Cause Announced in Goodyear Taser Death

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Cause Announced in Goodyear Taser Death

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Posted: 9:13 PM Apr 8, 2008
Last Updated: 10:54 PM Apr 8, 2008

12 comments

Shawnee Co. Coroner's News Release

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The Shawnee County Corner's office says the death of a Goodyear worker just over a week ago was completely accidental.

The coroner's office has declared 59-year-old Walter Haake Junior's death March 29th ultimately an accident.

The coroner's office says Haake had long standing cardiac disease and diabetes mellitus that proved to be a deadly combination when officers had him face down on the ground to put him in handcuffs.

The coroner's office says the combination of his medical history and the compression of his torso when being cuffed proved to be a fatal.

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Posted by: Dan Peters Location: Westlake Village on Apr 13, 2008 at 02:11 PM
If the cause of death was caused by compression of his torso when being cuffed, why does your headline read Taser Death? Is this a back-handed retraction from a previous story you wrote? I’ll bet the headline read, “Man Dies After Being Shocked by Taser.” Once again, the timeline is correct but the implication is DEAD wrong. Tasers do not cause deaths. The Taser shock was only one of several events which preceded this death. Reckless journalists prefer to incite controversy by perpetuating a myth. Any time anyone puts Taser and Death in the same sentence he/she is indirectly contributing to deaths by gunshot wounds from police departments who have not yet made the decision to purchase Tasers.

Posted by: ronnie barksdale Location: danville,va on Apr 11, 2008 at 12:00 PM
I am sick and tired of blames being put on your own health. I have diabetes and when I was put on the famous drug that came out to cause heart attacks and I ended up having a heart attack I hired a big and famous law firm because of the drug causing the attack. I had never had any trouble of any kind with my heart but when it came time to go to trail the word came down that the attack was because I had diabetes. Kind of long winded but the point is the blame is always put on the sick or in this case the dead because of smothing that his own body caused. I wonder if he would still be here if the cops had not treated him as they did. I just bet that he would but as usual the cops do nothing wrong!!!!!

Posted by: furious on Apr 9, 2008 at 10:32 PM
I think this is just absolutely sad this gentlemen died this way. My husband was there the whole time and I have seen flaws in all stories. I was not there so i dont know for sure. I also thinks its terrible sad how some of you talk about this man. I hope nothing like this ever happens to someone in your family and if it does I hope you get the same if not worse comments. Also who cares about spelling and grammar on these things. Have you just run out of things to gripe about?

Posted by: Anonymous on Apr 9, 2008 at 04:55 PM
JC, you are completely wrong. Tasers are an alternative to NON lethal force. Just as an asp (baton) is, or pepper spray is. This man was no threat to anyone else, you are 100% correct on that, what you DIDN'T mention, was that b/c he WAS inside his car and was NOT going to come out on his own, he had put himself in a suicide position. This man (very sadly) was going to die whether he sat there in his car, or whether this situation happened. what is TRULY unfortunate, is that he was not tased and removed from the car SOONER! had he been, his life could have been saved and he would be here today with us. Albeit, pissed that he got tased, but nonetheless alive. However, due to the very strict guidelines that DO exist for the use of a taser (and yes, i AM somewhat of an expert on it), they were unable to use the tool sooner to extract him from the vehicle and save his life. With the man facing imminent death, how else would you propose they got him out of the car? beat him?

Posted by: Annie Location: Topeka on Apr 9, 2008 at 04:00 PM
I think spellcheck should be sued. I'm not sure those hurtful comments toward the "sherriff" are going to have much validation. The spelling on here is "disspeckable!" LOL

Posted by: James Location: Topeka on Apr 9, 2008 at 01:30 PM
I guess the "coroner" hasn't been keeping up on his reading regarding tasers. The most recent medical studies show that they do kill and the way they kill is exactly how the Goodyear worker died! http://www.charlydmiller.com/LIB11/2007SepVfibTasedPigs.pdf Do you actually know who your coroner is? http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F0CE7DE153DF933A15752C1A965958260 I can understand why the KBI is investigating this case now.

Posted by: Dan Location: Westlake Village,CA on Apr 9, 2008 at 09:17 AM
Why does your headline read, ...Taser Death, when the death was NOT caused by the Taser? Is this a backhanded retraction from an earlier article?

