Taser Death: Marcus Brown (Waterbury, CT)
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| Marcus Brown |
Officer Sanchez was called to Saint Mary's Hospital around 12:30am on Sunday, May 1. Sanchez and another unidentified police officer arrived in the lobby of the hospital's emergency room to a report of a man creating a disturbance.
The man, Marcus Brown, was taken into custody and placed in the back of a police cruiser. He was handcuffed and under control of the police. However, it appears that he was disrespectful to Officer Sanchez by kicking the door and window of the police car. Of course, Sanchez valued his car over human life ... so he took out his taser gun and electrocuted Brown.
Brown died right then and there.
The young man was in a hospital. Perhaps he was upset for a medical reason. We'll never know Brown's side of the story because he was killed. He's dead because a police officer was way too quick to reach for a taser gun in order to make his job easier. When will the police learn?
Today we added Marcus Brown (Waterbury, CT) as the 130th taser-related death in America since 2009. [NOTE: the full list is shown below].
I wonder if anyone cares about the rising use of the taser as a lethal weapon? The folks in Louisiana want us to believe that the taser is a humanitarian tool when used by the police.
I do think that that the issuance of new Taser guidelines is a good thing. This is the first time that new guidelines have been issued since 2005.
On the other hand, I think that something is wrong in America when the police electrocute folks on a WEEKLY basis with their taser arsenal ... and the public is mute in its response. Sometimes it takes a lawsuit ... like the one recently settled in Ohio ... to get the police to cool it.
I encourage you to use our COMMENTS ('Post a Comment') option at the bottom of this blog post to let us know what you think about these weekly taser-related killings.
This blog has been pointing out incidents of police taser torture for quite awhile. The work done over the past few years by Patti Gillman and Cameron Ward continue to be the inspiration for our work. Gillman and Ward documented over 600 taser-related deaths in North America on their blog.
According to Amnesty International, between 2001 and 2008, 351 people in the United States died after being shocked by police Tasers. Our blog has documented 130 taser-related deaths in the United States in 2009-2011:
- Jan 9, 2009: Derrick Jones, 17, Black, Martinsville, Virginia
- Jan 11, 2009: Rodolfo Lepe, 31, Hispanic, Bakersfield, California
- Jan 22, 2009: Roger Redden, 52, Caucasian, Soddy Daisy, Tennessee
- Feb 2, 2009: Garrett Jones, 45, Caucasian, Stockton, California
- Feb 11, 2009: Richard Lua, 28, Hispanic, San Jose, California
- Feb 13, 2009: Rudolph Byrd, 37, Black, Thomasville, Georgia
- Feb 13, 2009: Michael Jones, 43, Black, Iberia, Louisiana
- Feb 14, 2009: Chenard Kierre Winfield, 32, Black, Los Angeles, California
- Feb 28, 2009: Robert Lee Welch, 40, Caucasian, Conroe, Texas
- Mar 22, 2009: Brett Elder, 15, Caucasian, Bay City, Michigan
- Mar 26, 2009: Marcus D. Moore, 40, Black, Freeport, Illinois
- Apr 1, 2009: John J. Meier Jr., 48, Caucasian, Tamarac, Florida
- Apr 6, 2009: Ricardo Varela, 41, Hispanic, Fresno, California
- Apr 10, 2009: Robert Mitchell, 16, Black, Detroit, Michigan
- Apr 13, 2009: Craig Prescott, 38, Black, Modesto, California
- Apr 16, 2009: Gary A. Decker, 50, Black, Tuscon, Arizona
- Apr 18, 2009: Michael Jacobs Jr., 24, Black, Fort Worth, Texas
- Apr 30, 2009: Kevin LaDay, 35, Black, Lumberton, Texas
- May 4, 2009: Gilbert Tafoya, 53, Caucasian, Holbrook, Arizona
- May 17, 2009: Jamaal Valentine, 27, Black, La Marque, Texas
- May 23, 2009: Gregory Rold, 37, Black, Salem, Oregon
- Jun 9, 2009: Brian Cardall, 32, Caucasian, Hurricane, Utah
- Jun 13, 2009: Dwight Madison, 48, Black, Bel Air, Maryland
- Jun 20, 2009 Derrek Kairney, 36, Race: Unknown, South Windsor, Connecticut
