SALEM, Ore. (AP) - A man collapsed and died after police used a stun gun on him Wednesday during an altercation in Albany, Oregon, police said.
What escalated into a fatal encounter began routinely: A community service officer — a uniformed civilian who responds to non-emergency calls — contacted the man whose car was disabled on a street. He then requested non-emergency assistance from a patrol officer, the Albany Police Department said in a statement.
A physical altercation ensued between the motorist and two Albany police personnel, with the man assaulting the Community Service Officer, the department said.
Police used a Taser on him.
“The subject went limp and became unconscious,” the police statement said. Police began CPR and used an automated external defibrillator. Fire department paramedics arrived and continued CPR, but the man died at the scene.
Devin Russell, who works at the Battery X-Change store next to the scene, said the man was apparently in his car, with four officers present, when he was tased.
“They used more force than what you imagine what most people would use,” Russell said in a telephone interview.
He said he didn’t see the stun gun deployed but watched as police pulled the unconscious man from the car. They tried to resuscitate him for about 20 minutes, he said.
Albany Police Capt. Brad Liles declined to comment on use of the stun gun, saying more information would come out as an investigation proceeds.
The Oregon State Police are leading a multi-agency investigation.
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