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Taser Death in Milwaukee

By TChris, Section Crime Policy
Posted on Tue Jul 11, 2006 at 09:49:25 AM EST
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by TChris

The latest victim of death by Taser is Nickolos Cyrus, a mentally ill man who was found partially dressed in a home that was under construction.

Chet Cyrus, the man's father, said sheriff's detectives told him Nickolos Cyrus was shocked twice by stun guns, once in the back while he was walking or running away and then once when he was on the ground with his arms under his chest. Nickolos Cyrus was shocked a second time because he apparently refused to place his hands behind his back so police could handcuff him, Chet Cyrus said detectives told him.

After testing the Taser for a year -- "testing" by shooting 262 people with Tasers during that time span -- the Milwaukee Police Department "concluded that the stun guns helped officers safely subdue people who were resisting arrest." Tell that to the parents of Nickolos Cyrus, who lost their mentally ill son because he allegedly resisted arrest -- nonviolently -- for a trivial offense.

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    Taser Death in Milwaukee | 22 comments (22 topical)
    Re: Taser Death in Milwaukee (none / 0) (#1)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Tue Jul 11, 2006 at 10:10:42 AM EST
    Welcome back, TChris. You've been missed.

    Re: Taser Death in Milwaukee (none / 0) (#2)
    by sarcastic unnamed one on Tue Jul 11, 2006 at 10:34:30 AM EST
    From the linked 7/9/6 article:
    The Waukesha County medical examiner's office said an autopsy on Nickolos Cyrus would be conducted today.
    Have the results of the autopsy been released?

    Re: Taser Death in Milwaukee (none / 0) (#3)
    by Patrick on Tue Jul 11, 2006 at 10:42:51 AM EST
    The latest victim of death by Taser is Nickolos Cyrus
    We know this how? Oh, and yes, welcome back.

    Re: Taser Death in Milwaukee (none / 0) (#4)
    by roger on Tue Jul 11, 2006 at 10:45:41 AM EST
    Patrick- Did you read the link? Welcome back T!

    Re: Taser Death in Milwaukee (none / 0) (#5)
    by Patrick on Tue Jul 11, 2006 at 10:47:49 AM EST
    Now if you want to talk about something interesting, why have only 57 officers been responsible for the 262 tazer deployments? That's almost 5 each in one year, assuming they all did it equally (Which isn't the most likely scenario) How many officers do they have on the streets as opposed working in staff positions, ect? What are they considering a deployment, firing the probes, or does drive stun also constitute a deployment.

    Re: Taser Death in Milwaukee (none / 0) (#6)
    by Patrick on Tue Jul 11, 2006 at 10:49:01 AM EST
    Roger, I think I did, but must have missed the part where the death was caused by the taser. Which is how I interpret that sentence.

    Re: Taser Death in Milwaukee (none / 0) (#7)
    by sarcastic unnamed one on Tue Jul 11, 2006 at 10:57:46 AM EST
    Autopsy results would be helpful...

    Re: Taser Death in Milwaukee (none / 0) (#8)
    by Beck on Tue Jul 11, 2006 at 12:58:56 PM EST
    He was alive and breathing. They shocked him with the taser, put handcuffs on him, and then he stopped breathing and died. So it would appear that either the taser or the handcuffs killed him. My guess is that it wasn't the handcuffs.

    Re: Taser Death in Milwaukee (none / 0) (#9)
    by Sailor on Tue Jul 11, 2006 at 01:13:41 PM EST
    multiple TASER shocks are not in accordance with 'safe' TASER use. And using it as a pain compliance weapon when the person is no threat is just sick.

    Re: Taser Death in Milwaukee (none / 0) (#10)
    by Patrick on Tue Jul 11, 2006 at 02:58:03 PM EST
    And using it as a pain compliance weapon when the person is no threat is just sick.
    Most law enforcement weapons and defensive tactics are pain compliance based so I'm not sure I understand your point. Perhaps it's perspective, getting handcuffs on an unwilling resistive persons is not always so easy.
    So it would appear that either the taser or the handcuffs killed him.
    You'll excuse me if I wait for the pathology report. Of course I know the pathologist and cops are in league with one another, but still, it seems the reasonable course of action.

    Re: Taser Death in Milwaukee (none / 0) (#11)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Tue Jul 11, 2006 at 03:40:08 PM EST
    Device may prove lethal in certain circumstances. Like, well, everything. Not that I'm condoning the specific circumstances of this (if accurately reported) but anything including words can be misused to cause harm so what exactly is noteworthy here? Why is it "DEATH CAUSED BY TASER!" instead of "Death Caused by Police Misconduct"?

