More excessive police force: Woman in Wheelchair Dies from Taser

Ardentfrost · 09-20-2007, 09:37 AM

Wheelchair-Bound Woman Dies After Being Shocked With Taser 10 Times - Local News Story - WKMG Orlando

Wheelchair-Bound Woman Dies After Being Shocked With Taser 10 Times

POSTED: 7:13 am EDT September 19, 2007
UPDATED: 9:35 am EDT September 19, 2007
CLAY COUNTY, Fla. -- A Clay County woman's family said it's seeking justice after their loved one died shortly after being shocked 10 times with Taser guns during a confrontation with police.

The family of 56-year-old Emily Delafield said it would take the Green Cove Springs Police Department to court, according to a WJXT-TV report.

In April 2006, officers with the police department said they were called to a disturbance at a home in the 400 block of Harrison Street just before 5 p.m.

In a 911 call made to the Green Cove Springs, Delafield can be heard telling a dispatcher that she believed she was in danger:

Dispatcher: And what's the problem?

Delafield: My sister is waiting on my property.

Dispatcher: Your what?

Delafield: My sister (inaudible) is on my property trying to harm me.

Officers said they arrived to find Delafield in a wheelchair, armed with two knives and a hammer. Police said the woman was swinging the weapons at family members and police.

Within an hour of her call to 911, Delafield, a wheelchair-bound woman documented to have mental illness, was dead.

Family attorney Rick Alexander said Delafield's death could have been prevented and that there are four things that jump out at him about the case.

"One, she's in a wheelchair. Two, she's schizophrenic. Three, they're using a Taser on a person that's in a wheelchair, and then four is that they tasered her 10 times for a period of like two minutes," Alexander said.

According to a police report, one of the officers used her Taser gun nine times for a total of 160 seconds and the other officer discharged his Taser gun once for a total of no more than five seconds.

A medical examiner found Delafield died from hypertensive heart disease and cited the Taser gun shock as a contributing factor, the report said. On her death certificate, the medical examiner ruled Delafield's death a homicide.

The family said it plans to sue the Green Coves Springs Police Department now that it has all the reports regarding their loved one's death.

"We're going to try to compensate the estate and the family and try to get justice," Alexander said.

He said he believes the evidence weighs heavily in favor of Delafield's family and that justice will be served.

"I think that this evidence is going to show, along with some of the evidence we've collected outside of here, that there is no reason Emily Delafield should have died that day," Alexander said.

He said he plans to file a notice to sue sometime before the end of the year.

Ok, now I can understand some of this was warranted... some crazy bitch swinging knives and shit around threatening people. But buzzing her some 10 times and for 3 minutes when she's in a wheelchair? Surely it could have happened better than that.

WickedLou9 · 09-20-2007, 10:24 AM

They should have just tipped her friggin chair over. problem solved.

Stylerod · 09-20-2007, 10:34 AM

Seems excessive, but I wasn't there. I had heard reports that she was cutting herself as well as swinging the knives at anyone that came near her to try to stop her. Tough situation to be in.

Stylerod · 09-20-2007, 10:59 AM

Originally Posted by WickedLou9

They should have just tipped her friggin chair over. problem solved.

It's easy to sit there and say that. By why risk getting cut or stabbed by some psyco when you can stand 5 feet away and take care of it? I'm sure they weren't trying to kill her, she already had heart disease and it looks like the shocks might have been too much for her. Maybe police need to start carrying dart guns like vets to put people to sleep instead.

Ardentfrost · 09-20-2007, 11:03 AM

Originally Posted by Stylerod

It's easy to sit there and say that. By why risk getting cut or stabbed by some psyco when you can stand 5 feet away and take care of it? I'm sure they weren't trying to kill her, she already had heart disease and it looks like the shocks might have been too much for her. Maybe police need to start carrying dart guns like vets to put people to sleep instead.

I certainly agree that the woman was nuts and warranted being tazed... but 10 sessions of tazing lasting nearly 3 minutes? That's the part that is excessive. If the tazing wasn't working after a couple zaps, it's time to reevaluate your options.

Publius · 09-20-2007, 11:08 AM

Originally Posted by Stylerod

Seems excessive, but I wasn't there. I had heard reports that she was cutting herself as well as swinging the knives at anyone that came near her to try to stop her. Tough situation to be in.

So the obvious solution is to tase her for almost 3 full minutes? It is a tough situation to deal with for the cops, but they made the most idiotic and abusive decision they could have short of just pulling a real gun and shooting her.

Stylerod · 09-20-2007, 11:08 AM

Originally Posted by Ardentfrost

I certainly agree that the woman was nuts and warranted being tazed... but 10 sessions of tazing lasting nearly 3 minutes? That's the part that is excessive. If the tazing wasn't working after a couple zaps, it's time to reevaluate your options.

Maybe, but if she is hurting herself and the only time she stops cutting herself is when she is being tazed, do you take the chance of her killing herself and cause more damage or hope the tazering his going to wear her out so bad she will finally just stop?

It's a tough call. 99% of us will never have to be put into a situation to have to make a discision like this. Of course, once she died it looks like the wrong call. If she would have lived we never would have heard about it. There isn't an easy answer here.

And jumping to conclusions is not fair to anyone.

Stylerod · 09-20-2007, 11:10 AM

Originally Posted by Publius

So the obvious solution is to tase her for almost 3 full minutes? It is a tough situation to deal with for the cops, but they made the most idiotic and abusive decision they could have short of just pulling a real gun and shooting her.

