Wrongful Death Suit Filed Against Police

The family of mentally disabled man, who died in police custody after being shot twice with a Taser stun gun, has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the City of Fort Worth and one of its police officers. The lawsuit comes after a local medical examiner in Texas declared the man’s death a homicide caused by use of the Taser.

Michael Patrick Jacobs Jr., 24, died after being jolted with a Taser by police when they responded to a call that he was causing a disturbance outside his family’s home on April 18. The first Taser shot was used to deliver 50,000 volts of electricity for 49 seconds, which is substantially longer than the standard five seconds. After the extended shock, Jacobs was shocked a second time for five more seconds.

The medical examiner, Nizam Peerwani, ruled that the cause of Jacob’s death was “sudden death during neuromuscular incapacitation due to application of a conducted energy device.” There were no signs of drugs or abnormal conditions which could have contributed to his death, according to Peerwani’s report.

Wrongful death cases are usually brought on behalf of the deceased by his or her close family members. Common types of  wrongful death cases include:

• Medical mistakes
• Car or airplane accidents
• Criminal attacks
• Work-related exposure to dangerous conditions or substances
• Death during a supervised activity

If you think you have a Renton, Washington wrongful death claim we welcome you to contact our Renton wrongful death lawyers for a free consultation at a time and place of your convenience.