To Kill a Black Man

Thoughts from the Publisher of Tasered While Black:

The Charlotte Observer recently wrote an editorial on the brutal slaying and torture death of Darryl Turner at the hands of a member of the Charlotte Police Department. They wrote about how the officer delivered, what black social activist and blogger, Francis L. Holland and I call on-site pre-trial police electrocution. It's interesting the the Charlotte Obeserver failed to ask for the termination of the officer in question after he gave his own brand of pre-trial a continuous 37-second electric shock.

You see black life is only worth five days of pay. You see the Charlotte observer makes some good points and raises good questions for all police departments to address like:

Do police officers lean too readily on Tasers rather than reasoning with suspects?

Do guidelines leave too much up to the discretion of officers?

Has training kept up as Tasers have become more powerful and sophisticated?

We at Tasered While Black agree that Mr. Turner's death is proof more must be done to protect the public. Tasers ought to be used sparingly and with strict, consistent limits.

It's true, nothing can undo what happened to 17-year-old Darryl Turner. but its one hell of a way to start off an editorial about the electrocution of a teenager. But I guess the folks at the Observer and many of the citizens of Charlotte see nothing wrong. You see, they would treat the issue differently if the victim were of a different skin color. ooops, I was not suppose to say that right? Check out the editorial below and some of the "color aroused' comments

Look at the video! Look at the muscles on the guy and the attitude...
Maybe people will learn to do what police tell them to do. Now we...
I'm just repeating what the police review board said
It may be that the officer kept the taser on too long, but the...
If you watched the video, what you saw was Mr. Turner walking AWAY...

»Read More from the readers.

Charlotte Observer Editorial

Nothing can undo what happened to 17-year-old Darryl Turner. He died in March of cardiac arrest after being shot with a Taser gun by a Charlotte-Mecklenburg police officer.

He died in March of cardiac arrest after being shot with a Taser gun by a Charlotte-Mecklenburg police officer.

Yet police can and must rein in the use of these widely carried weapons until their medical risks are more fully known. CMPD should use what it learned from a review of this tragedy to set stricter limits on when, how and on whom Tasers are used. Specifically, the department should prohibit multiple shots and prolonged shots with Tasers and look carefully at whether they should be used, period, on teenagers.

Police last week released details from a review of the confrontation between Mr. Turner and police officer Jerry Dawson Jr. They also released a surveillance video showing that confrontation and some of the events leading up to it. The review concluded that Officer Dawson, a 15-year veteran on the force, acted within the guidelines when he decided to use his Taser on Mr. Turner. But it found he broke departmental rules when he delivered a continuous 37-second shock. He has been suspended for five days without pay.

This is a painful time for Mr. Turner's family. Their loss is irreplaceable. It's assuredly a painful time for a seasoned police officer, too, who must live with the consequences of an error made in the line of duty.

Yet it's a wake-up call for police about Tasers – popular, effective and usually non-lethal tools.

A June study by U.S. Department of Justice cautioned law enforcement agencies about repeatedly shocking suspects with stun guns. The study found that many of the deaths they reviewed are associated with repeated shocks. It also warns agencies the medical risks of Tasers are not known, particularly on youths, and urges agencies not to use them whenever possible on small children, people with heart disease, the elderly and pregnant women.

Yet many agencies in North Carolina have no policies limiting the number of shocks or to protect particularly vulnerable groups, according to the N.C. Taser Project. That needs to change, and CMPD should lead the way.

CMPD's policies are being reviewed after Mr. Turner's death. These questions should be included:

Do police officers lean too readily on Tasers rather than reasoning with suspects?

Do guidelines leave too much up to the discretion of officers?

Has training kept up as Tasers have become more powerful and sophisticated?

Mr. Turner's death is proof more must be done to protect the public. Tasers ought to be used sparingly and with strict, consistent limits. More HERE

17 year old black sentenced to "on the spot death-by-electrocution." Tased 37 Seconds

Police Officer in Charlotte, N.C. gets 5 day suspension for sentencing and carrying out "on the spot death by electrocution" of 17 year old black teen. The Black teen was tased 37 seconds! No national black leadership organization see anything wrong with the on-going killings of blacks by rogue cops.

• No charges in teen's Taser death
• Autopsy: Tasered teen died of heart attack
• Funeral held for teen who died after Taser shock

Yes, a Charlotte-Mecklenburg police officer involved in a deadly "on the spot death by electrocution" of a teenager will not lose his job, but he will be suspended for five days.

As reported by WNCN Darryl Turner died in March after the officer Tased him seven-times longer than recommended. Surveillance video from the Food Lion where Turner worked shows his last moments alive.

It shows a confrontation with a supervisor, and then Officer Jerry Dawson arrives and fires his Taser at the 17-year-old, striking Turner in the sternum.

