Autopsy: Teen hit by Taser died of cardiac arrest

News Type: Event — Seeded on Sat Jul 5, 2008 9:07 AM EDT

Article Source: The Charlotte Observer

us-news, north-carolina, taser, charlotte, taser-death, taser-international, cardiac-arrest, taser-alert, food-lion, charlotte-mecklenburg-police-department, charlotte-mecklenburg, darryl-wayne-turner, dr-thomas-owens, taser-death-heart, taser-death-teen

Seeded by Tedd Riggs

A 17-year-old shocked with a Taser by police after an altercation at a northern Charlotte grocery store died from cardiac arrest, according to an autopsy released Friday.

Darryl Wayne Turner's heart was pumping so fast and chaotically from the Taser shot and stress of the confrontation that it stopped pumping blood properly. He died of acute ventricular dysrhythmia and ventricular fibrillation, according to the Mecklenburg medical examiner's office.

Turner was the first Taser-related fatality in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department's history and the youngest in the Carolinas this decade

Published to:

Tedd Riggs's Column, All of Newsvine
Groups: TaserWatch, To MSNBC
Regions: Charlotte

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9.6

5.0

{"commentId":2122028,"authorDomain":"TeddRi"}

Tedd Riggs

Sad story about Darryl. a 17 year old kid with no heart problems dying from a non-lethal taser. That is not right. I hope that people wake up and really start to look very closely at the dangers involved, his young man did not need to die for what he did.

{"commentId":2122028,"threadId":"306565","contentId":"1640690","authorDomain":"TeddRi"}

6 votes

#1 - Sat Jul 5, 2008 9:09 AM EDT

{"commentId":2123048,"authorDomain":"veganima"}

veganima

That is really the problem. Tasers are potentially lethal weapons. As they are unbelievable categorized non lethal they are taseing people for everything.

{"commentId":2123048,"threadId":"306565","contentId":"1640690","authorDomain":"veganima"}

3 votes

#1.1 - Sat Jul 5, 2008 12:56 PM EDT

{"commentId":2123412,"authorDomain":"TeddRi"}

Tedd Riggs

The Canadian Study which just finished up found that much of the supplied data was false from the manufacturer of the taser and concluded that it could cause heart problems and suggested cutting back in the use of them. I hope the US listens to that.

{"commentId":2123412,"threadId":"306565","contentId":"1640690","authorDomain":"TeddRi"}

4 votes

#1.2 - Sat Jul 5, 2008 2:21 PM EDT

{"commentId":2122948,"authorDomain":"homelessokc"}

Teodoro Leon 3

We've had here in the Oklahoma City vicinity several people die from Taser .One was just recently in front of the City Rescue Mission...

http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/06/11/america/NA-GEN-US-Taser-Deaths.php

But in Milisha Thompson's case, she was already on the ground and in handcuffs. Her death has raised questions about whether police are abusing the stun guns by using them as a convenient labor-saving device to control uncooperative people.

Citty said Thompson continued to be combative, so officers used the Taser. She was on the ground when an officer tried five times to shock her, stunning her twice in the neck, Citty said.

Mike Gassaway, an attorney for Thompson's estate, said Thompson and her husband worked at the shelter, called the City Rescue Mission.

They were actually programmers( a term used for people on the CRM's Bridges to Life,recovery.)

after she was already on the ground and in handcuffs! "She was on the ground when an officer tried five times to shock her, stunning her twice in the neck,..." Now Mike Gassaway must work for his money due to this death...but she was a drug addict( my own personal knowledge of this woman and she was actively using this day and months prior) and she was not trying to hand the police a crack pipe that she had found.She had been trying to distract the officers from the initial perp .
My point is...the police had no justification in tasering this woman to death ...it's on the City Rescue Mission's video surveillance.
Mike Gassaway could win his law suit without embellishing lies.It distracts from the fact that a woman was killed( manslaughter at the least) by excessive force by the repeated use of a TASER.I hope the truth of the matter is not sidelined in this 17 year old's(Darryl Wayne Turner's) death by embellishment,sensationalism and greed.

