Man Dies After Police Tase Him; Family Puzzled

FORT WORTH (CBSDFW.COM) - Relatives of a man who was killed after police entered his home and tased him are struggling to come to terms with how he died.

"They physically pulled him off the couch because, like I said, he was asleep. They pulled him off the couch and they tried to put him on his stomach. He can't breathe on his stomach. He don't even lie on the bed on his stomach," said Donna Randle, the mother of victim Jarmaine Darden, 34.

Zero tolerance officers were executing a search warrant at his southeast Fort Worth house on May 16, searching for cocaine, when according to police reports the incident happened. The same report states that Darden resisted arrest.

But family members said the 350 pound father of two was a chronic asthmatic and had to sleep sitting up.

"He had his hands behind his back the whole time. But me and about five other people were hollering the whole time, 'He cannot breathe like that. Please handcuff him on his side,'" said Randle.

Darden's brother said the officer warned his brother that if he didn't get on his stomach, they were going to to taze him... and then they did. That's when Darden started having trouble breathing, according to his brother Eric.

Witnesses said Darden was shocked with a taser at least twice; then stopped breathing and died.

Police records show five arrests were made but there isn't any mention of police finding cocaine.

Family members of the man who has left behind  two teenage sons said they can't believe he's dead.

"I'm not even accepting the fact that he's gone. I'm waiting for him to drive up any minute. Its just not believable," said Randle.

The Fort Worth police department has yet to respond to CBS 11 with any comment in regard to this incident.

But community leaders said chief Jeff Halstead has reached out to them and promised to keep them informed as an investigation into the matter continues.

A cause of death has still not been determined.

Also Check Out:

• Man Killed In Southlake Town Square Shooting
• Severe Weather Moves Across North Texas
• Cousins Beef Over Gas Money; One Dead
• Tornado Twists Through Oklahoma Taking Lives
• Severe Weather Pictures: May 15, 2013

MOST VIEWED GALLERIES

• PHOTOS: Your Pet Pictures
• PHOTOS: Severe Weather Aftermath - May 16
• PHOTOS: Dallas Comic Con 2013

---------------------------------------------