Unanswered questions remain in Taser death

By Vince Mancini

Published on August 02, 2005

Police responded to a call at the home of 31-year-old Carlos Casillas Fernandez, who according to police was under the influence of drugs. It took five officers to restrain the man, who was taken to the emergency after being stunned six times, sprayed with pepper spray, and placed in a chokehold. Fernandez later died.

The incident is being investigated by the Sonoma County sheriff and the district attorney. The six officers involved have been placed on paid leave while the investigation continues.

The case raises more questions about the Taser stun gun, whose manufacturer is already the subject of a class action lawsuit and at the center of a growing controversy over the device's safety.

Critics of the stun guns claim they have identified more than 100 cases in the U.S. and Canada in which someone died after being shocked with a Taser.

Taser International insists that the devices are safe. The company describes the device as non-lethal, but acknowledges that it is not 100 percent non-lethal or completely risk free.

According to the company's website, more than 7,000 police departments in the U.S. and abroad have bought Tasers, including many that supplied them to all their officers.

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