{"commentId":2122948,"threadId":"306565","contentId":"1640690","authorDomain":"homelessokc"}

4 votes

#2 - Sat Jul 5, 2008 12:39 PM EDT

{"commentId":2122970,"authorDomain":"TeddRi"}

Tedd Riggs

Thanks alot for that !

Makes me sick how they are ignoring all the facts on how dangerous tasers are and we have had over 360 deaths in the USA alone from tasers and they say they are non-lethal ! That is crazy.

{"commentId":2122970,"threadId":"306565","contentId":"1640690","authorDomain":"TeddRi"}

4 votes

#2.1 - Sat Jul 5, 2008 12:44 PM EDT

{"commentId":2123059,"authorDomain":"veganima"}

veganima

I think they have killed enough disarmed people already.

{"commentId":2123059,"threadId":"306565","contentId":"1640690","authorDomain":"veganima"}

2 votes

#2.2 - Sat Jul 5, 2008 1:00 PM EDT

{"commentId":2123425,"authorDomain":"TeddRi"}

Tedd Riggs

They just sold a record number to the Australian Police Force so that every Police Officer in Australia will now have a Taser. I think that is going to be a big mistake.

{"commentId":2123425,"threadId":"306565","contentId":"1640690","authorDomain":"TeddRi"}

3 votes

#2.3 - Sat Jul 5, 2008 2:23 PM EDT

{"commentId":2123435,"authorDomain":"homelessokc"}

Teodoro Leon 3

Your all welcome. Who owns "Taser"?Liability for false representation and advertising?

veganima

I think they have killed enough disarmed people already.

Indirectly ,it's designed to desensitize us to innocent death,unarmed citizens, by an establishment incorporated to "protect and defend"us.

The introduction of both the X26 and M26 have significantly contributed to a decrease in officer injuries, suspect injuries, as well as a decrease in lethal force and forces complaints. Our TASER products are savings lives, reducing liability and creating safer jobs in over 9,500 agencies worldwide.

Under Investor Links->Corporate Governance (click here to read)

from page link;TASER International Names New Executive Vice President of Sales

Executive Team(click here)

Just for your information! FYI.

{"commentId":2123435,"threadId":"306565","contentId":"1640690","authorDomain":"homelessokc"}

2 votes

#2.4 - Sat Jul 5, 2008 2:25 PM EDT

{"commentId":2123464,"authorDomain":"homelessokc"}

Teodoro Leon 3

BTW, FYI

1994 In June 1994, the AIR TASER Model 34000 incorporated a unique tracking system to make citizens accountable when TASER brand devices were used. This system, known as the anti-felon identification (AFID) system, disperses dozens of small confetti with serial numbers that match back to the owner of the TASER device. In that same month, the ATF certified that the AIR TASER was not a firearm and is not subject to the stringent regulations that were placed on the original TASER device developed by Jack Cover.

The AIR TASER became a successful self-defense tool available to citizens concerned about personal security. Over the past decade, more than 120,000 TASER systems were sold to citizens for personal defense.

"In that same month, the ATF certified that the AIR TASER was not a firearm and is not subject to the stringent regulations that were placed on the original TASER device developed by Jack Cover."

http://www.taser.com/company/Pages/factsheet.aspx Corporate History

{"commentId":2123464,"threadId":"306565","contentId":"1640690","authorDomain":"homelessokc"}

2 votes

#2.5 - Sat Jul 5, 2008 2:33 PM EDT

{"commentId":2123512,"authorDomain":"TeddRi"}

Tedd Riggs

We actually have an entire group called TaserWatch that we have gather tons of information of these guys and lots of false data and claims they have made. They are not the most honest people and the Doctors that did the "Safety testing" for them also happened to be on the Board of Directors....Nice Touch....

