Calls for Taser control in wake of recent deaths

By Vince Mancini

Published on August 08, 2005

44-year-old Dwayne Zachary of Sacramento County died after he was shocked several times with a stun gun during a fight with sheriff's deputies late Thursday night.

Zachary was the fifth Sacramento area man in to two years whose death was linked to a Taser stun gun.

33-year-old Eric Mahoney of Alameda died on Wednesday night, five days after being shot multiple times with a Taser as he climbed a wall to escape police.

Brian Patrick O'Neil, also 33, of San Jose, died Monday after being shocked by police during a confrontation. Similar incidents have been reported in other cities in the area during the past year as well.

Mark Schlosberg, police practices policy directo with the ACLU in San Francisco said more research needed to be done to understand how Tasers affect drug abusers. He said more the 140 people have died after being shot by the device since 2001.

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