvester, 35, Caucasian, Crescent City, California
- July 5, 2010, Damon Falls, 31, Black, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
- July 5, 2010, Edmund Gutierrez, 22, Hispanic, Imperial, California
- July 8, 2010, Phyllis Owens, 87, Race: Unknown, Clackamas County, Oregon
- July 9, 2010, Marvin Booker, 56, Race: Black, Denver, Colorado
- July 12, 2010, Anibal Rosario-Rodriguez, 61, Hispanic, New Britain, Connecticut
- July 15, 2010, Jerome Gill, Race: Unknown, Chicago, Illinois
- July 18, 2010, Edward Stephenson, 46, Race: Unknown, Leavenworth, Kansas
- July 23, 2010, Jermaine Williams, 30, Black, Cleveland, Mississippi
- Aug 1, 2010, Dennis Sandras, 49, Race: Unknown, Houma, Louisiana
- Aug 9, 2010, Andrew Torres, 39, Hispanic, Greenville, South Carolina
- Aug 18, 2010, Martin Harrison, 50, Caucasian, Dublin, California
- Aug 19, 2010, Adam Disalvo, 30, Caucasian, Daytona Beach, Florida
- Aug 20, 2010, Stanley Jackson, 31, Black, Washtenaw County, Michigan
- Aug 24, 2010, Michael Ford, 50, Black, Livonia, Michigan
- Aug 25, 2010, Eduardo Hernandez-Lopez, 21, Hispanic, Las Vegas, Nevada
- Aug 31, 2010, King Hoover, 27, Black, Spanaway, Washington
- Sep 4, 2010, Adam Colliers, 25, Caucasian, Gold Bar, Washington
- Sep 10, 2010, Larry Rubio, 20, Race: Unknown, Leemore, California
- Sep 12, 2010, Freddie Lockett, 30, Black, Dallas, Texas
- Sep 16, 2010, Gary L. Grossenbacher, 48, Race: Unknown, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
- Sep 18, 2010, David Cornelius Smith, 28, Black, Minneapolis, Minnesota
- Sep 18, 2010, Joseph Frank Kennedy, 48, Caucasian, La Mirada, California
- Oct 4, 2010, Javon Rakestrau, 28, Black, Lafayette Parish, Louisiana
- Oct 7, 2010, Patrick Johnson, 18, Caucasian, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Oct 12, 2010, Ryan Bain, 31, Caucasian, Billings, Montana
- Oct 14, 2010, Karreem Ali, 65, Black, Silver Spring, Maryland
- Oct 19, 2010, Troy Hooftallen, 36, Caucasian, Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania
- Nov 4, 2010, Eugene Lamott Allen, 40, Race: Unknown, Wilmington, Delaware
- Nov 6, 2010, Robert Neill, Jr., 61, Caucasian, Mount Joy, Pennsylvania
- Nov 7, 2010, Mark Shaver, 32, Caucasian, Brimfield, Ohio
- Nov 23, 2010, Denevious Thomas, 36, Black, Albany, Georgia
- Nov 26, 2010, Rodney Green, 36, Black, Waco, Texas
- Nov 27, 2010, Blaine McElroy, 37, Race: Unknown, Jackson County, Mississippi
- Dec 2, 2010, Clayton Early James, Age: Unknown, Race: Unknown, Elizabeth City, North Carolina
- Dec 11, 2010, Anthony Jones, 44, Race: Unknown, Las Vegas, Nevada
- Dec 12, 2010, Linel Lormeus, 26, Black, Naples, Florida
- Dec 20, 2010, Christopher Knight, 35, Black, Brunswick, Georgia
- Dec 31, 2010, Rodney Brown, 40, Black, Cleveland, Ohio
- Jan 5, 2011, Kelly Sinclair, 41, Race: Unknown, Amarillo, Texas
- Feb 5, 2011, Robert Ricks, 23, Black, Alexandria, Louisiana
- March 15, 2011, Brandon Bethea, 24, Black, Harnett County, North Carolina
- Apr 3, 2011, Jairious McGhee, 23, Black, Tampa, Florida
- Apr 22, 2011, Adam Spencer Johnson, 33, Caucasian, Orlando, Florida
- Apr 23, 2011, Ronald Armstrong, 43, Race: Unknown, Pinehurst, North Carolina
- Apr 25, 2011, Kevin Darius Campbell, 39, Race: Unknown, Tallahassee, Florida
- May 1, 2011, Marcus Brown, 26, Black, Waterbury, Connecticut
- May 6, 2011, Matthew Mittelstadt, 56, Caucasian, Boundary County, Idaho
- May 11, 2011, Allen Kephart, 43, Caucasian, San Bernadino County, California
