Federal Jury: Police Officers Did Not Use Excessive Force After Tasering Man 19 Times Leading To His Death

180px-m26_taserA federal jury in Tennessee ruled that three officers — Jason Creagan, Jonathan Mays and Jaime Scruggs — did not use excessive force in the death of Patrick Lee, 21, at a nightclub in 2005. Lee was tasered 19 times after he was seen acting strangely outside of a nightclub (ironically named the the Mercy Lounge) and allegedly resisted arrest.

Lee was high on LSD and naked at the time. He died two days later. Police said that Lee was sweaty, making it difficult to control him. They used batons and pepper spray as well. A video was viewed as supporting the family’s claim that the police acted improperly. At the time the video was discovered Nashville attorney Tommy Overton stated “[f]rom looking at the video for the first time, it looks more like a social event than trying to arrest somebody who was naked and unarmed. I look forward to allowing a jury of everyday citizens of this district to see what I consider is a disregard for human life.” More <a href="“>here. It does not appear that the jury was affected in the same way (a grand jury earlier rejected criminal charges, though some grand jurors expressed objections to the conduct of the police).

Lawsuits against Taser International by his parents, Bud Lee and Cindy Lundman, were dismissed earlier. For country music fans, Bud Lee co-wrote the Garth Brooks hit “Friends in Low Places.”

The Nashville case had some similarity to the case of Mace Hutchinson who was tasered 19 times and the Oliver case in Miami.

A coroner ruled that Lee was experiencing drug-induced excited delirium.

For the full story, click here and here.

62 thoughts on “Federal Jury: Police Officers Did Not Use Excessive Force After Tasering Man 19 Times Leading To His Death”

  1. Long time reader / first time poster. Really enjoy reading the blog, keep up the good work. Will definitely start posting more in the near future.

  2. “In response to Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld on HBO urinating on a picture of Christ”

    Rossi d’Providence,
    It is best to comment when one has knowledge. You obviously did not see this episode. Firtsly, Seinfeld had nothing to do with the accident that occurred. Secondly, Mr. David, who was plagued by an abnormally large urine stream, accidently splashed one drop that landed on a picture of Jesus, some three feet above a toilet and was clearly distraught as to how to remove it. The issue too is why faithful followers of Jesus would place a portrait of Him above a toilet in the first place. Thus it was a comment not on denigrating Jesus, but on those who contrary to Jesus teachings that one should keep their religious beliefs private between themselves and the Lord,
    would do something as potentially blasphemous as placing Jesus picture above a toilet.

    You are obviously posting because you are just another art huckster, trying to cash in on others fame. I doubt that you have any real talent, despite your overblown claims of greatness. Great artists don’t have to proclaim their genius. Very bad form sir and and exposure of your own ignorance.

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