- Jun 30, 2009, Shawn Iinuma, 37, Asian, Fontana, California
- Jul 2, 2009, Rory McKenzie, 25, Black, Bakersfield, California
- Jul 20, 2009, Charles Anthony Torrence, 35, Caucasion, Simi Valley, California
- Jul 30, 2009, Johnathan Michael Nelson, 27, Caucasion, Riverside County, California
- Aug 9, 2009, Terrace Clifton Smith, 52, Black, Moreno Valley, California
- Aug 12, 2009, Ernest Ridlehuber, 53, Race: Unknown, Greenville, South Carolina
- Aug 14, 2009, Hakim Jackson, 31, Black, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Aug 18, 2009, Ronald Eugene Cobbs, 38, Black, Greensboro, North Carolina
- Aug 20, 2009, Francisco Sesate, 36, Hispanic, Mesa, Arizona
- Aug 22, 2009, T.J. Nance, 37, Race: Unknown, Arizona City, Arizona
- Aug 26, 2009, Miguel Molina, 27, Hispanic, Los Angeles, California
- Aug 27, 2009, Manuel Dante Dent, 27, Hispanic, Modesto, California
- Sep 3, 2009, Shane Ledbetter, 38, Caucasian, Aurora, Colorado
- Sep 16, 2009, Alton Warren Ham, 45, Caucasian, Modesto, California
- Sep 19, 2009, Yuceff W. Young II, 21, Black, Brooklyn, Ohio
- Sep 21, 2009, Richard Battistata, 44, Hispanic, Laredo, Texas
- Sep 28, 2009, Derrick Humbert, 38, Black, Bradenton, Florida
- Oct 2, 2009, Rickey Massey, 38, Black, Panama City, Florida
- Oct 12, 2009, Christopher John Belknap, 36, Race: Unknown, Ukiah, California
- Oct 16, 2009, Frank Cleo Sutphin, 19, Caucasian, San Bernadino, California
- Oct 27, 2009, Jeffrey Woodward, 33, Caucasian, Gallatin, Tennessee
- Nov 13, 2009, Herman George Knabe, 58, Caucasian, Corpus Christi, Texas
- Nov 14, 2009, Darryl Bain, 43, Black, Coram, New York
- Nov 16, 2009, Matthew Bolick, 30, Caucasian, East Grand Rapids, Michigan
- Nov 19, 2009, Jesus Gillard, 61, Black, Bloomfield Hills, Michigan
- Nov 21, 2009, Ronald Petruney, 49, Race: Unknown, Washington, Pennsylvania
- Nov 27, 2009, Eddie Buckner, 53, Caucasian, Chattanooga, Tennessee
- Dec 11, 2009, Andrew Grande, 33, Caucasian, Oak County, Florida
- Dec 11, 2009, Hatchel Pate Adams III, 36, Black, Hampton, Virginia
- Dec 11, 2009, Paul Martin Martinez, 36, Hispanic, Roseville, California
- Dec 13, 2009, Douglas Boucher, 39, Caucasian, Mason, Ohio
- Dec 14, 2009, Linda Hicks, 62, Black, Toledo, Ohio
- Dec 19, 2009, Preston Bussey III, 41, Black, Rockledge, Florida
- Dec 20, 2009, Michael Hawkins, 39, Caucasian, Springfield, Missouri
- Dec 30, 2009, Stephen Palmer, 47, Race: Unknown, Stamford, Connecticut
- Jan 6, 2010, Delano Smith, 21, Black, Elkhart, Indiana
- Jan 17, 2010, William Bumbrey III, 36, Black, Arlington, Virginia
- Jan 20, 2010, Kelly Brinson, 45, Race: Unknown, Cincinnati, Ohio
- Jan 27, 2010, Joe Spruill, Jr., Black, Goldsboro, North Carolina
- Jan 28, 2010, Patrick Burns, 50, Caucasian, Sangamon County, Illinois
- Jan 28, 2010, Daniel Mingo, 25, Black, Mobile, Alabama
- Feb 4, 2010, Mark Morse, 36, Caucasian, Phoenix, Arizona
- Mar 4, 2010, Roberto Olivo, 33, Hispanic, Tulare, California
- Mar 5, 2010, Christopher Wright, 48, Race: Unknown, Seattle, Washington
- Mar 10, 2010, Jaesun Ingles, 31, Black, Midlothian, Illinois
- Mar 10, 2010, James Healy Jr., 44, Race: Unknown, Rhinebeck, New York
- Mar 20, 2010, Albert Valencia, 31, Hispanic, Downey, California
- Apr 10, 2010, Daniel Joseph Barga, 24, Caucasian, Cornelius, Oregon
- Apr 30, 2010, Adil Jouamai, 32, Moroccan, Arlington, Virginia
- May 9, 2010, Audreacus Davis, 29, Black, Atlanta, Georgia
- May 14, 2010, Sukeba Olawunmi, 39, Race: Unknown, Atlanta, Georgia
- May 24, 2010, Efrain Carrion, 35, Hispanic, Middletown, Connecticut
- May 27, 2010, Carl Johnson, 48, Caucasian, Baltimore, Maryland
- May 29, 2010, Jose Martinez, 53, Hispanic, Waukegan, Illinois
- May 31, 2010, Anastasio Hernández Rojas, 42, Hispanic, San Ysidro, California
- Jun 8, 2010, Terrelle Houston, 22, Black, Hempstead, Texas
- Jun 12, 2010, Curtis Robinson, 34, Black, Albuquerque, New Mexico
- Jun 13, 2010, William Owens, 17, Race: Unknown, Homewood, Alabama
