Fort Worth offers to settle for $2mil in taser death

[Kaneman]

FORT WORTH -- The city of Fort Worth has offered $2 million to settle a lawsuit filed by the family of a man who was killed with a Taser during a confrontation with police last year.

The City Council is scheduled to vote on the settlement Tuesday, according to an agenda posted online.

Michael Patrick Jacobs died April 18, 2009, after he was shocked for 54 seconds.

Jacobs, 24, had a history of mental illness and his family called police because he was behaving aggressively.

Three officers arrived and said he refused to calm down. An investigation showed that Jacobs was moving toward the officers when he was shocked, although he was unarmed and never struck them.

The officer who used the Taser said she inadvertently held down the trigger the first time she shocked Jacobs, for 49 seconds. She shocked him again for five seconds.

The Tarrant County Medical Examiner's Office ruled Jacobs' death a homicide, but the officers were cleared by a police investigation.

A Tarrant County grand jury declined to indict the officers.

The confrontation happened in front of Jacobs' parents home, with family members watching.

His parents and other relatives sued the city, alleging that the officers were improperly trained and used excessive force. The city claimed that it was immune from the suit.

In April, U.S. District Judge Terry Means ordered the city and the Jacobs family to meet with a mediator. The city has not admitted liability.

Read more: http://www.star-telegram.com/2010/05...#ixzz0nv4HVHqF

[Rider]

Originally Posted by Kaneman

she inadvertently held down the trigger the first time she shocked Jacobs, for 49 seconds.

How is that possible? When the guy is squirming on the ground, how do you not know he is being electrocuted the entire time? I'm all for using a taser but that is abuse.

[the chi]

Improper training man. She probably got all hyped up and forgot she was still holding it down. I thought they had fail safes tho that would only allow so much voltage and so much time at a time.

[Rider]

Originally Posted by The Chi

Improper training man. She probably got all hyped up and forgot she was still holding it down. I thought they had fail safes tho that would only allow so much voltage and so much time at a time.

You'd hope anyway.

[Kaneman]

I doubt it, I believe it was intentional. Remember, all these guys get tased before using them (for the most part) so they absolutely do not view them as a lethal weapon. Its a way to inflict pain and get back at a suspect without any adverse consequences.

Unless they die.

[z06boy]

Originally Posted by Rider

How is that possible? When the guy is squirming on the ground, how do you not know he is being electrocuted the entire time? I'm all for using a taser but that is abuse.

Agree 100 %

Originally Posted by The Chi

Improper training man. She probably got all hyped up and forgot she was still holding it down. I thought they had fail safes tho that would only allow so much voltage and so much time at a time.

That is possible and I too would think that there would be some fail safe like on an AED. Sure an AED is stronger but still...being able to constantly keep a Taser activated on a person for almost an entire minute ? Geez.

[the chi]

Hmm, I know a few cops that would forget to take their finger off the button when they get all worked up, simply because the adrenaline or something makes them rather irrational I guess you'd say.

I wonder how long the cop held the tazer on the Philly fan...

[Kaneman]

Originally Posted by The Chi

Hmm, I know a few cops that would forget to take their finger off the button when they get all worked up, simply because the adrenaline or something makes them rather irrational I guess you'd say.

I wonder how long the cop held the tazer on the Philly fan...

Its a little harder to get away with when there are tens of thousands of people watching it in stadium seating.

[ontwo]

That cop is full of shit. "inadverdently" no way. The taser will only engage for 5 seconds. Then you must intentionally pull the trigger again for another 5 seconds and so forth. Also, the models that the cops here use can be plugged back into the dock and the info downloaded. Such as date/time fired, length of shock, etc. That whole story sounds fucked up

[RACER X]

Originally Posted by Kaneman

The officer who used the Taser said she inadvertently held down the trigger the first time she shocked Jacobs, for 49 seconds. She shocked him again for five seconds.

Originally Posted by ontwo

That cop is full of shit. "inadverdently" no way. The taser will only engage for 5 seconds. Then you must intentionally pull the trigger again for another 5 seconds and so forth. Also, the models that the cops here use can be plugged back into the dock and the info downloaded. Such as date/time fired, length of shock, etc. That whole story sounds fucked up

so which is it? a full 49 seconds or 5 sec. at a time?


shoulda beat him w/ an asp, prob. solved.