- June 13, 2011, Howard Hammon, 41, Caucasian, Middleburg, Ohio
- June 22, 2011, Otto Kolberg, 55, Caucasian, Waycross, Georgia
- June 28, 2011, Dalric East, 40, Black, Montgomery County, Maryland
- July 5, 2011, Kelly Thomas, 37, Caucasian, Fullerton, California
- July 10, 2011, Joshua Nossoughi, 32, Caucasian, Springfield, Missouri
- July 19, 2011, Alonzo Ashley, 29, Black, Denver, Colorado
- July 21, 2011, La’Reko Williams, 21, Black, Charlotte, North Carolina
- July 30, 2011, Donald Murray, 39, Caucasian, Westland, Michigan
- August 4, 2011, Pierre Abernathy, 30, Black, San Antonio, Texas
- August 6, 2011, Everette Howard, 18, Black, Cincinnati, Ohio
- August 6, 2011, Debro Wilkerson, 29, Black, Prince William County, Maryland
- August 6, 2011, Gregory Kralovetz, 50, Caucasian, Kaukauna, Wisconsin
- August 12, 2011, Joseph Lopez, 49, Hispanic, Santa Barbara, California
- August 17, 2011, Roger Chandler, 41, Caucasian, Helena, Montana
- August 21, 2011, Montalito McKissick, 37, Black, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
- August 24, 2011, Michael Evans, 56, Race: Unknown, Fayetteville, North Carolina
- August 30, 2011, Nicholas Koscielniak, 27, Caucasian, Lancaster, New York
- September 11, 2011, Tyree Sinclair, 31, Black, Corpus Christi, Texas
- September 13, 2011, Damon Barnett, 44, Caucasian, Fresno, California
- September 17, 2011, Richard Kokenos, 27, Caucasian, Warren, Michigan
- September 24, 2011, Bradford Gibson, 35, Black, Mt. Pleasant, Michigan
- September 24, 2011, Donacio Rendon, 43, Race: Unknown, Lubbock, Texas
- September 29, 2011, Howard Cook, 35, Black, York, Pennsylvania
- October 4, 2011, Glenn Norman, 46, Caucasian, Camden County, Missouri
- October 9, 2011, Darnell Hutchinson, 32, Black, San Leandro, California
- October 31, 2011, Chad Brothers, 32, Caucasian, Colonie, New York
- November 6, 2011, Darrin Hanna, 43, Black, North Chicago, Illinois
- November 13, 2011, Ronald Cristiano, 51, Caucasian, Bridgeport, Connecticut
- November 15, 2011, Jonathan White, 29, Black, San Bernardino, California
- November 22, 2011, Roger Anthony, 61, Black, Scotland Neck, North Carolina
- December 16, 2011, Marty Atencio, 44, Hispanic, Phoenix, Arizona
- December 22, 2011, Wayne Williams, 27, Black, Houma, Louisiana
- January 15, 2012, Daniel Guerra, 24, Hispanic, Ft. Worth, Texas
- February 29, 2012, Raymond Allen, 34, Black, Galveston, Texas
- March 5, 2012, Nehemiah Dillard, 29, Black, Gainesville, Florida
- March 12, 2012, Jersey Green, 37, Black, Aurora, Illinois
- March 19, 2012, James Barnes, 38, Caucasian, Pinellas County, Florida
- April 10, 2012, Bobby Merrill, 38, Black, Saginaw, Michigan
- April 21, 2012, Angel Heraldo, 41, Hispanic, Meriden, Connecticut
- April 22, 2012, Bruce Chrestensen, 52, Caucasian, Grass Valley, California
- May 10, 2012, Damon Abraham, 34, Black, Baldwin, Louisiana
- June 9, 2012, Randolph Bonvillian, 41, Caucasian, Houma, Louisiana
- June 20, 2012, Macadam Mason, 39, Caucasian, Thetford, Vermont
- June 30, 2012, Victor Duffy, 25, Black, Tukwila, Washington
- July 1, 2012, Corey McGinnis, 35, Black, Cincinnati, Ohio
- July 5, 2012, Sampson Castellane, 29, Native American, Fife, Washington
- September 1, 2012, Denis Chabot, 38, Caucasian, Houston, Texas
- September 14, 2012, Bill Williams, 60, Caucasian, Everett, Washington
