Two unidentified Greenville police officers came to the Torres home to serve mental papers. The police clearly understood that this man was ill ... not a criminal ... not armed ... just sick. Instead of handling the process like professionals, the police allowed the situation to escalate to a point where taser guns were drawn and fired multiple times.
Ten minutes later, while in police custody, Andrew Torres was unresponsive. An ambulance responded to the scene and medics found him in cardiac arrest. Torres was driven to the hospital where medical personnel pronounced him dead at 5:40 p.m.
The mother said her son was suffering from a form of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. For years the family turned to National Alliance On Mental Illness in Greenville for help. They attended support groups and education classes to learn how to deal with mental illness. [SOURCE]
"We understand their son had not been taking his medicine," said Fletcher Mann, NAMI Greenville program director. "His condition worsened (and the) family was seeking to go through the legal process of commitment," he said.To families living with mental illness, Andrew's death is another painful reminder that the system doesn't always work.
We wait to see what the coroner says about this taser-related killing. In the meantime, the under-trained police continue to use their tasers as a killing weapon all over America. When will it stop?
4 comments:
I'd like to know when the darn police departments across the country are going to stop using Tasers too!
These devices are simply too dangerous and too strong to use on humans! Were they once used on cattle perhaps?
I have to ask because it seems that only a few charges from a taser can kill a grown man!
I bet people are living in fear for even "dealing" with the police, in dread they might be tasered too!
Later for this!
This is definitely a case of total violation of one's civil rights.
We have a right to stay alive, and also to have a trial by jury by our peers, not to have the darn cops be judge, jury and also executioner!
These darn cops have got a bloody nerve! I say SUE these police departments!
If there's a group one can join to get the cops to STOP using Tasers, I'd like to know about it, and to join it!
Glenda - I don't know a group that is organized to protest taser use. Someone else may have an answer to that query.
I plan to continue to publish blog posts about taser-related killings in America.
I hope that they stop. It would be a better world if they stopped.
All - Here is latest update on this story -- Family Sues City Over Taser-related death
Taser lawsuit settled for $500,000 between the family and the city of Greenville.
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