Michigan Teen Dies From Police Tasering

Aunt Says 15-Year-Old Was Cuffed At Time; Cops Dispute, Say He Tried To Attack

(CBS/AP)  Bay City police say a 15-year-old has died after being Tasered by officers who were trying to break up a fight.

CBS News affiliate WNEM-TV5 said police had identified the teen as Brett Elder.

A police news release says officers answered a report of a fight about 3:40 a.m. Sunday. The statement says two males were arguing in an apartment, and one of them "attempted to fight the officers."

Police say police Tasered him, and his reaction led them to immediately call for emergency medical help. He was pronounced dead at Bay Regional Medical Center.

"He was flopping around and looked like a fish out of water," Elder’s aunt Cindy Hernden told WNEM. "That’s the only way to explain it - his whole body was bent over."

Hernden did admit to the TV station that Elder had attempted to punch of the officers, but said the officer's use of a Taser was excessive as her nephew was already in handcuffs.

Deputy Chief Thomas Pletzke told TV5 however that Elder was not handcuffed when the Taser was fired.

Deputy Chief Thomas Pletzke said one officer had been put on administrative leave.

[seezero1]

I think injuries from a tasering can probably vary as much as those from other situations in which you can get shocked such as coming in contact with a live wire.

[problem09]

Alot of people on here seem to think that this is a common occurance. Which it isn't. The amount of deaths from tasers is not high at all. If you would really look at those studies that you like to say that you read, you would find that yes people may have died from tasers. But the percentage is very low compared to the amount of times the taser has been used. I'm sure the police did not wish to kill anybody. I find it amazing that there are so many people who like to thnk that the police are out to kill people. I think that you have been watching to many movies and tv shows.

[mswolfestock]

So why was this 15 year old up and fighting at 3:45am on a Sunday, so the cops had to be called. Why don't they arrest this kid's egg donor and sperm donor for child abandonment. This kid would be alive if he had parents instead of egg and sperm donors. Don't blame the cops, blame the "parents" for Breeding without a Brain. I'm surprised this doesn't happen more often, given that there are so many Throw Away Kids just like this one. He'd only end up in jail in a couple of more years anyway.

[cepe10-2009]

sounds like law enforcement lying again...

[usanative1]

WHEN YOU CAN'T SUCCEED AT ANY THING ELSE YOU EITHER BECOME A COP OR YOU DRIVE A CAB.

[usanative1]

Poklice officers for the most part on any given department are young and just starting thier so called career.or they have been on the force so long they are so fat they can't climb stairs without stopping for a breather. The little ones are chicken s===t so they use a taser . The fat a--sed ones can't get there fast enough. They have to resort to extreme measures to get thier job done. The old days of trusting a police officer died off in the 50s. Now they either snitch on each other to gain favor with the snitches who have made it to siut and tie positions or they are dirty and create problems for the officers who are only trying to lie thier way to the top instead of stealing.

[glidescube]

If cops want a full scale war I hope the realize they will lose

[dixxson]

What happened is they failed to take into account the intelligence Level of the individuals that would be wielding this device!
Remember they just Lowered the Testing Standards numerous times recently
for the Military and Police!
Of course the whole concept that Tasers are safe in the first place is clinically unsupported, Barbaric and Criminally Insane".

[dixxson]

This makes the Boys in The (Dunce Caps & Sheets) Job easy" irrelevant, unnecessary!
The BTK Torturer Murdered Laid Dormant for 13 yrs, after landing a job as town constable.
He was Placated by the peoples he was able to "Victimize" from his Position!
The American Dunce Caps & Sheets are Happy to enjoy the Cops doing their Job" for them!

[DoubleHappiness88]

COPS: Crooks in uniform.

Yes, I will call a Hippy, if I need help. Never trust a cop!

[hetup-2009]

Pensacola Florida, elderly woman calls police in Walmart parking lot to report child abuse. Responding officer tazers her for approaching his vehicle. Elderly woman sues Escambia County and wins big bucks.
These Tazer weapons need to go, they are not safe in the hands of the police. Cops abusing people need to go to prison, not to jail.

[mecanik-2009]

Listen to yourselves talking about the United States like it was some kind of police state. You sheeple are so afraid of the police it's embarrassing.

[pbcityvet]

When ever I have been approached by police I've been courteous and respectful. Furthermore, I have never thrown punches at them and guess what...they never tasered me.
People get what they ask for. It's unfortunate that this kid died but when the cops ask you to stop with your behavior, it would probably be in your best interest to stop.

[liselle3]

cornbiker
What a moron. The guy has been in office for 2 mos. We should have elected you, obviously your intelligence and opinions would be leading us down a much better path!

[mecanik-2009]

Lets see, whats this little knob do. OOPS, Let me try the other one. OOPS Again. I don't understand why he keeps hopping around like that. Hey Sarge, you give it a try. OOPS nah thats not it. Let the cheif have a try at it. OOPS

[caeric]

"Your a idiot if you think this. It warns against using a taser on anyone with heart problems, or pacemakers. Google it idiot." - JoetheDumbass

I have googled it. You can find all kinds of BS with a simple google. You need to search through the results until you find something a little more solid. Or, you could go straight to the peer-reviewed journal articles. Here's one for you: http://europace.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/reprint/eum058?ijkey=v5zONNAwEzrMZP5&keytype=ref

See Oxford Journals? See European Society of Cardiology?

Full disclosure shows: "This study was funded by an educational grant from TASER International. The funding source had no input on the study design, organisation, results and manuscript preparation. None of the contributing authors have any kind of financial or any other conflict of interest with the funding source."

So while a taser company funded the study, they had absolutely no influence on the outcome. If they had some influence, neither Oxford Journals nor the ESC would have published it.

The stress of the situation is probably a greater risk than the actual tase. What's more, the standard demographic of persons with pacemakers is such that they are very unlikely to be in a situation in which they will be tased in the first place.

[mdalerwill]

I know dale supports Bush.
(expect my disclaimer for the last statement in a future post)
Posted by LawyersGuns-n-Money at 1:26 PM : Mar 23, 2009

Waiting!

[mdalerwill]

I'm sorry Will, what were you saying? I got caught up staring at your arse and wasn't listening...............................
8-P
Posted by Indeptex3 at 1:25 PM : Mar 23, 2009

LOL. S'okay. That's been happening since I was 12.

You know how when adults talk in the Peanuts cartoons, you just hear..wa wa wa wa wa....that pretty much sums up what i was saying.

[rrozsa]

Yeah, this stuff only happens to bad guys. It won't ever happen to you, so don't you worry your pretty rear end about a thing.
Posted by vielmann at 1:17 PM : Mar 23, 2009

==================

The cops in my neighborhood are actually pretty decent, if you behave yourself.

[mdalerwill]

OHMYGOSH!
You used "Bel Biv DeVoe" in a sentence?!?!?!?
Posted by davicar2 at 1:19 PM : Mar 23, 2009

I can tell you are impressed with the sheer depth of my knowledge of irrelevent facts and my mastery of working them into useless chatter. :)