Taser fired 13 times at man who later died
By: TERI FIGUEROA - Staff Writer | ∞
VISTA ---- Deputies fired electric stun guns 13 times as they tried to subdue a man ---- who slipped into a coma and later died ---- during a February confrontation in Vista, according to the data recordings in the Taser guns.
It is unclear how many Taser shots made contact with Martin Mendoza, 43, of Oceanside during the Feb. 18 incident. Deputy Medical Examiner Jonathan Lucas, who performed Mendoza's autopsy, said Monday that there was evidence that Mendoza had been hit at least two times, and possibly three times, with barbs from a particular type of Taser shot.
However, because not all Taser contact leaves a mark, and not every Taser shot effectively hits the target, there is no way to tell how many times Mendoza may have been shocked with Tasers during the confrontation, Lucas said.
"There's no way to know that at all. I can't know that, law enforcement can't know that," Lucas said. "There's just no good way to answer that question."
Mendoza's death has garnered attention in part because it happened in Vista, where Latino activists have loudly criticized the Sheriff's Department's use of force. The outcry peaked after the summer of 2005, when three men were fatally shot by deputies during a five-day stretch.
After those shootings, the department expanded its use of Tasers, considered to be a less-lethal weapon.
Mendoza's autopsy report said he continued to struggle with deputies after the Taser was used.
Lucas, the pathologist, also said Monday that it's possible some of the markings left by the Tasers could have healed during the three days Mendoza was hospitalized before he died, and thus would not be apparent in an autopsy.
The findings about the number of Taser firings were provided to the North County Times late Friday by the San Diego County Medical Examiner's office.
Reached on her cell phone in Texas, Mendoza's 25-year-old daughter, Jasmine Martinez, said she was concerned by the number of Taser shots fired, even if not all of them hit her father.
"I don't even know what to think of it. That's pretty harsh," Martinez said. "Thirteen times is just a ridiculous amount."
The San Diego Sheriff's Department has no policy on the number of times a suspect may be shocked with an electric stun gun, said Lt. Jim Bolwerk, the commander of the department's weapons training unit.
"Every situation is specific, and the circumstances are always unique and novel in any use of force situation," Bolwerk said.
Gary Vilke is an emergency room doctor with the UC San Diego Medical Center, and he has conducted research on the effects of stun guns. Vilke, who is considered an authority in the field, said there is no formal recommendation for a maximum number of times a person should be shot with a stun gun.
Investigators can tell that the Tasers were fired 13 times during the confrontation at a service station in Vista because the stun guns record information about the number of times they are fired and the duration of each shot.
Three of the 13 stun gun shots fired that night were what is known as a probe or barb shots, in which the target is shot with two small hooks attached to a wire and then a shock is administered, according to the autopsy report.
The autopsy report states the remaining 10 Taser shots were likely what is known as "drive stun" shots, during which the Taser is placed directly on the skin or clothing of the target and fired.
The first round of Taser shots on Mendoza lasted less than a minute, and included two shots that were 5 seconds long and one that was 3 seconds long. Those two shots were said to have had no effect on Mendoza, according to the autopsy report.
When another deputy discharged his Taser for 9 seconds, Mendoza "was described as going rigid," according to the report. The deputy then fired a close contact drive stun for about 5 seconds, and then handed the Taser to another deputy. Eight additional discharges followed, each about 5 seconds long, in a two-minute period, the autopsy report states. Each of those shots was likely a drive stun, investigators concluded.
Between the stuns, Mendoza is described as "thrashing and kicking," according to the autopsy report.
After deputies were able to restrain Mendoza, they noticed he was not breathing and called paramedics. Mendoza was hospitalized, and then taken off life support systems three days later.
Mendoza's blood, taken moments after his arrival at the hospital, showed methamphetamine in his system, as well as a blood alcohol content of 0.15 percent.
The narrative of the events as described in the autopsy report came from a number of sources, including medical records, Taser data readings, statements from the deputies involved and the investigation done by the medical examiner's office.
Mendoza suffered a loss of oxygen to the brain after a Taser gun and maximum restraint techniques were used on him while he was under the effects of acute drug and alcohol intoxication, leading to death, according to the autopsy report.
Mendoza, who had drugs and alcohol in his system, came into contact with deputies at 10 p.m. on Feb. 18, after Mendoza called 911 from a service station at 145 North Emerald Drive to report that "someone was out to get him."
Deputies found no evidence to support the 43-year-old tile setter's allegation that night that someone was trying to harm him, and his bizarre behavior eventually landed him in the back of a patrol car, where he tried to kick out the windows.