- Jun 14, 2010, Jose Alfredo Jimenez, 42, Hispanic, Harris County, Texas
- Jun 15, 2010, Michael White, 47, Black, Vallejo, California
- Jun 22, 2010, Daniel Sylvester, 35, Caucasian, Crescent City, California
- July 5, 2010, Damon Falls, 31, Black, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
- July 5, 2010, Edmund Gutierrez, 22, Hispanic, Imperial, California
- July 8, 2010, Phyllis Owens, 87, Race: Unknown, Clackamas County, Oregon
- July 9, 2010, Marvin Booker, 56, Race: Black, Denver, Colorado
- July 12, 2010, Anibal Rosario-Rodriguez, 61, Hispanic, New Britain, Connecticut
- July 15, 2010, Jerome Gill, Race: Unknown, Chicago, Illinois
- July 18, 2010, Edward Stephenson, 46, Race: Unknown, Leavenworth, Kansas
- July 23, 2010, Jermaine Williams, 30, Black, Cleveland, Mississippi
- Aug 1, 2010, Dennis Sandras, 49, Race: Unknown, Houma, Louisiana
- Aug 9, 2010, Andrew Torres, 39, Hispanic, Greenville, South Carolina
- Aug 18, 2010, Martin Harrison, 50, Caucasian, Dublin, California
- Aug 19, 2010, Adam Disalvo, 30, Caucasian, Daytona Beach, Florida
- Aug 20, 2010, Stanley Jackson, 31, Black, Washtenaw County, Michigan
- Aug 24, 2010, Michael Ford, 50, Black, Livonia, Michigan
- Aug 25, 2010, Eduardo Hernandez-Lopez, 21, Hispanic, Las Vegas, Nevada
- Aug 31, 2010, King Hoover, 27, Black, Spanaway, Washington
- Sep 4, 2010, Adam Colliers, 25, Caucasian, Gold Bar, Washington
- Sep 10, 2010, Larry Rubio, 20, Race: Unknown, Leemore, California
- Sep 12, 2010, Freddie Lockett, 30, Black, Dallas, Texas
- Sep 16, 2010, Gary L. Grossenbacher, 48, Race: Unknown, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
- Sep 18, 2010, David Cornelius Smith, 28, Black, Minneapolis, Minnesota
- Sep 18, 2010, Joseph Frank Kennedy, 48, Caucasian, La Mirada, California
- Oct 4, 2010, Javon Rakestrau, 28, Black, Lafayette Parish, Louisiana
- Oct 7, 2010, Patrick Johnson, 18, Caucasian, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Oct 12, 2010, Ryan Bain, 31, Caucasian, Billings, Montana
- Oct 14, 2010, Karreem Ali, 65, Black, Silver Spring, Maryland
- Oct 19, 2010, Troy Hooftallen, 36, Caucasian, Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania
- Nov 4, 2010, Eugene Lamott Allen, 40, Race: Unknown, Wilmington, Delaware
- Nov 6, 2010, Robert Neill, Jr., 61, Caucasian, Mount Joy, Pennsylvania
- Nov 7, 2010, Mark Shaver, 32, Caucasian, Brimfield, Ohio
- Nov 23, 2010, Denevious Thomas, 36, Black, Albany, Georgia
- Nov 26, 2010, Rodney Green, 36, Black, Waco, Texas
- Nov 27, 2010, Blaine McElroy, 37, Race: Unknown, Jackson County, Mississippi
- Dec 2, 2010, Clayton Early James, Age: Unknown, Race: Unknown, Elizabeth City, North Carolina
- Dec 11, 2010, Anthony Jones, 44, Race: Unknown, Las Vegas, Nevada
- Dec 12, 2010, Linel Lormeus, 26, Black, Naples, Florida
- Dec 20, 2010, Christopher Knight, 35, Black, Brunswick, Georgia
- Dec 31, 2010, Rodney Brown, 40, Black, Cleveland, Ohio
- Jan 5, 2011, Kelly Sinclair, 41, Race: Unknown, Amarillo, Texas
- Feb 5, 2011, Robert Ricks, 23, Black, Alexandria, Louisiana
- Apr 3, 2011, Jairious McGhee, 23, Black, Tampa, Florida
- Apr 22, 2011, Adam Spencer Johnson, 33, Caucasian, Orlando, Florida
- Apr 23, 2011, Ronald Armstrong, 43, Race: Unknown, Pinehurst, North Carolina
- Apr 25, 2011, Kevin Darius Campbell, 39, Race: Unknown, Tallahassee, Florida
- May 1, 2011, Marcus Brown, 26, Black, Waterbury, Connecticut
You can see that we don't know the race or national origin (RNO) for Ronald Armstrong, Kelly Brinson, Kevin Darius Campbell, Jerome Gill, Gary Grossenbacher, James Healy Jr., Clayton Early James, Anthony Jones, Derrek Kariney, T.J. Nance, Phyllis Owens, William Owens, Stephen Palmer, Earnest Ridlehuber, Sukeba Olawunmi, Ronald Petruney, Larry Rubio, Dennis Sandras, Edward Stephenson or Christopher Wright. We can use some research assistance from villagers to help us identify the RNO for these folks who died after being electrocuted by police taser guns.
