Man Tasered to Death by Police in North Koreatown?
City News Service filed the news story this morning about a man who died after being tasered by law-enforcement officers on Vermont Avenue, by Oakwood Avenue, just north of the formal borders of Koreatown.
According to the “official” version of what happened, cops went to the 400 block of North Vermont at around 11:20 pm Thursday on a report of a traffic collision possibly involving a drunken driver. They allege that the man “became combative” and the officers used a taser on him.
The man was taken into custody and then transported to the Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center, where he died at around 1:00 am. His name is being withheld pending notification of family.
A press statement with more details is expected on Monday.
What is a Taser?
A taser is an electroshock weapon that uses electrical current to disrupt voluntary control of muscles causing “neuromuscular incapacitation.”
A person struck by a taser experiences stimulation of his or her sensory nerves and motor nerves, resulting in strong involuntary muscle contractions.
Reports of taser-linked fatalities have been on the rise since their more widespread adoption by law enforcement.