When a deputy opened the door, according to an investigative narrative by the medical examiner's office, Mendoza lunged at him and then fell out of the car.
The three deputies on the scene tried to restrain Mendoza, but he fought back. According to the investigative narrative, one of the deputies deployed his Taser, but the shots were ineffective on Mendoza.
Another deputy used his Taser gun with success, but Mendoza continued to fight. According to the investigative narrative which accompanies the autopsy report, deputies continued to use Tasers on Mendoza, and "made a total of six contacts."
After Mendoza was placed in a four-point restraint, he was rolled onto his side. Deputies realized he was not breathing, began administering lifesaving efforts and called paramedics.
The manner of death in Mendoza's case is listed as homicide, indicating only that the death was caused by someone else. The listing does not implying any criminal wrongdoing.
Since Mendoza was in custody at the time, his death is being investigated by the sheriff's homicide detectives. Lt. Dennis Brugos, who leads the homicide investigation squad, said Monday that the probe has not yet been completed. Once it is complete, it will be turned over to the District Attorney's office, which investigates all such cases for any possible criminal wrongdoing.
Contact staff writer Teri Figueroa at (760) 631-6624 or tfigueroa@nctimes.com.
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Escondeeter wrote on Apr 30, 2007 9:59 PM:Let's be really clear about the autopsy finding. "Homicide" as determined by a coroner simply means "death at the hands of another". Deaths that aren't suicide, from natural causes, from accidents, or of unknown cause are classified Homicide. And, as Teri indicates, it doesn't mean the same thing as the word does when it's used in a criminal context. Not that that'll keep the 'race card' players from trying to capitalize on Mr. Mendoza's death, but at least everybody else will know what the facts are. Mr. Mendoza's death is a repeat of a very old, sad, song involving substance consumption, a violent confrontation, and a body overtaxed during the subsequent efforts to subdue him. It has nothing to do with taser use. The same result would have occurred had batons, OC spray, or a 'swarm' been used.
Concerned wrote on Apr 30, 2007 11:27 PM:Little did he know that when he called 911 to ask for assistance he'd set in motion his own execution by electric chair, without the chair by those he was calling for help. I'm sure that the ruling will be determined justified, but that seems a high price to pay for the crime of taking drugs and alchohol.
Drugs and alcohol wrote on May 1, 2007 12:18 AM:Deadly combination when you turn into a wild man!
Prediction... wrote on May 1, 2007 12:35 AM:I predict that no good will come out of this. We have a man, high on meth and drunk, fighting the cops. The cops used their tasers, and unfortunately Mendoza died. Now here's my predicitions. First the family will sue the Sheriffs department, The ACLU will come to the rescue of the family stating that Mendoza's Civil Rights were somehow violated. The race card will be drawn. EVEN MORE restraints will be placed on all Law Enforcement as a result of this and finally, they will make Mendoza look like the victim. In the end no one will ever even remember that poor Mendoza was high as a kite, drunk and was FIGHTING THE POLICE!!!
Teri wrote on May 1, 2007 3:31 AM:Is the human body designed to withstand 13 Taser shots? Would 13 Taser shots be aptly described as "excessive force?"
Mark wrote on May 1, 2007 3:50 AM:I wonder if this man was born in the U.S.? Here illegally and doing Meth...two strikes were agianst this man already.
Vista Man wrote on May 1, 2007 4:57 AM:Teri, The first half of your story was written to inflame the public concerning this situation. The truth is the man was drunk, stoned and caused this entire episode himself! The use of the taser was necessary if YOU didn't want the deputies to shoot the man as he was fighting with the sheriffs. You can have it one way or another but not both! Criminals, and this guy was a criminal as evidenced by his drug and .15 BAC levels, must be stopped. You have tried to paint this death as being the sheriffs responsibility and it was clearly the mans fault! Once again, the NCT is NOT serving the public by writting articles like this one!
Excessive use of force wrote on May 1, 2007 5:35 AM:The sheriff's deputy should be charged with murder and excessive use of force. This man called 911 for help,was having a panic attack with paranoid delusions. His mental status was in question and he should have been treated with respect and dignity instead they abused and murdered him
R wrote on May 1, 2007 6:07 AM:Well stated Escondeeter.
what they can expect wrote on May 1, 2007 6:49 AM:I think that druggies should know that if you take drugs, resist arrest and threaten the officers that work to protect us, this is what you can expect. Officers have to protect themselves from these crazy people!
