Video emerged Friday of a sheriff's deputy using a Taser on a man who would eventually stop breathing and later become brain dead and died.
While the video doesn't clearly show the details of the incident, a witness says the man was shocked with the Taser after his hands were behind his back.
The Yuba County Sheriff's Department is conducting an internal review of the incident.
In response to the witness' allegation, Undersheriff Jerry Read said, "I would like to reserve comment until I've learned more information. I'd like to talk to the witness."
Yuba County deputies initiated CPR on Chance Dale Thompson after his breathing became labored and stopped, following the use of the Taser on him early Sunday.
Thompson, 35, was removed from life support at Rideout Memorial Hospital and pr nounced dead at 1:07 a.m. Friday. An autopsy was performed, but a determination of the cause of his death is pending, according to Read.
Jessica Dilliplane, the mother of Thompson's 19-year-old son, said she has a lot of unanswered questions.
"It's unfortunate that the person who could tell us the other side of the story is no longer with us," she said.
The Sheriff's Department has not released the number of times the weapon was used.
Video of the incident is from a distance and it ends before the incident concludes. Taylor Coward, 18, captured the video on his phone when he and a group of five friends were leaving a bonfire party. They were in an area referred to as the Goldfields off Hammonton-Smartville Road in Yuba County.
They saw a man on a wall who looked like he was performing karate or dancing. A male deputy was telling the man to come down.
"The guy tried to walk away from the cops," Coward said. "The cop grabs him by the back of the pants and pulls him down. As he's coming down, he lands on top of the cop and throws his arm around the cop."
"The two start pushing each other and the female cop is standing back with a Taser pointed at him. You hear the Taser go off and Tase him. The guy went down on the ground."
Coward said the deputy immediately jumped on the man's back, "which I thought was standard procedure."
"Then, he was Tased again."
Coward said he could see the man convulsing and that he was shocked three or four times.
"When his hands are behind his back (the Taser) goes off again," Coward said.
At first they thought the situation was funny, Coward said, but they realized soon after that the situation was serious.
The Sheriff's Department was not aware that people witnessed the event.
Undersheriff Read said he was grateful to see the video.
"It is consistent with the deputies' report on what occurred," Read said.
Department policy and use of forceÂ
Chance Dale Thompson's family members are concerned about whether excessive force was used when Yuba County sheriff's deputies repeatedly used a Taser on him. He eventually would stop breathing and later became brain dead.
Family members believe the number of times the Taser was used, and the fact Thompson was likely under the influence of a controlled substance when the Taser was used, may have caused him to suffer cardiac arrest.
Exactly where Thompson was struck, how many times and for how long is unclear.
Warning documentation for Taser products and Yuba County Sheriff's Department guidelines identify risks associated with the weapon, including the potential for death.
The cause of Thompson's death has not yet been determined.
Training on Taser use is provided to deputies and it is ongoing, according to Patrol Capt. Ron Johnson.
"It's a combination of policy review and practical training with a Taser," he said.
Yuba County Sheriff's Department guidelines on Taser use state that "persons who exhibit extreme agitation, violent irrational behavior accompanied by profuse sweating, extraordinary strength beyond their physical characteristics and imperviousness to pain (sometimes called 'excited delirium") ... may be at an increased risk of sudden death."
"If he appeared to be on methamphetamine and appeared to be in a state of excited delirium, why would they take that risk?" Jessica Dilliplane said.
"I've always followed the law and I've always been an advocate of police, but there are instances of excessive use of force." She is not yet sure if this instance is an example of excessive force.
The Taser company warns cardiac arrest is a risk if the target is shot in the chest. The company also warns users should be mindful of the number of times and length of time the weapon is used on a target.
Yuba County Undersheriff Jerry Read said Thursday "the Taser was discharged with the probes striking him in the upper torso."
The Taser company warns its products could lead to cardiac capture, and in rare circumstances, cardiac arrest, and users should "avoid targeting the frontal chest area near the heart to reduce the risk of potential serious injury or death."
Department policy acknowledges manufacturers recommend avoiding the chest, neck, face and groin. The policy also acknowledges that each situation is difficult to control.
"It is recognized that the dynamics of each situation and officer safety may not permit the deputy to limit the application of the Taser darts to a precise target area," the policy states.
Sheriff's officials stated the Taser was used during a struggle.
"These are fluid situations and people are often-time moving when this happens," Johnson said.
The weapon tracks the number of times it has been deployed, but that number has not been released.
The Sheriff's Department said deputies continued to deploy the Taser as Thompson continued to resist.
Taser warns, "if a (conducted electrical weapon) deployment is ineffective in incapacitating an attacker or achieving compliance, consider escaping from the situation or consider alternative force options."
The Sheriff's Department's internal policy for Taser use guidelines does not address the number of times a deputy should deploy a Taser before attempting another method to subdue the subject.
The department policy states, "although the Taser is generally effective in controlling most individuals, deputies should be alert to the potential for failure and be prepared with other options."
Not the first time
This isn't the first time the Yuba County Sheriff's Department has had a death associated with the use of a Taser.
A man struck with a Taser by Yuba County deputies in 2011 died of a heart attack while being restrained after a chase and struggle.
The family of Alfredo Flores-Bravo, 47, filed a wrongful death claim and alleged the officers lacked adequate training and did not follow proper police procedure in the use of the Taser.
An autopsy report showed Flores-Bravo was under the influence of methamphetamine during the incident.
— Monica Vaughan
CONTACT reporter Monica Vaughan at 749-4783 and on Twitter @ADCrimeBeat.
Commented
Sorry, there are no recent results for popular commented articles.