    Re: Taser Death in Milwaukee (none / 0) (#12)
    by Patrick on Tue Jul 11, 2006 at 03:49:42 PM EST
    Why is it "DEATH CAUSED BY TASER!" instead of "Death Caused by Police Misconduct"?
    Because both seem innacurate based on the information known at this time. Is there some allegation of misconduct here? Aren't police lawfully allowed to overcome resistance to make an arrest? I guess it would be OK if you weren't interested in accuracy.

    Re: Taser Death in Milwaukee (none / 0) (#13)
    by peacrevol on Wed Jul 12, 2006 at 06:55:45 AM EST
    i can understand the use of a TASER twice on say...a fleeing murderer, or rapist, or arson, or bank robber, or anything else relatively violent. but why use one twice for some drifter that was just hanging out in a vacant, unfinished house. Even if you dont know that he's mentally handicapped, if he runs away, he's not in there any more. the whole point of going in there in the first place was to get him out...you win, knock it off...put your TASER in your pocket. of course it is possible that there's more to it than what it says in the post....

    Re: Taser Death in Milwaukee (none / 0) (#14)
    by aw on Wed Jul 12, 2006 at 07:32:11 AM EST
    Perhaps it's perspective, getting handcuffs on an unwilling resistive persons is not always so easy.
    So it's easy you want? We wouldn't want cops to have to exert themselves too much.

    Re: Taser Death in Milwaukee (none / 0) (#15)
    by ding7777 on Wed Jul 12, 2006 at 07:36:53 AM EST
    Six Times?
    "At first I was told there was one shot, then later, it was two and that was bad enough," he said. "But now, six times, that sounds like someone lost their mind, and it wasn't Nick."
    Re: Taser Death in Milwaukee (none / 0) (#16)
    by Patrick on Wed Jul 12, 2006 at 07:51:57 AM EST
    So it's easy you want? We wouldn't want cops to have to exert themselves too much.
    That, pretty clearly, wasn't my point, but I think you already know that. Six times? Sounds like the suspect was resisting quite a bit more than was first reported.

    Re: Taser Death in Milwaukee (none / 0) (#17)
    by Slado on Wed Jul 12, 2006 at 08:01:36 AM EST
    "If" the tasers are the reason this man died and "if" they were not used according to police policy then the officers should be punished. But even if these allegations are true banning tasers is a silly response. How quick we forget the beating of rodney king or anyone else who resists arrests. If a subject won't comply with an officer what is that offier to do? Sit patiently, beat the suspect till he relents or stun him with a taser? Non of these options appear attractive but there in lies the rub. The world is full of criminals and somebody has to arrest them. Lets not take a tool away simply because it can be misused.

    Re: Taser Death in Milwaukee (none / 0) (#18)
    by ding7777 on Wed Jul 12, 2006 at 08:42:58 AM EST
    to Patrick maybe the 1st Taser incapacitated him and he could not put his hands behind his back - so the cop Taser'ed him 5 more times

    Re: Taser Death in Milwaukee (none / 0) (#19)
    by peacrevol on Wed Jul 12, 2006 at 08:50:53 AM EST
    so before tasers, how did cops deal with people who were resisting arrest but were not armed? hit him w/ a nightstick? that seems to have less of a chance of causing lethal indjury than tasers, but it seems worse. so cops, i don think, were as quick to do something like that unless somebody was fighting with them. now it seems that they're kinda trigger happy with those tasers.

    Re: Taser Death in Milwaukee (none / 0) (#20)
    by Patrick on Wed Jul 12, 2006 at 08:50:53 AM EST
    Ding, Well I have to admit, I'm as ignorant of the facts as you are, unless of course you were there, but that scenario seems unlikely to me.

    Re: Taser Death in Milwaukee (none / 0) (#21)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sun Jul 16, 2006 at 04:12:34 PM EST
    As a friend of Nick's dad I think we need to stop focusing on the cause of death as the tasers. The real issue here is the mentally ill and how they are preceived and handled in our society today. The police knew who they were looking for and that on that day there wasn't something mentally right with Nick. They should of been more sensitive to the fact that Nick had previous episodes and could have been dealt with differently. Granted multiple taser shots were totally inappropriate, our law inforcement needs to be trained and conscious of dealing with the mentally ill with more respect!!!!

    Re: Taser Death in Milwaukee (none / 0) (#22)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Wed Jul 19, 2006 at 07:08:38 AM EST
    It is rediculous to think that taser guns cannot be leathal....according to the people who make them...."anything can be leathal, if you use it wrong." Plus they're not supposed to use them on people who are running or walkng away, arguing with police, children, or the elderly. What is the first thing it says? Police stunned him as he was WALKING, or RUNNING away. As Nick's cousin, I am deeply hurt.

    Taser Death in Milwaukee | 22 comments (22 topical)