Tasered While Black publisher says "There is growing evidence that a number of blacks in America are receiving 'high tech judge and jury on-site electrocution' by police around the country. Not only should the justice department investigate these crimes against humanity in the streets of America, we a nation must stand up and demand the end of these actions by police who seem to be ill-trained to use this weapon of next to last resort."

As reported by station kare11.com

Charlotte, North Carolina police officer is on a five-day suspension after using a Taser on a teen for too long. Darryl Turner died in March after the officer Tased him for 37 seconds, more than seven-times longer than recommended by the manufacturer of the stun gun.

Surveillance video from the Food Lion grocery store where Turner worked showed his last moments alive.

It shows a confrontation with a supervisor, and then Officer Jerry Dawson arriving and firing his Taser at the 17-year-old, striking Turner in the sternum.

"The initial use of the Taser is not in question," said Deputy Chief Ken Miller of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department.

For 37 seconds, Dawson continued to stun the teen.

An autopsy revealed Turner died of a heart attack.

"I wouldn't want to be Tased for 37 seconds," said Dr. Joe Kuhns with the University of North Carolina at Charlotte's Department of Criminal Justice. "I can assure you of that. It's a lengthy period of time."

Kuhns said he supports the use of Tasers.

"For the most part, their use has been effective," he said. "It's reduced officer injuries. It's reduced suspect injuries."

But a report by the National Institute of Justice study says that since 1987, there have been 300 deaths from so-called "CEDs" or conducted energy devices.

"Many are associated with continuous or repeated discharge of the CED," the report states.

"Typically, people are incapacitated with a Taser in under 10 seconds," Kuhns said.

According to the NIJ report, "There may be circumstances in which repeated or continuous exposure is required, but law enforcement should be aware that the associated risks are unknown. Therefore, caution is urged in using multiple activations of CED as a means to accomplish subdual."

Turner's family believes he didn't have to die.

"The officer was not confronted with circumstances that required the use of that type of force," said Ken Harris, an attorney for Turner's family.

Release the surveillance videotape - Stop The Coverup! Why did the 17-year-old Black Kid Bagging Groceries have to die?

The Publisher of Tasered While Black agrees with The Charlotte Observer

Why hide details of probe into police Taser death?

Give public the information needed to evaluate response.
Source: The Charlotte Observer

Here's what we know about how 17-year-old Darryl Wayne Turner died: He had cardiac arrest after a Charlotte-Mecklenburg police officer shot him with a Taser gun.

Yet what we don't know about that shooting is just as important. Police and prosecutors should say how many times Mr. Turner was shot and make public a surveillance videotape that captured much of the confrontation. That's the only way to settle questions about what happened.

Prosecutors announced last week that Police Officer Jerry Dawson acted appropriately when he shocked Mr. Turner during a March confrontation at a north Charlotte grocery store. Officials said Mr. Turner was shocked more than once after he advanced on the officer.

Yet police and prosecutors have refused to reveal how many times the officer shot Mr. Turner and refused to air a videotape that showed what happened leading up to the shooting.

That secrecy doesn't make sense. If the investigation cleared the officer, those key details would only reinforce that finding.

For one thing, knowing how many times Mr. Turner was shot gives the public a way to evaluate the officer's response in light of some disturbing facts.

A June study by the U.S. Department of Justice reviewed Taser deaths and found that many of them are associated with repeated shocks. It cautioned law enforcement agencies against repeated shockings, saying the medical risks are unknown.

Mr. Turner's autopsy showed the teen's heart was pumping so fast and chaotically from the Taser shot and the confrontation that it stopped pumping blood properly.

In addition, sharing the surveillance video with the public would resolve conflicting accounts of what it shows. A lawyer representing Mr. Turner's family has viewed videotape. He disputes the police account that Mr. Turner walked or advanced aggressively toward the officer before he was shot. More HERE

Darryl Turner , Black 17 year old, Tased To Death,Tasered While Black

Darryl Turner passed away after being involved in an altercation inside a Food Lion in northeast Charlotte.

Damn, There seems to be an all out attack on black boys and men. This time it's in Charlotte, N.C. according to Brad Borders at News 14:

CHARLOTTE -- There are new details in the death of a 17-year old who was Tased on Thursday by a Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police officer and later died.

Darryl Turner passed away after being involved in an altercation inside a Food Lion in northeast Charlotte. There are now multiple investigations in to the case, including one from the boy’s mother, who has already hired an attorney.

"It felt like my heart was going to come out of my chest when I found out,” said Tammy Fontenot, Turner’s mother. "I just want the truth to come out, that's what I’m concerned with -- the truth." Police are investigating what happened when Turner was Tased during the altercation. According to a CMPD statement, an officer deployed the Taser when Turner refused verbal commands and moved toward police.On Friday, Turner’s friends and family visited Fontenot to help her through her grief.

More HERE