{"commentId":2123512,"threadId":"306565","contentId":"1640690","authorDomain":"TeddRi"}

2 votes

#2.6 - Sat Jul 5, 2008 2:44 PM EDT

{"commentId":2131571,"authorDomain":"truthlover"}

truthlover

Hey Tedd, I was going to seed this article... and there you are! Good work. Don't see you on any of the seeds I've been generating (or any comments about the story of the young monk being seduced by the deva--thought a young guy like you would find it interesting).

This particular Taser death is remarkable for the youth of the victim, who was shot directly into the chest. The autopsy report seems quite decisive:

"This lethal disturbance in the heart rhythm was precipitated by the agitated state and associated stress as well as the use of the conducted energy weapon (Taser) designed for incapacitation through electro-muscular disruption," Dr. Thomas Owens wrote in the autopsy.

Owens found no pre-existing heart problems.

Turner worked at the Food Lion store, where he was a cashier and bagged groceries. Documents state he was asked by a manager to leave the store but refused. Police said Officer Jerry Dawson Jr., a 15-year veteran, fired his Taser to get Turner under control after the teen advanced toward him. An attorney representing the family says he talked to a witness who refutes the account.

The three interesting aspects of this, from my perspective, are:

(a) There is no pre-existing heart conditions;

(b) The attempt to deflect the cause of death by mentioning, before the policeperson fired the Taser, that "this lethal disturbance in the heart rhythm was precipitated by the agitated state and associated stress" [clearly an attempt to minimize the Taser as the cause of death]; and

{"commentId":2131571,"threadId":"306565","contentId":"1640690","authorDomain":"truthlover"}

2 votes

#3 - Mon Jul 7, 2008 3:52 AM EDT

{"commentId":2131576,"authorDomain":"TeddRi"}

Tedd Riggs

Think that was the week my tracker was down as I had almost 10 days without one.

Yes its a very interesting article in many ways.

{"commentId":2131576,"threadId":"306565","contentId":"1640690","authorDomain":"TeddRi"}

2 votes

#3.1 - Mon Jul 7, 2008 3:57 AM EDT

{"commentId":2173074,"authorDomain":"homelessokc"}

Teodoro Leon 3

http://www.infowars.com/?p=3257

Nova Scotia Restricts Tasers to Use on Violent Suspects Only

{"commentId":2173074,"threadId":"306565","contentId":"1640690","authorDomain":"homelessokc"}

1 vote

#4 - Sat Jul 12, 2008 11:49 AM EDT

{"commentId":2173096,"authorDomain":"TeddRi"}

Tedd Riggs

Good, glad to hear that at least they are taking some actions.

{"commentId":2173096,"threadId":"306565","contentId":"1640690","authorDomain":"TeddRi"}

2 votes

#4.1 - Sat Jul 12, 2008 11:54 AM EDT

{"commentId":2173706,"authorDomain":"eriktheread"}

Erik the Read

Obviously the trouble was not with the Taser. It was his heart. He had been using it, you see.

{"commentId":2173706,"threadId":"306565","contentId":"1640690","authorDomain":"eriktheread"}

2 votes

#5 - Sat Jul 12, 2008 1:45 PM EDT

{"commentId":2173772,"authorDomain":"TeddRi"}

Tedd Riggs

He should have gotten an extended maintenance plan from the vendor I would say.

{"commentId":2173772,"threadId":"306565","contentId":"1640690","authorDomain":"TeddRi"}

3 votes

#5.1 - Sat Jul 12, 2008 1:58 PM EDT

{"commentId":2204986,"authorDomain":"patriciaad"}

patriciaad

Isn't there some other less harmful way to subdue a person? We need to start looking at other options.

A taser seems like such a violent weapon.

{"commentId":2204986,"threadId":"306565","contentId":"1640690","authorDomain":"patriciaad"}

#6 - Wed Jul 16, 2008 11:39 AM EDT

{"canLink":false,"threadId":"306565","isPrivate":false}

TEDD RIGGS

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Autopsy: Teen hit by Taser died of cardiac arrest

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