The work done over the past few years by Patti Gillman and Cameron Wardcontinue to be the inspiration. Gillman and Ward documented over 730 taser-related deaths in North America on their blog.
On the other hand, I think that something is wrong in America when the police electrocute folks on a WEEKLY basis with their taser arsenal … and the public is mute in its response.
This is a horrible misuse of a so-called *non-lethal* technology.
181 tazer deaths just since 2009 – sept 2012? Geeze, this sound like it is i8i times more deadly than that evil marijuana!——— No wonder it makes me feel good whenever I hear of a pig/cop getting killed or tortured. There is not enough money that could be won in a lawsuit against a PD or a cop that was being sued for abuse of power, etc.
Guess you got off easy, NC.
You’re still breathing.
After reading this article and showing it to my wife, we both agreed that same thing, #1. This is why I yelled at the police officers during that incident and why I filed complaints of abuse to the Round Rock, TX police. What they did was uncalled for and I even told the IA officer that people die from that and I could have died if I had a heart problem. I asked him if they ever thought about that and he just listened and tried to be understanding. You know, the whole management/customer service bullshit that people in those kinds of positions play and all. The “listen and hope you will go away after you are done bitching as there is nothing I can do” thing. He said, “Oh, well we make sure that all our officers are tased to show how bad it is before we give them it.” Hmm….gee….I’m starting to wonder if they set the tasers for 100 volts for the officer initiation process, instead of 2,000 volts. Big difference, I would say. It’s no wonder they don’t care or think it is still “non-lethal”. Cops these days don’t even have the brains to find their way out of a paper bag, let alone do the math on these things. Typical.
NC, the only time I have ever known a cop acting like he is understanding is when the cop is trying to set a person up.
NC, I don’t think they come in 500 or 2,000 volt models. The woman in this article was nailed with 50,000.
My stun gun (legal) puts out 950,000, and a friend of of mine has one that packs a 1,000,000 volt wallop.
Needless to say, either one is more than enough to knock the biggest moron clean off his feet.
Yea I know the stun guns that are sold in stores are about that range in voltage (650,000 – 1,000,000 volts). However, I just thought that the police have their own custom stun guns that can adjust the voltage to whatever level they want. You know the police have their own custom made weapons that can always counter any of the civilian weapons. Even the car radars are useless for us civilians because the police use a radar detector detector to detect you and your radar before you can detect them. The radar companies are making millions off of dumb, gullible and naive teenagers who believe those radar detectors actually work against traffic cops. It’s sad. So I’m assuming the same can be said for police tasers verses civilian tasers.
The other cool thing about them is: if you zap one of their cars with one, it fries the electrical system – they ain’t goin’ anywhere after that. That’s what I’ve heard, anyway. (I’d be a bit worried about the gas tank possibly blowing up, though) LOL
I’m noticing quite a few Texas deaths from Taser incidents on this list. I guess I really did get off easily.