Attorney: East Point Police Fired Taser at Man 13 Times Before Death

[RiffRandell]

This shit happens all the time in Atlanta.

EAST POINT, Ga. —
Only Channel 2 Action News has learned that police Tased a man in handcuffs up to 13 times before he died.

We’re learning about the department policies the officers allegedly violated during this deadly encounter.

Police records show two officers used their Tasers repeatedly to try to make Gregory Towns get up.

The lawsuit comes after the April death of Towns after he was repeatedly "drive-stunned" with Tasers by East Point police in an apparent effort to make him get up and walk after a foot chase.

Stewart alleges records combined with eyewitness accounts show two officers violated the city's standard operating procedures for Tasers.

“He wasn't cursing. He wasn't being abusive. He was saying, ‘I’m tired,’” Stewart said.

Stewart said Taser logs, combined with other information from the city, show two officers triggered their Tasers 13 times around the time in question: 10 for Sgt. Marcus Eberhart and three times for officer Howard Weems.

Link: http://www.wsbtv.com/news/news/local/attorney-east-point-police-used-taser-against-man-/ng9RG/

[Laelth]

1. Shameful. Thanks for posting. n/t

-Laelth

[merrily]

2. Does refusing to get up and walk justify even tasing, let alone the death penalty?

Does cursing? (Isn't cursing at law enforcement, an arm of government, protected by the First Amendment?)

And, even if either justifies the death penalty, doesn't the Constitution require due process first?

[RiffRandell]

3. Obviously to some police it does. nt

[merrily]

5. Some one, Rev. Sharpton, I think, said Michael Brown will be remembered for

getting the nation to examine police behavior (not exact words by a long shot). I believe that is so. However, we have had people killed and beaten before that caused us to examine the same issue. I hope to heaven we do not need more beatings and especially not more deaths.

To quote a very great man, "How long?"

[RiffRandell]

7. I heard him say that and hope he's right.

I'm not optimistic.

[hifiguy]

18. Asking a cop "what's going on?"

is enough to get you arrested for "resisting arrest" these days. A lot of cops are only missing the snappy black uniform coats and shiny knee-high boots.

"Due process" in the street is what a cop decides to give you, even if it's instantaneous execution.

[gordianot]

4. The entire issue these types of actions are ones of submission.

Police seem to want immediate submission in their Alpha Ape displays. Holding your hands in the air and saying I surrender has always been a good indicator of real submission. I am afraid the Alpha Apes will look at immediate surrender as a sign of defiance.

[merrily]

6. A hideous game of Simon Says, with the instant death penalty.

[Laelth]

8. Insightful and horrifying observation. n/t

-Laelth

[hifiguy]

20. Beautifully put.

Though generally apes recognize a surrender signal. Which puts them far ahead of cops on the evolutionary scale.

[damnedifIknow]

9. Are they trying their damndest to incite a war?

I don't understand this at all.

[RiffRandell]

11. This happened back in April, but I've lived here

over a decade and shit like this happens often.

I was thinking the same thing...I honestly can't believe we haven't had massive protests.

There have been small ones for Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown and others.

Do you remember the case where the police had BS info from an informant (they knew it was BS) then charged an old lady's house, she had no idea what was going on, pulled out a rifle and they shot her to death?

They tried covering it up for months, corroborating stories but one had a conscience and folded on the other 2.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kathryn_Johnston_shooting

[gordianot]

12. I doubt that war is the intended outcome but side on being lazy and detatched.

Add to that a lack of empathy fueled by personal anger knowing you can get by with whatever you inflict on others.

[Iggo]

10. Life in prison. Nothing less. (n/t)

[gratuitous]

13. Say it: They tortured Mr. Towns to death

It's nice to know that there may have been policies in place for the police department, and that those policies may have been violated when these police officers tortured Gregory Towns to death. I hope a very sternly-worded letter is placed in both men's personnel files.

[gordianot]

14. All in plain sight, not in the dead of night or in a dark alley.

[R.Quinn]

15. Unbelieveable

This makes me sick to my stomach. These police officers lack any semblance of respect for humanity, much less professionalism.

For anyone who isn't a cop, this would be murder.

[RiffRandell]

16. The sad thing is that it's not. nt

[Comrade Grumpy]

17. I hear ISIS is hiring. These cops would fit right in.

[valerief]

19. If I wanted to make people terrified of crossing the police, I'd put

plants in PDs all across the country and these plants would commit atrocious crimes and never be held accountable.

But that's just my imagination. It would never happen for real, would it?

I mean, all these cops committing all these atrocious crimes and not being held accountable is just due to, um, poor upbringing, right?

[Cali_Democrat]

21. He's black...of course....