Maybe, but if she is hurting herself and the only time she stops cutting herself is when she is being tazed, do you take the chance of her killing herself and cause more damage or hope the tazering his going to wear her out so bad she will finally just stop?

It's a tough call. 99% of us will never have to be put into a situation to have to make a discision like this. Of course, once she died it looks like the wrong call. If she would have lived we never would have heard about it. There isn't an easy answer here.

And jumping to conclusions is not fair to anyone.

Publius · 09-20-2007, 11:10 AM

Originally Posted by Stylerod

It's easy to sit there and say that. By why risk getting cut or stabbed by some psyco when you can stand 5 feet away and take care of it? I'm sure they weren't trying to kill her, she already had heart disease and it looks like the shocks might have been too much for her. Maybe police need to start carrying dart guns like vets to put people to sleep instead.

Or maybe they should have tased her once and then moved in while she was still disoriented and unable to react to them. I've seen video of taser results before, had someone moved in while she was being tased for 10-15 seconds and removed the objects as soon as the taser was turned off, I think that would've been successful. Hell, I question whether or not she could've even held onto the knife/hammer while being tased, given the body convulsions tasers typically cause.

Stylerod · 09-20-2007, 11:12 AM

Originally Posted by Publius

Or maybe they should have tased her once and then moved in while she was still disoriented and unable to react to them. I've seen video of taser results before, had someone moved in while she was being tased for 10-15 seconds and removed the objects as soon as the taser was turned off, I think that would've been successful. Hell, I question whether or not she could've even held onto the knife/hammer while being tased, given the body convulsions tasers typically cause.

I'm sure the police were just psycopaths that love to torture people. It's the only explanation really.

Ardentfrost · 09-20-2007, 11:20 AM

Not admitting that the police made a mistake and should have acted more responsibly doesn't help anyone. If everyone did that, the police would remain unchecked, and the people who end up in altercations with police will continue to be needlessly brutalized.

Publius · 09-20-2007, 11:20 AM

Originally Posted by Stylerod

I'm sure the police were just psycopaths that love to torture people. It's the only explanation really.

Your hyperbolic statement aside, they obviously have not been properly trained on the use of a taser. I seriously doubt that it is acceptable practice and standard procedure to tase ANY suspect or individual for a time in excess of 2 minutes.

If you're going to give police officers a weapon that has been proven to be deadly in some situations, you need to make sure they are well trained with that weapon and have clear usage guidelines. Police forces have stringent training and guidelines for hand guns, night sticks, etc. Yet from what I've seen there aren't stringently enforced guidelines on taser use in most areas.

The nation's largest association of police chiefs was involved in a study back in 2005 and they suggested better training is absolutely essential, because as it stands now officers are not being trained properly in the use of stun guns.

USATODAY.com - Police chiefs call for improved stun-gun training, oversight

Stylerod · 09-20-2007, 11:36 AM

Originally Posted by Publius

Your hyperbolic statement aside, they obviously have not been properly trained on the use of a taser. I seriously doubt that it is acceptable practice and standard procedure to tase ANY suspect or individual for a time in excess of 2 minutes.

If you're going to give police officers a weapon that has been proven to be deadly in some situations, you need to make sure they are well trained with that weapon and have clear usage guidelines. Police forces have stringent training and guidelines for hand guns, night sticks, etc. Yet from what I've seen there aren't stringently enforced guidelines on taser use in most areas.

The nation's largest association of police chiefs was involved in a study back in 2005 and they suggested better training is absolutely essential, because as it stands now officers are not being trained properly in the use of stun guns.

USATODAY.com - Police chiefs call for improved stun-gun training, oversight

How do you know they haven't? A two year old article?

Publius · 09-20-2007, 11:41 AM

Originally Posted by Stylerod

How do you know they haven't? A two year old article?

Considering things like this are still happening, obviously at the very least the department involved here hasn't.

Stylerod · 09-20-2007, 12:06 PM

Originally Posted by Publius

Considering things like this are still happening, obviously at the very least the department involved here hasn't.

So you think with proper training no one will ever die after being tazed again? You are ASSuming a lot here.

Publius · 09-20-2007, 12:12 PM

Originally Posted by Stylerod

So you think with proper training no one will ever die after being tazed again? You are ASSuming a lot here.

i think with proper training no police officer following the guidelines taught in that training will tase an individual for more than 2 minutes in a short time frame.

Ardentfrost · 09-20-2007, 12:19 PM

Had the person died after being tazed for 10 seconds, it would be a completely different case, and I wouldn't have even posted it. I'd have read it and said "man, that bitch shouldn't have been so retarded" and that's it. The parts I bolded was what caused me to take pause and say "damn, police be fuckin up" (b/c that's how I talk in my head)

Stylerod · 09-20-2007, 12:29 PM

Originally Posted by Publius

i think with proper training no police officer following the guidelines taught in that training will tase an individual for more than 2 minutes in a short time frame.

Is that what they teach? Not to tase anyone for more than 2 minutes in a short amount of time?

Publius · 09-20-2007, 12:38 PM

Originally Posted by Stylerod

Is that what they teach? Not to tase anyone for more than 2 minutes in a short amount of time?

I don't know what they teach, but I know that pretty much continual electric shock for upwards of 2 minutes is NOT healthy for ANY person and thus would probably be against any sane regulations.