Taser Death * Edward Stevenson (Leavenworth KS)

The police continue to practice a violent and deadly practice of pre-judicial electrocution. The person killed this time was 46-year old Edward Stevenson. He was tasered-to-death on July 18.

Leavenworth Police Chief Pat Kitchens gave the following account to a reporter from the Kansas City Star:

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Officers were called after Stevenson reportedly came into a local bar and claimed he had been shot. When police arrived, Stevenson was lying in the street. An ambulance was called, and police put Stevenson in the back of a patrol car while they waited.


Stevenson, whom Kitchens described as combative and aggressive, began to kick and butt his head inside the vehicle. Officers removed him and tried to get him under control. He was shocked by unidentified police officers at least three times with taser guns.


An ambulance arrived and took him to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead.  There is no evidence of any gunshot wounds on Stevenson ... despite the earlier reports.

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There was no need for this man to be electrocuted with taser guns. There was no need for this man to die. He was in police custody in the back of a patrol car. He was contained with no weapon (they wouldn't put him in the back of the car without frisking him for weapons or drugs). He was not a danger to anyone ... and medical folks were coming in an ambulance.

Why did the unidentified police officers pull their taser guns and shoot this guy? HE WAS NO DANGER TO THE OFFICERS OR ANYONE ELSE. Even if you think that he was a danger to himself ... pumping him full of electricity through multiple taser gun shots wasn't appropriate.

Next step? Let's see what the autopsy results tell us. However, I can't see how the unidentified police officers get out of this taser-killing without some criminal repercussions.

What say u?