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Coroner: Man who died after Taser incident had health issues
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LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL
Updated: Mar. 24, 2011 | 8:16 a.m.
A 44-year-old man who died after Las Vegas police shocked him with a Taser "several" times in December had cocaine and alcohol in his system, the Clark County coroner's office said Wednesday.
Las Vegan Anthony Jones died from cocaine and ethanol intoxication, the coroner's office said. But other factors contributed to his death, including "police restraining procedures" and an enlarged heart from obesity and mild hypertension, the coroner found.
Assistant Coroner John Fudenberg said that although science has not determined whether Taser guns kill, the use of the less-lethal weapon could have been a factor in Jones' death.
"It's safe to say that it could have possibly contributed to his death," Fudenberg said.
The coroner ruled Jones' death a homicide, meaning only that Jones died as the result of actions of others.
ROUTINE TRAFFIC STOP
Jones died in the early morning hours of Dec. 11. His confrontation with police began with a routine traffic stop less than a mile from his home and ended with a struggle with officers who used a Taser to subdue him.
The incident began when Jones' 1993 Lexus was stopped at about 1 a.m. in the 1000 block of West Lake Mead Boulevard, near Martin Luther King Boulevard. Police have not said what prompted the stop.
Police said Jones ran north across Lake Mead and jumped a wall into the backyard of an abandoned house in the 1000 block of Hart Avenue, about two-tenths of a mile from his car. When police caught up to him, he aggressively resisted them, and officers used a Taser "several times," according to police. The department has not said how many times Jones was shocked.
Jones was pronounced dead at Valley Hospital Medical Center.
The officers involved were Mark Hatten, who has been with the agency since January 2007, and Timothy English, who was hired in June 2008.
Hatten and English were placed on routine paid administrative leave after their encounter with Jones, but police spokesman Jacinto Rivera said they are back at work in positions in which they do not have "citizen contact." Their return to regular duty depends on the outcome of a coroner's inquest that has yet to be scheduled, he said.
CRIMINAL RECORD
Jones spent most of his adult life in prison, starting with a sexual assault conviction in 1982 when he was 16. He had several other offenses since then, prison records indicate.
On Aug. 25, Henderson resident Eduardo Hernandez-Lopez, 21, died after he was shot with a Taser by the Nevada Highway Patrol.
According to the Nevada Department of Public Safety, troopers were alerted to an accident on U.S. Highway 95 involving an individual fighting others there.
When officers arrived, they had an altercation with Hernandez-Lopez, whom they described as an "irate individual." During the altercation the man was shot with a Taser, and troopers later noticed he was not breathing. The coroner's office listed his death as "cardiopulmonary arrest during varied restraining procedures" and a homicide. The inquest is pending.
A Taser delivers 50,000 volts of electricity, which incapacitates the body.
A 2008 study by Amnesty International concluded that Las Vegas led U.S. cities in deaths involving law enforcement use of Tasers. The study found that between June 2001 and August 2008, seven people died after Tasers were used on them.
Six of the deaths involved Las Vegas officers, who began using Tasers in 2004.
Contact reporter Antonio Planas at aplanas@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-4638.
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A tox screen is done on all persons who were involved in an altercation with law enforcement resulting in death.
Why test the subject for drugs in the first place? This seemed like a completely justifiable use of force when it first occured. The subject ran, resisted arrest and the police used what they viewed as a non-lethal means to restrain him. If the taser was justified, does it matter if cocaine contributed to his death? Justifiable is justifiable. The only reason to shift blame to the victim here is the possibility that the cops aren't telling us the whole truth here and are covering their bases. Since Metro has high tolerance for deception (as they reminded us by not charging Yant with perjury) the possibility of dishonesty on their part can never be dismissed. It's sad that Metro can't get through any officer any involved death without raising questions as to the validity of their actions. But that is the result of years of lying to the public. And wayngrow91, before you go off half cocked on the homicide ruling, know this. The coronor has only three choices; suicide, natural causes or homicide (defined a simply death caused by actions other than those of the victim.) Homicide is the only one that fits here, and if the officers actions were justified then that is that,
In order to be lisenced to cary a taser you must be tased. This being said I don't believe that the Police would be using an insturment that killed a cop. I have been tased and I am fine today. I would much wrather be tased for 5 seconds than be maced and have the crap beat out of me with a baton. What they don't report is all of the lives that have been saved by a taser. You don't hear in the paper about the guy who charged a cop with a knife and got tased instead of shot. Remove the taser and see how many people get shot now. Quit your crying about the police doing thier jobs. If you dont like how they are doing things, then put down your tissue and join the police department. Lets see how long you last arresting criminals with hugs instead of handcuffs.
I thought tasers were to be used ONLY short of lethal force...guess I was wrong!!
Our military, law enforcement, and ELECTED OFFICIALS need to HONOR THEIR OATH TO THE U.S. CONSTITUTION!!!
oathkeepers.org
Netsuai: You're "thankful Metro chose to use their tasers instead of their guns". WOULD IT HAVE MADE A DIFFERENCE? Jones ended up dead anyway. What's your point? And just what is "Metro's mission statement"? To kill-off as many civilians as possible by Taser, or firearms? The cops in Beijing or Moscow have fewer casualties than Metro. Do you actually think living under military occupation is preferable to freedom? Why was Jones pulled over in the first place?
Even with the way the article was written, Metro did everything by policy. The suspect was able to take off and jump a wall. He resisted arrest and I'm thankful Metro chose to use their tasers instead of their guns. I'm actually in agreement with RealityKingpin here. The only thing I think is unjust is that the two officers were assigned duties with no "citizen contact". They did their duties while carrying out Metro's mission statement and they are being punished because a man resisted arrest and put himself under the influence of chemicals and obesity.
I think we've seen all of the evidence we need concerning Tasers. They're more lethal than purported to be. I'm sure police departments receive kickbacks from Taser manufacturers after large purchases, so they would be most reluctant to stop using them. We'd save more money by simply using large fishing nets on out-of-control suspects. I wonder why they pulled Jones over in the first place. The cops won't say, which makes this entire case suspect.
gee maybe they should have used taser on the distict attorney who had just got arrested with crack !!!lol
When cops are trained, aren't they subjected to the use of the Taser? And if so, how many have died? I bet the answer is none. Why? Probably because they weren't on 15 different types of drugs....It appears that when these subjects die, the coroner always finds all kinds of drugs in the deceased.
The man's major "health issue" was that he was murdered by idiots using a Taser.