Death of Fort Worth, Texas man tased by police ruled a homicide

[Blaze Diem]

http://www.wfaa.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/localnews/tv/stories/wfaa080927_mo_tased.12125ae02.html

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FORT WORTH - The Tarrant County Medical Examiner's Office has ruled the death of a man tased and then taken into Fort Worth police custody a homicide.

The finding is rare. More than 334 people have died after being tasered nationwide. According to an Amnesty International report released in December, only 17 of those deaths were ruled as caused by tasers. The majority of the deaths were found to be caused by other health issues.

Michael Patrick Jacobs, Jr., 24, died while in police custody on April 18. An autopsy showed no traces of alcohol or drugs, electrolyte imbalances, or signs of heart or lung disease, all of which can be contributing factors in a death.
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The incident happened after Fort Worth police were called to the scene of a domestic disturbance by Jacobs' mother, who later called for criminal charges against the officer who tased her son.

"She stated that it was JPS Hospital that she wanted them to take him to," said Carol Morris, Jacobs' cousin.

Jacobs has a history of mental health issues and had not been taking his medication, said family members. While both officers and EMTs answered the call, family members said the EMTs left the scene.

MedStar said they responded at 10:35 a.m. to a suicide attempt. At 10:54 a.m., police officers told MedStar to leave.

A female officer tased Jacobs when she said he became agitated and uncooperative.

"The two tethered probes struck Jacobs along the right anterior neck and in the mid-chest area overlying the heart," read a statement released from the Tarrant County Medical Examiner's Office Thursday.

Helena Wigfall, Jacobs' cousin, spoke about the incident with News 8 the day after his death.

"She asked them to stop and they wouldn't stop," Wigfall said of Jacobs' mother. " just kept tasing him with the stun gun."

Jacobs fell to the ground when tased and was then handcuffed. Minutes later, he was reported to have breathing problems and became unresponsive. He was taken to John Peter Smith Hospital in Fort Worth, which was where he was pronounced dead a little over an hour after he had been tased.

The medical examiner ruled that Jacobs' death was "attributed to sudden death during neuromuscular incapacitation due to application of a conducted energy device."

"We wanted to extend our condolences to the family of Michael Jacobs," said Chief Jeff Halstead, Fort Worth Police Department. "We know this has been a very long road for them. It's been a long road for our organization."

The police department will now turn over its investigation to the district attorney's office. A grand jury is expected to review the case and consider whether criminal charges are warranted. Thus far, the officers involved are still working at the Fort Worth Police Department.
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About time Taser Deaths are looked at for what they are..Homicide.
I hope this sheds light on the broad misuse of Tasers.

Be interesting to see how this is eventually ruled.
Makes me sick.
Why did they send the EMTs away?

[zonkers]

1. Tasers are bad news.