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Updated: 4:43 PM Apr 9, 2008
KBI Takes Up Goodyear Worker Death
The Kansas Bureau of Investigation began investigating the incident on Monday and will send its findings to the District Attorney's office
Posted: 7:28 AM Apr 9, 2008 |
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12 Comments 
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) _ The Kansas Bureau of Investigation is reviewing the death of a man who was tasered three times by a local sheriff's deputy and died of causes the cornor says were not taser-related.
Shawnee County Sheriff Richard Barta told The Topeka Capital-Journal that he asked the KBI to become involved and it began investigating Monday. Barta says its findings will go to the district attorney's office.
Shawnee County's coroner has released his report on the March 30 death of Walter E. Haake Jr.
The coroner says Haake died after being held face down by deputies while they were handcuffing him.
The coroner says compression of his chest, combined with his diabetes and cardiac problems, led to his death.
Deputies were responding to a call that Haake was having medical problems at work.
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(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
Latest Comments
I'm glad to hear that this case is not just being dropped. It's disheartenening to read that those whose job is to "protect and defend" actually were prime contributors to the death of a man who was not a threat to anyone. They had no right to attempt to force him out of his vehicle, much less to use life threatening measures. I feel these deputies should be charged with wrongful death in this case, at the very least.
It is insane to taser someone who is medically distressed, the fact that these bullies decided they were medical professionals shows their arrogance. Law enforcement has become to quick to taser people even 7 year old children, if their that scared maybe they should take up another occupation. There are very good and disciplined law enforcement officers out there who are made to look bad because of lazy cops like the one who tasered a sick guy to save him! You just have to be stupid to think 5k volts could help. One last point, everybody who puts on a uniform is not a hero! I'm a Vet and I know that some of the people I served with were no hero's, even though the majority were.
An intentional act that results in an unintended death is voluntary manslaughter. Police officers are trained to do what the "reasonable person" would do and a reasonable person would not use a stun gun and force on a person they felt was disoriented and ill, who was not posing a threat to anyone. Additionally when EMS forced medical care on a person who refused, they were violating his liberty. Reasonable people may have called a family member and waited for them to arrive, but would not have manhandled someone who had done nothing wrong. Oh, and a clean record or not, these officers clearly do not have the judgement to be police officers.
