South Florida Injury Lawyer Blog
According to police, the Winter Haven man was “grabbing his head….. being disorderly,” which is why off-duty cops working at the amusement center approached him. They claim that he resisted violently.
A tussle ensued and one of the cops used a stun gun on Winter. It was then that he became unresponsive.
A rescue crew was called and Johnson was transported to the hospital where he was pronounced dead. The Medical Examiner has yet to announce his cause of death.
For now, the officers who were involved in Johnson’s arrest have been placed on administrative leave, which is standard procedure in this type of situation.
Taser Use
Our Palm Beach injury lawyers are always disturbed when we here of another injury or death resulting from Taser use. These handheld devices can emit jolts of up to 50,000 volts. Less lethal than guns, getting stunned by a Taser can be extremely painful and in some cases may result in serious injury and even death. People that are under the influence of drugs, have a heart condition, or are severely agitated are among those more prone to Taser injuries.
According to Amnesty International, over 300 people have died in the US in the last 10 years after they were Tasered. Also, other injuries can result. Just last year, the mother of one man filed a Taser lawsuit after her son fell after he was stunned, striking his head and sustaining a permanent traumatic brain injury that left him mentally and physically disabled.
It is important that police officers only use Tasers when necessary. Police officers can be held liable for Florida personal injury if they exercised excessive use of force or committed police brutality and someone got hurt or died as a result.
Tased man dies after scuffle with OPD at Universal Studios theater, Sun-Sentinel, April 22, 2011
Man dies after stun gun used in Florida, UPI, April 22, 2011
Mother sues police over stun-gun fall, Dispatch.com, December 1, 2010
Related Web Resources:
Universal CityWalk
Taser Abuse, Amnesty International
In South Florida, contact our Miami personal injury lawyers to explore your legal options.