Tulsa police investigate officers' role in death of suspect
Source: Associated Press
Tulsa police investigate officers' role in death of suspect
Justin Juozapavicius, Associated Press
Updated 1:07 am, Saturday, June 4, 2016
TULSA, Okla. (AP) — Tulsa police said Friday that a 64-year-old man who died after an officer used pepper spray and a stun gun on him while attempting to serve a misdemeanor warrant for jaywalking had a medical issue that may have contributed to his death. Ollie Lee Brooks died at a hospital after being chased down a flight of stairs, then tackled and handcuffed by officers performing a warrant sweep at a motel last Saturday, police said. They said two officers tried to arrest Brooks after noticing crack cocaine and a pipe in his motel room.
Police said a preliminary report from the state medical examiner suggested Brooks had an enlarged heart, which with overexertion may have contributed to his death, and Brooks' family said he suffered from congestive heart failure.
However, an attorney for the family also suggested police may have been overzealous in serving the warrant. Brooks had been out of legal trouble since his release from prison in 2001 and likely didn't know he had an outstanding warrant, attorney Laurie Phillips said.
"This is something he should have maybe been told about," Phillips said. "It's jaywalking, and these police officers know what it's for. They are targeting a hotel with poor people."
Read more: http://www.chron.com/news/crime/article/Tulsa-police-investigate-officers-role-in-death-7961815.php
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Ollie Lee Brooks [/center]
"The Mad Jay-Walker?" Death sentence?