Race Card wrote on May 1, 2007 6:53 AM:How did Escondeeter know that someone would "play the race card"? Well, race certainly might come to mind when yet another unarmed Latino is killed by trigger-happy sheriffs. Tasering a man thirteen times is murder, just like shooting a man 22 times. Sheriffs wouldn't feel free to engage in such uncontrolled orgies of violence in "white" neighborhoods like Shadowridge. The behavior of the Sheriffs has put the "race card" on the table, not us.
GFN wrote on May 1, 2007 7:24 AM:Another drunk and drugged out individual who is a threat to society and needs to be stopped. But, the problem is they are incoherent, so instead of shooting them for not listening to police officers, try to use a non-lethal device. They do; he dies; too bad. This is part of the price you pay when the mental health facilities are non-existent, and when a society allows the use of crystal meth to continue unabated.
Congrats Escondeeter!!! wrote on May 1, 2007 7:29 AM:thanks for playing the race card. Also nice that you are a Taser expert and know that it had nothing to do with the mans death. Maybe you can now solve the Iraq situation and cure cancer!!!!
To Escon wrote on May 1, 2007 7:50 AM:If the police used excessive non-lethal force they should be tried for man slaughter. Just because they are police doesnt mean they should be able to get off crimes that they often arrest people for. They need to practice what they preach
Logic wrote on May 1, 2007 8:18 AM:The only person that can be blamed for the death is Mr. Mendoza himself. He put himself into the situation in which the police were called, and once they arrived he chose to try to fight with them than to be peaceful about it. Everyone always claims to be a 'victim' of the police, but the only people that put themselves at risk of confrontation with police are those who are breaking laws, substance abusers, or violent. If they were abiding by the law, there would be nothing to worry about, would there?
to Escondeeter wrote on May 1, 2007 8:40 AM:Ya homicide by the Vista Sheriff, unfortunately it happens way too often when they deal with Mexicans. Their, I pulled the race card, does the truth hurt?
Heady wrote on May 1, 2007 9:06 AM:Meth may be the most destructive and deadly substances formulated by man. The residual effects continue on for decades after the last use. And the user's and x-user's ability to objectively judge that personal effect is snarled and obscured throughout. Should one have the resources and desire, make a good study of it. The opportunity for the user to be rehabilitated is slim to none.
Ask wrote on May 1, 2007 9:37 AM:You dont get tasered for no reason!!! ...
He made a choice wrote on May 1, 2007 9:38 AM:The victim made a choice to use drugs and alcohol, weapons against society and the deputies who tried to subdue him. Physical restraint alone is no match for the loaded deadly weapons Mendoza carried: drugs and booze. I do question the number of taser 'shots' in this case; seems excessive in the face of the number of officers present. If leg and hand/arm restrains were used, wasn't the man essentially defenseless except for his psychotic reactions? Our society is doomed as long as mind altering drugs continue to proliferate. Then there is the one concern (for me) that the man was calling for HELP 911, so did he have a criminal record or have a job or what? Hope this story will have a follow up.
esteban wrote on May 1, 2007 9:44 AM:Of course my comment made too much sense for the NCT to print it.
The race card wrote on May 1, 2007 9:48 AM:Yes, the race card pops up. Why shouldn't it? Drugs from Mexico flow here like their dirty sewage. Apologies to legal immigrants, but how much more can OUR economy suffer? We are besieged by molesters, druggies, gangs, homeless, violent robbers, lowering of test scores at school, and generally a disheartening effort to find solutions. I'm sorry a life was lost, but sounds like it was lost before the tasers were used.
censored again wrote on May 1, 2007 10:20 AM:seems NCT only wants to censor this thread
Taxpayer wrote on May 1, 2007 10:27 AM:The same group that are against the police in this instance are the ones that are for Foley and Gaut in their little debacle! The police will never be able to do right by them! Even on the day they call for help they will find a reason to blame the police or the firemen for something! It is all about the give it to me free generation and the only one's responsible to pay for them are those who work hard for a living and make a few dollars! Sad but true!
