It happened again! Stanislaus County Sheriff's officers used a taser in the death of 27-year old Manuel Dante Dent while he was in their county jail. Of course, the police are not acknowledging any responsibility for the taser being a part of his death.Instead, the sherriff's office claims that Dent died from an overdose of methamphetamine while in their custody on August 27. Police claim that an autopsy showed that Dent had swallowed a bag made of plastic wrap and believed to be filled with drugs. Toxicology results determined the drugs caused Dent's death. [SOURCE]
Do you wonder how an inmate under the custody of the police can swallow meth?
Modesto police said Dent swallowed the small bag as he tried to escape from officers shortly before his arrest Aug. 26. The officers caught up to Dent, but he put a bag inside his mouth, said Sgt. Brian Findlen.
He said the officers placed a Taser gun directly against Dent's skin to prevent him from ingesting the bag. The technique is called "drive-stun mode" and used to apply momentary pain and achieve compliance from a suspect, Findlen said. The Taser applies a short shock, but the darts are not fired.
The officers arrested Dent on suspicion of possession of heroin in liquid form, destruction of evidence, resisting arrest and violating probation.
Police took Dent to Doctors Medical Center in Modesto, where he was medically cleared before he was booked at the county's downtown Modesto jail.
Undersheriff Bill Heyne said Dent was awaiting his arraignment hearing and lying on the bed in his cell at 6:09 a.m. Aug. 27 when the jailers found him unresponsive.
Heyne said sheriff's deputies and jail medical staff started CPR procedures. Dent was taken to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Villager's Voice: Once again the police disregard the impact of the taser gun and instead focus on the excuse of drugs. In my view the police are using the taser gun as a tool of convenience and control and not in the manner it was originally designed ... to protect lives. That's my thought. What say u?
