Bible-Carrying Teen Yelling "I Want Jesus" Shot By Police

[matcom]

<snip>

JERSEYVILLE — An autopsy is planned for today in the death of a 17-year-old youth who was carrying a Bible in one hand and a cordless house phone in the other when he was shot twice by police with a stun gun.

Roger D. Holyfield, a former student at Jersey Community High School, had been yelling, "I want Jesus." When approached by police in the 600 block of South State Street about 9 p.m. Saturday, he became combative and was shot twice with a Taser, according to a statement by the Jerseyville Police Department.

Holyfield died Sunday night at Cardinal Glennon Children's Medical Center in St. Louis.

Police are investigating the incident and wouldn't speak to a reporter Monday at the Police Department.

According to the department statement, officials warned Holyfield "several times to stop being combative" or else they would use a Taser gun.

He was standing in a grass spot between the sidewalk and the street near a satellite TV business when he was hit with the Taser, police said.

Witnesses who did not want to be identified said Holyfield, who weighed about 130 pounds, also had been yelling for his mother. At least six officers tried to subdue Holyfield, witnesses said.

After he was shot once, Holyfield continued to struggle with officers and dislodged the Taser probes. He continued to fight, and police shot him again, the statement said.

When an ambulance arrived, Holyfield began vomiting. He was taken to a hospital, then flown to Cardinal Glennon, where he died about 8 p.m. Sunday.

http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/metroeast/story/58B70B2BA83E5B20862572180013F159?OpenDocument

[Coventina]

1. Er, would it be tacky to say that he got what he asked for?

I mean, he's with Jesus now, right?

:yoiks:

[pscot]

2. Definitely

I'm glad you did it first.

[ghostsofgiants]

3. Tasers and Christians? THIS should be a fun thread.

And by fun, I mean potentially the most idiotic flamewar this site has seen.

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

5. I should stay quiet, lest I be accused of wanting to go around

tasering people for sport again.

:rofl:

[leftofthedial]

4. one down

[XemaSab]

6. *mission accomplished*

:D

[Bassic]

7. Yay, tasers...

:eyes:

[WritingIsMyReligion]

8. Hey, I'm not big on people who run around screaming "Jesus!",

but was it really necessary to taser the kid?

:dilemma:

This might be a popcorn-worthy event.