Family Files Lawsuit over taser death of graffiti artist

[Missing User]

[quote]MIAMI — Miami Beach police used excessive force in shooting teenage street artist Israel Hernandez-Llach with a Taser stun gun, and failed to give him proper medical attention afterward, according to a lawsuit filed Tuesday by his family.

The death of the 18-year-old after the Taser jolt has drawn widespread headlines, sparked rallies decrying Miami Beach police and reignited debate over law enforcement's use of stun guns.

"We believe this investigation will illustrate that the City of Miami Beach and Miami Beach Police do not properly train or supervise their police officers in the use of force, including the use of a Taser weapon," said attorney Todd McPharlin during an afternoon press conference on the steps of Miami-Dade's downtown civil courthouse.
[...]
Miami Beach police have insisted that Mercado, who saw the teen rushing toward him, acted according to department policy in dealing with someone who was resisting arrest.

Martinez has said that under department policy, officers may use a stun gun when a person "is not in the physical control of the officer, yet poses a threat."

The chief said this was the first time someone had died in Miami Beach after being shot with a Taser stun gun.
[...]
The Miami-Dade Medical Examiner's Office is investigating the cause of death while awaiting toxicology tests, which could take a few more weeks.

In previous deaths involving Taser stun guns and law enforcement, medical examiners across the nation have usually pinpointed complications resulting from drug use as the cause of death.[/quote]
[url]http://www.policeone.com/legal/articles/6414652-Fla-family-sues-police-over-fatal-ECD-incident/[/url]

I think that they are either going to find an underlying medical condition or drug use from the tests.

[Deunan]

Won't get anything. Tasers are essentially the most legally "open" way to detain someone in the US and are generally used to avoid possible hard physical contact.

It's the reason the police often use them even on older people and similar. Since if something happened to them and they were touching them, the penalties could get much worse.

[DMGaina]

"Graffiti artist"

[img]http://img.welt.de/img/weltgeschehen/crop118848359/6948729669-ci3x2l-w620/People-view-the-wall-where-Israel-Hernandez-Llach-was-seen-performing-graffiti-b.jpg[/img]

[Protocol7]

[QUOTE=DMGaina;42000650]"Graffiti artist"

[img]http://img.welt.de/img/weltgeschehen/crop118848359/6948729669-ci3x2l-w620/People-view-the-wall-where-Israel-Hernandez-Llach-was-seen-performing-graffiti-b.jpg[/img][/QUOTE]

I can get that some people don't like graffiti but it's pretty obvious it's a work in progress.

[pentium]

It was either electrocution or we beat the everloving shit out of him with a baton.