Los Angeles News

E-mail

Close Window E-mail This Page

Investigation Into Garden Grove Stun Gun Death

Required fields are marked with an asterisk(*)

Recipient E-mail:*
- Your Name:*
- Your E-mail:*
Add a Message:
Send me a copy of this e-mail.

Type the characters in this picture:*

Click here to refresh with new letters

The information you provide will be used only to send the requested e-mail and will not be used to send any other e-mail communications. Read more in our Privacy Policy

Send E-mail

Print Share + Comments

Sep 4, 2008 11:20 am US/Pacific

Investigation Into Garden Grove Stun Gun Death

GARDEN GROVE

Click to enlarge 1 of 1: A Garden Grove man, who was reportedly mentally disturbed, was acting "erratic" and refused to comply with police orders when officers chose to use a Taser, police say.
KUTV

Close

numSlides of totalImages

An autopsy was under way Thursday to determine the cause of death of a Garden Grove man who stopped breathing after he was zapped in the thigh with a stun gun while police were attempting to detain him.

Police were called at 11:29 a.m. Wednesday to a house in the 13200 block of Barnett Way on a report that a mentally disturbed man, who was possibly armed with weapons and known to be violent, was acting erratic, said Garden Grove police Lt. Dennis Ellsworth.

When they arrived, the 36-year-old man was attempting to climb into a window of a house where he is believed to have lived, Ellsworth said.

Police ordered him to the front lawn, where they attempted to detain him, but he refused to comply with orders and was shot in the thigh with a stun gun, Ellsworth said.

"I think there was a struggle with the suspect," Ellsworth said.

The man was handcuffed and paramedics were called, while some officers went to the home to see if anyone inside had been hurt, Ellsworth said.

When paramedics arrived three minutes later, they found that the man had stopped breathing. He was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead, Ellsworth said.

Police had had prior contact with the man stemming from "him being mentally ill," Ellsworth said.

Ellsworth said Garden Grove officers "have strict training on use of force."

When asked if use of a Taser in this situation fell under policy, Ellsworth said that will all be part of an internal department and a district attorney investigation.

Police carry pepper spray and a baton, and use of a specific non-lethal force "depends on the situation," Ellsworth said.