Posted by: JC Location: Topeka on Apr 9, 2008 at 07:40 AM
I will buy that the act of Tasing did not have a direct cause to his death. However that being said, Tasers are to offer a alternative to deadly force. The actions of the SCPD were totally unjustified and uncalled for. Emergencey personnel were called because someone had determined that the individual was in medical distress. All the symtoms that he was exhibiting would have pointed at high blood sugar in a diabetic. The sherriff was not doing what they needed to do by forceably removing him from his car, throwing him to the ground handcuffing him and oh yes lets not for get tasing him, they took the quick and easy way out and used excessive force against an individual that while not responding as they wanted was in fact contained and controlled.They had his keys, they had him blocked in, he possed no threat to anyone. It was a medical situation. This one is going to cost the county and Goodyear dearly.

Posted by: AcesHigh Location: Topeka on Apr 9, 2008 at 12:02 AM
Wow, Lisa, it sure sounds like you have ALL the answers! I happen to know multiple people who were actually THERE that night at the scene, and what the media has told you is only part of the facts. If you know so much about being tased and the effect it has on blood sugar, then tell me why we don't have the ability to tase someone with low blood sugar. You, I, and everyone else reading this know its totally absurd, and the fact that you would say such a thing pretty much makes the rest of what you say null and void. I agree it is terrible that Mr Haake died, but this man had a lengthy history of medical problems. The sherriff was only doing what they were told to do (remove him from the car). After repeated attempts to remove him, and the urgency of the situation, the final option they had was to use the taser to gain control of the situation. The sherriff's office is very professional, and I feel for everyone who was involved in any way with this whole ordeal that night.

Posted by: Cheezburger Location: Topeka on Apr 8, 2008 at 11:44 PM
The officers had this mans keys according to the artical in the paper, he was not going anywhere, I did not know that high blood suger was a reason to be tazed. I think that this incident should be investigated by an outside source, because police were involved, and not have a cover up, like it is beging to look like. I dont know all of the details to this story nor was I there, but sometimes a person has to go with there gut and my gut tells me that the the officers messed up on this one. If I was a member of that mas family I would of already been in touch with my attorny. Someones got to pay for this unneeded tradgity.It wont bring that person back but some has to pay the price on stupidity.

Posted by: Know on Apr 8, 2008 at 11:07 PM
I told you the Taser didn't kill him.

Posted by: Lisa Location: Topeka,KANSAS on Apr 8, 2008 at 10:49 PM
I AM NOT BUYING IT! MR.HAAKE WALKED OUT OF THE GOODYEAR PLANT,HIS BLOOD SUGAR WAS HIGH,THE MAN NEEDED INSULIN!!!! WITH HIS HEART CONDITION,WASN'T A PLUS EITHER! HIS BLOOD SUGAR WAS UP,AND HIS MOOD WAS NOT HIMSELF! HAVING HIGH BLOOD SUGAR,A PERSON NEEDS INSULIN,THEY GET IN A MOOD WHERE THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY ARE DOING! BEING TASED KILLED THE MAN,THE TASING MADE HIS BLOOD SUGAR GO UP,THE INITAL SHOCK OF 3 TASING MADE HIS BLOOD SUGAR,HIS DEATH! WHO BOUGHT THE CORONER OFF? THE SHERRIFF DEPARTMENT!!! THIS IS THE MOST DISSPECKABLE PAYOFF THATS SO SAD. JUST ANOTHER COVER UP. THE SHERRIFF DEPARTMENT LADY SHOULD BE FIRED AND NEVER TO RETURN.PAY MR.HAAKES FAMILY,SHE GOT OFF FOR MURDER!!!! THIS IS SO SAD!!! THE SYSTEM IS BULL!! I HAVE NO FAITH IN THE SHERRIFF DEPARTMENT. I HATE THIS COVER UP. FACE IT! THE MAN WAS ALIVE UNTIL HE WAS TASED 3 TIMES,SIMPLE AS THAT! I'M SO HOT OVER THIS,I'M NOT SUPPORTING THE SHERRIFF DEPARTMENT EVER,DON'T CALL ME FOR SUPPORT!!! THIS IS SO SAD!!! THE MAN IS DEAD!!!

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