Bizarre, Criminal law, Society, Torts

Pennsylvania Man Dies After Hit By Multiple Tasers

There is another fatality connected to the use of tasers. Ronald Petruney, 49, of Washington, Pa. died after he was hit by three tasers by police trying to restrain him.

The police say that the use of the tasers was appropriate given Petruney resistance. Petruney appeared to be having a seizure when the officer encountered him. He appeared disoriented and attempted to walk into traffic. When he refused to sit down and struggled with officers, one shot him in legs with two Taser wires. A second officer then applied a taser directly to his torso.

He was pronounced dead at Washington Hospital’s critical care unit at 6:58 a.m. Saturday.

Petruney had a criminal background including threats against a 15-year-old boy with pepper spray and also spent time for hitting a 15-year-old girl.

Once again, the force may have been justified. However, we have been seeing a steady stream of fatalities associated with the growing use of tasers.

For the full story, click here.

25 thoughts on “Pennsylvania Man Dies After Hit By Multiple Tasers”

  1. “Here’s an idea, shoot him with a tranqualizer gun.”

    Mike DS,
    A better idea, but while I’m no expert I’ve heard that the problem with tranquilizer guns is one of correct dosage and so one size doesn’t fit all. Some sort of “net gun” might work, but perhaps I’ve been reading too much Science Fiction.

  2. I knew Ronald Petruney briefly 15 plus years ago. He was mentally retarded and suffered frequent epileptic seizures. He was not a pleasant person to be around. His problems were so pronounced and prevelant that the local authorities were well aware of his conditions.

    What puzzles me is, what are the guidelines for using a taser? In essence being mentally retarded and delerioius from a siezure is deemed a death sentance because tasering is the easier softer way for the police officers. Given a siezure indicates neuro electrical problems, how could a reasonable man not forsee that subjecting him to several thousand volts may cause death?

    Here’s an idea, shoot him with a tranqualizer gun. We do so to animals when we to subdue them. Atleast he’d still be alive.

  3. When you’re having seizures and fear for your life, the time has come to start prioritizing.

    At that point, there’s probably only 3 things left on my mind: getting wasted, raping teenagers and kicking cops….

  5. Sometimes programmers forget to trim the strings that get submitted and you can stick two spaces between “Anonymously” and “Yours”. Sometimes I bet you can simply append a space or some other character that appears like one.

  6. Sorry, Anonymously Yours was the handle that popped up when I went to make a comment. I figured Anonymously Yours was for anyone wishing to make a comment Anonymously. sorry I certainly meant no subterfuge and certainly didn’t mean to incite a conflict

  8. nal,

    Someone has explained to me how, but I don’t recall the thread. What I have done is register at wordpress and it appears that the handle/screenname is taken.

    So, I may have screwed it up and don’t know how to fix it. Any suggestions are welcome. Thank you.

  11. Professor,

    Could you check the IP on the posting of this Anonmously Yours 1, November 24, 2009 at 3:29 pm?

    I do not seem to recall making this post. Not the first time I don’t recall something, but its been along time. I am almost certain that I did not do this one.

    1. AY:

      Indeed, it appears to be another person who has used the same handle. It does not appear to be an effort at subterfuge however. It might be good for our “other” AY to adopt another persona to avoid confusion. How about Yours Anonymously?

  12. I always thought that Tasers were to be used in life threatening situation when the assaliant was armed with a knife, bat, etc and that instead of shooting them with bullets the police could incapacitate an armed and dangerous person without killing them.

    Am I missing something here?

  15. Tasers are not non-lethal weapons and it is the belief in their being non-lethal that has led to the rise in taser deaths. The use of non-lethal force by LEO’s is a valid premise, however, tasers don’t fall in that category as story after story has proven.

  16. When I have a seizure, I can “wake up” in a fugue, completely unconscious or maybe living moment to moment with impaired short term and long term memory. I might stumble into a street thinking I’m looking for a toothbrush or something. For the most part I only hear about it later.
    Two weeks ago I had a seizure in bed and got up, crashing into things all around the house. My wife found me outside naked fiddling with the electric meter. Police have been involved a bunch of times, or so I’ve been told. They were in my house a couple months ago after the neighbors heard me scream in the middle of the night, but I don’t remember anyone being here besides the two of us. I once had to sign something in an ER after a 911 call where somebody had scribbled COMBATIVE in big letters and circled it on the form.
    During a video EEG a couple years ago I got up out of bed and stumbled around the hospital room apparently trying to leave and get the wires off my head, or something. The nurses couldn’t control me and after looking at the video the neurologists said they couldn’t believe that I’d never been arrested.
    I’ve never had a run-in with a pair of 15 year olds though.

  17. This may just be the begining of this,now that New Jersey is from what I understand the last state to okay these wepons.

  19. If they knew he was mental, why did they not call the people with the white coats, first? Do the people in white coats have taser too? It seems only so logical that they should be able to protect themselves.

  20. Petruney appeared to be having a seizure when the officer encountered him. He appeared disoriented and attempted to walk into traffic. When he refused to sit down and struggled with officers, one shot him in legs with two Taser wires. A second officer then applied a taser directly to his torso.

    *****************************

    Don’t they train their officers better? What about rubber bullets? How did they know he was “appearing to be having a seizure”?

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