We track the RNO information because we sense that these taser-related deaths are happening at a disproportionate level to people of color.For example, we see that at least 51 (50 men and a 62-year old woman) of these taser-torture killings occurred against African Americans. Black people are only 13% of the total population, yet 39% of the 2009-2011 taser-related deaths in America are Black people.
At last count, there are more than 514,000 Tasers among law enforcers and the military nationwide. Tasers are now deployed in law enforcement agencies in 29 of the 33 largest U.S. cities. Some states, such as New Jersey, are loosening up their rules for taser use. Other states, like Delaware, seek to justify taser use in spite of rising death toll.
However, the tide may be turning. As taser-related deaths and injuries have continued to rise (as well as the amount of Taser litigation), many departments are starting to abandon the weapon in favor of other means of suspect control. Currently, Memphis, Tennessee, San Francisco, California, and Las Vegas, Nevada have opted to ban the use of tasers by law enforcement.
South Carolina is beginning to question its use of tasers. Additionally, a federal court has ruled that the pain inflicted by the taser gun constitutes excessive force by law enforcement. The courts don't want police to electrocute people with their tasers unless they pose an immediate threat.
Perhaps the idea of an electric rifle made sense when it was first invented. "Taser" refers to an electrical weapon trademarked by the Scottsdale, Arizona-based company known as Taser International. The word Taser stands for "Tom A. Swift Electrical Rifle."
The Taser was developed by Jack Cover, a contract scientist on NASA's Apollo moon program in the 1960s. Inspired by his favorite childhood book series - Victor Appleton's Tom Swift - Cover drew up plans for a non-lethal weapon like the one the series' main character used.
In 1993, Rick and Tim Smith, who launched Taser International, worked with Cover to improve his design and introduced the device the next year. Since then, use of the word Taser has became part of the common American language.
However, we now see too much taser abuse. First available to law enforcement in February 1998, now used by more than 14,200 law enforcement agencies in more than 40 countries. More than 406,000 taser guns have been sold since the product hit the market. It may be time for congressional hearings.
The Taser was developed by Jack Cover, a contract scientist on NASA's Apollo moon program in the 1960s. Inspired by his favorite childhood book series - Victor Appleton's Tom Swift - Cover drew up plans for a non-lethal weapon like the one the series' main character used.
In 1993, Rick and Tim Smith, who launched Taser International, worked with Cover to improve his design and introduced the device the next year. Since then, use of the word Taser has became part of the common American language.
However, we now see too much taser abuse. First available to law enforcement in February 1998, now used by more than 14,200 law enforcement agencies in more than 40 countries. More than 406,000 taser guns have been sold since the product hit the market. It may be time for congressional hearings.
Some tell us that tasers are making America safer. Police kill about 600 people per year in shootings. So what?! Should we be we be happy that they are ONLY killing people once-a-week with taser guns?
How Do Tasers Work? When a Taser’s trigger is pulled, two wires shoot out of the device at the suspect from up to 35 feet away. At the ends of the wires are probes that either embed in a person's skin or cling to clothing.
- When the probes hit, an electrical pulse is delivered for five seconds, causing involuntary muscular contractions in the subject.
- At the end of the first pulse, police tell the person to roll onto their abdomen, so they can be handcuffed. If they do not comply, they may be shocked again.
- Once a person is arrested, police remove the barbs and call EMTs to the scene.
- The person is taken to the hospital to be checked out. If the barbs remain in the person after police try to remove them, they are removed at the hospital.
- The Taser is equipped with a chip that records information on each use, which can be used in court if someone alleges they were shocked multiple times.
Personally, I think that the 'Use of Force Continuum' needs to show tasers as 'near-lethal' ... definitely an error to claim that they are 'non-lethal'.What say u? What would you suggest we do to deal with these weekly taser-related deaths?
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