Can't win wrote on May 1, 2007 10:38 AM:Paranoia is a classic symptom of meth use. Not casual use but long term abuse. There is no way to tell how long this man had gone without sleep. Most of us have no idea what it's like to go two days without sleep, much less a week or more. The fact that a drug user actually called the police goes a long way to show how out of it this person was. So he is drunk, wired, paranoid and turned combative. So what should the officers done? I think they did what they had to do. They used the minimum force availble to them to try and subdue this guy. Yet here we are second guessing their actions. Nowhere in this article does it say what he died of. The only medical thing noted is that there was loss of oxygen to the brain but no indication of why. Was he choked out, did he have a heart attack? Bottom line for me is don't do meth. If you are going to wreck your life and family by using this junk don't call the cops. They will arrest you. If you fight them they will fight back. None this take a genius to figure out. I feel for his family and friends but they were screwed when he started tweaking.
NC Times cencors all the time. wrote on May 1, 2007 10:45 AM:Half of what was typed gets put on here! {Editor's Note: Policies for civil online discussion: First name only. Comments including last names, contact addresses, email addresses or phone numbers will be deleted. All comments are screened before they appear online, so please keep them brief. Comments reflect the views of those commenting and not necessarily those of the North County Times or its staff writers. Our growing online community discussion must be a safe place for you to enter, a healthy venue free of invective and personal criticism. So we follow these policies: All comments are screened by an editor prior to posting. Editors will not post any offensive language, defamatory statements, personal attacks or other questionable content. Comments typically are not edited or altered. They are either approved for posting or declined, so authors should self-edit their content. Moderators may at their discretion make minor changes to a post if it fails to meet our standards. Such changes will be denoted with an ellipsis "..." when content is cut or brackets "[ ]" when content is added. Assertions of questionable or unrelated information will decrease the likelihood of approval. However we welcome such information in the form of news tips on our "Send News" tip forms. Posters may not include contact information or last names as we cannot guarantee the identity. No email addresses or Web links to pages other than those on this site or to public governmental sites will be allowed. Keep the content clean and respectful of other readers. Please speak to the issues rather than attacking fellow commenters, as name-calling and invective are prohibited. If you see objectionable content, contact the moderators at blogeditor@nctimes.com. Note that IP addresses are conveyed with each submission, but they are not shared per our privacy policy.}
The alternative wrote on May 1, 2007 10:46 AM:If you think 13 shots from a Taser is too many, then maybe the SDSO should institute a new policy. After 5 shots with a Taser and no effect, use a gun.
crashd wrote on May 1, 2007 10:46 AM:Lets make this perfectly clear and call it what it was. I don't care what race a person is. You do a crime, you better be prepared for the CONSEQUENCES! You fight the police, you better be prepared for a hurting! And, if it so happens that certain ethnicities are doing MORE of the crimes, then of course they will get caught and punished more statistically. Don't twist these statistics in to some sort of race card, folks. Stop being trash and you will not be treated that way, no matter what your color!
Dick E. wrote on May 1, 2007 10:57 AM:Why didn't you post my earlier comment under the name Race Card? You've been 86ing lots of my posts lately. What's up? Do you want people to participate in these forums or not?
Can win wrote on May 1, 2007 10:57 AM:To censorship whinners. They posted your comments about censoring your posts yet they didn't post the other comments. Maybe you said something so objectional that they wouldn't post it. Considering the posts that do make it I think it must take something pretty exceptionally objectionable for them to delete it. To the race card whinners. Get your brethren to commit less crime and the cops will stop messing with them. Cops only have so much time so they go where the problems are. Can you say crime ridden neighborhood? They don't care who lives there, they go there because someone called them. Well if it is a hispanic neighborhood it will probably be a hispanic criminal.
fedup wrote on May 1, 2007 11:17 AM:clearly, what we have here, is a failure to comply with the orders of an officer in uniform. again!
Miles wrote on May 1, 2007 11:30 AM:Born of a broken man but not a broken man. I hope this man despite being on drugs didn't die in vain. The police need to figure out a way to fight against people like this. I do not pity Mr Mendoza because of the fact that he is the one that did this to himself. All we can do now is hope that things such as this dont happen in the future and that the family of the victim can be ok. There is always two sides to the story. Open your eyes.
To Can wrote on May 1, 2007 11:32 AM:Anyways....
to Dick E. wrote on May 1, 2007 11:34 AM:I gues they just dont want you to participate LOL thats a funny name at least they let that through LOL
Quit whining wrote on May 1, 2007 11:43 AM:and pass me the vodka, anybody see my meth????
to RACE CARD wrote on May 1, 2007 12:59 PM:I think that you are absolutely incorrect in stating that this has to do with a man's race or neighborhood. It has to do with someone not following the law. If a "white man" in Shadowridge had a confrontation with police officers, there would have been the exact same outcome if he was high on drugs and alcohol. So please quit abusing the system by allowing yourself to believe that RACE has anything to do with following the laws of OUR country.
To Miles wrote on May 1, 2007 1:44 PM:You are right, they police need to figure out a way to fight against people like this. Maybe they should shoot them instead, it is much quicker and successfully ends a dangerous confrontation. After all, why carry these silly little tasers that are far less than lethal. Maybe they should just leave all of their protection at home and just hope that telling the criminals they are bad people will stop the crimes. Violence begets violence, and if you are violent with the police, and I believe they have every right (yes, I said right) to use whatever force necessary to bring the situation to a swift end.
Jay wrote on May 1, 2007 1:53 PM:I'm not usually a big suporter of the police especially the SD County Sheriff's department but I think it is clear that the root cause of this man's death is the choices the he himself made in life. Meth and alcohol are what killed this man. The deputy's were merely trying to get him off the street where he was clearly a threat to public safety. What were their other choices? Firearms, batons? These could easily have proved lethal too. As always, those who have raised racial allegations are either spreading their political agenda or are just plain delusional.
ANOTHER VISTA RESIDENT wrote on May 1, 2007 2:44 PM:SO NOW ANOTHER LATINO MAN HAVE DIED IN THE HANDS OF THE LAW!! THERE WILL BE AN "INVESTIGATION" AND EVERYTHING WILLBE ALL RIGHT!! YOU'LL SEE. WHEN HAVE THE POLICE/SHERIFF BEEN FOUND NEGLIGENT? OR WHEN HAVE THEY ADMITTED WRONG DOING? IF YOU ARE PISSED OFF ABOUT THIS ONE, DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT..WRITE A LETTER TO YOUR MAYOR.
According to some of wrote on May 1, 2007 4:16 PM:the views of posters here is that if you use drugs and drink, you deserve to die...That's what I'm getting from what I'm reading. That's a terrible thing. I'm not saying that using drugs and drinking is a good thing, but to say that that's what you get... is wrong. I am going to ask a race question.. If this man were white and on meth, delusional and drunk, would the police have treated him the same way? Wasn't there a better way to deal with someone with a problem than this? If this were a mental patient who was delusional and violent, should he/she expect to die as well? This seems to me the beginning of a very bad precedent if it is ok to kill a person in need of help. Doesn't sit right with me at all and it shouldn't with the rest of the public as well. Think if you had a mental break - not necessarily drugs and drink involved, but just a mental snap and needed help and this happened to you.... It makes one lose trust in the police to help when help is needed. Where was the compassion for this man in trouble?
To According wrote on May 1, 2007 4:46 PM:Now you want the police to be mental health professionals as well as police officers? Doesn't work, never will. How were they suppose to know of this guys problems? They did the best they could to subdue him without shooting him. Face the facts you all want the perfect solution and there almost never is one!
Tornado wrote on May 1, 2007 6:14 PM:The man was already arrested, and in the back seat of the police car before he was ever tasered. Why couldn't he have just been driven to mental hospital, or even to the jail to let him cool off. Instead he was removed from the car and then shocked to death for having a fit. I've seen it in person. The cop had the guy in the backseat, arrested... and the arrested guy was moving around and yelling. The officer got out of his car, opened the door and started punching him repeatedly while the guy sat there handcuffed. Weren't they already subdued when they were sitting in the back of a locked police car?
Ask wrote on May 1, 2007 9:49 PM:Tornado, it is people like you that steer information FROM the truth. There is nothing in the article stating he was in the back seat of the police car when tasered......... .15 BAC and Meth........
To Tornado wrote on May 2, 2007 6:12 AM:The man may have been sitting without handcuffs in the back seat while the officer check to see if he had any warrents. A reasonable question considering he was drunk and high. Once he began kicking at the windows he would have to be removed to be securely placed in handcuffs. You are assuming things that aren't likely.
Think About It wrote on May 2, 2007 6:20 AM:Did anyone ever consider that the police arrived to help him and discovered he was under the influence and a danger to himself and the community. Therefore they decide to take him into protective custody. At this point, being under the influence of alcohol and meth, he becomes much stronger and feels very little pain. He is not using good judgement and begins to fight, violently, with officers. They have no choice but to try and subdue him before he hurts not only an officer, but possibly himself and other citizens. Had he not been so intoxicated he probably wouldn't have died from the taser shocks.
esteban wrote on May 2, 2007 7:28 AM:Anyone who thinks the cops were wrong on this one should be checked into a mental facility. I mean come on!!!!! They did everything they could to control him so they wouldn't have to use deadly force!!!! Not the cops fault the guys health was so bad. How do you people get thru the day with logic like that????
To esteban wrote on May 2, 2007 12:51 PM:These people and their "logic" are the dangerous ones. As has been said before - Let the critics try to do the job of the police and then castigate the critics their every "mistake" that the "armchair police" think was made.
Mendoza called 911 - wrote on May 2, 2007 5:02 PM:He hadn't committed any crimes at that point - he called 911 for help. Then he gets Tasered 13 times by deputies, & you people don't think that's a little excessive? They should have stopped after the 4th Taser when Mendoza went rigid. But no, "The deputy then fired a close contact drive stun for about 5 seconds, and then handed the Taser to another deputy. Eight additional discharges followed, each about 5 seconds long, in a two-minute period ..." In essence, the deputies electrocuted this man who called for help. So he was on meth & alcohol - don't the deputies trot that out as an excuse every time there's the possibility of a claim for excessive use of force? Bottom line - deputies need to be taught how to deal with mentally ill individuals (including those on drugs) in a manner that doesn't involve killing them!
Hey, Mendoza wrote on May 2, 2007 6:49 PM:I think trying to damage a police car, assault on an officer, public drunkeness, filing a false report (911 call), ingesting illegal substances, and who knows what else he did are all crimes.
hey here's an idea wrote on May 2, 2007 6:52 PM:FOLLOW THE LAW!!!! and you won't die.
jc wrote on May 3, 2007 1:19 AM:What all the monday morning quarterbacks fail to realize here, is that, just like a drunk, someone who is high on meth DOESN'T THINK RATIONALLY! Anyone who has ever tried to reason with someone who is drunk knows its an impossible task. Has anyone thought about the fact that it took 5 deputies to get Mr. Mendoza physically restrained? That's because the METHAMPHETAMINE in his system caused his heart to pump loads of adrenaline into his system. It is truly sad and unfortunate that Mr. Mendoza lost his life and his family has suffered as well. However, Mr. Mendoza CHOSE to ingest the methamphetamine, CHOSE to drink the beer, and then unfortunately was not able to act rationally when contacted by the deputies. As soon as someone comes up with a magic "Instant Immobilizer" that is completley harmless, humane, and 100% effective, I'm sure Law Enforcement nationwide will be happy to make use of it. Until then, we give them tools and training and ask them to do a very difficult job that no one else wants to do. Think about that before automatically criticizing a cop every time something tragic happens.
To jc wrote on May 3, 2007 8:03 PM:It appears that many more than Mr Mendoza just don't understand one of life's basic equations - get violent with a cop, you're going to get hurt. The pro-Mendoza bloggers don't think that they need to obey the law, that they are special - they are wrong. Let one of these sympathizers, who isn't a sumo wrestler, control a drug hyped out-of-control crazy. Let's see these the arm-chair cops, with their vast knowledge and superior methods do the job, if they can. It's time for them to put up or shut up.
jf!!! wrote on May 4, 2007 5:55 AM:To Logic: Very well put>>>>>>
Who are the Sheriff's Deputies who were involved? wrote on May 6, 2007 11:31 AM:Give us all the information. Tell me who the Sheriff's Deputies involved are?
Greg wrote on May 6, 2007 7:55 PM:Hey here's an idea - STOP BREAKING THE LAW! It will probably help you live longer and help you live a better life. you CHOOSE your life, don't blame anybody for YOUR choices.
esteban wrote on May 7, 2007 8:19 AM:Don't worry about the names of the deputies involved, how 'bout that?!?!? What are you gonna do with the names? Nothing good I'm sure. The deps did their job and the crook cvan't hurt anyone anymore.
How it works wrote on May 8, 2007 11:18 PM:13 times does not mean the man was tazed 13 times. It just means the tasers triggers were pulled 13 times. There are two ways to use a tazer. One, you shoot out two barbs that go into the suspect who is then shocked. Second, You touch the suspect with the end of the tazer and pull the trigger, applying a shock. The barbs is much more affective...if the barbs hit the target. Many times, due to fighting with the suspect, the barbs do not get a good connection, and do not shock the suspect. The direct shock, does not affect the suspect so much to make him unable to fight, and only is a pain compliance. I have tazed myself with the direct method and I could take 13 "rides". I wouldnt want to but it wouldnt affect me health. Then again, I am not a tweeker!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Learn the facts before you make a decision. I think we should have a day without a cop day. Then we will see attitudes change.
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