Man Dies After Arizona Police Taser Him

A man was tasered by an Arizona highway patrol officer and then died, The Arizona Republic has reported. According to the Arizona Department of Public Safety (DPS), Mark Andrew Morse, age 36, had a run-in with the highway patrol outside Phoenix early Thursday morning, February 4^th. The facts are sketchy at best, but DPS says Mr. Morse was stopped by highway patrol when he was seen walking in a carpool lane. According to DPS, Mr. Morse was tasered after he became “combative” and refused to follow instructions. After that, all that is known is that Mr. Morse was taken into custody, that he was exhibiting breathing problems, and that he was later pronounced dead at John C. Lincoln North Mountain Hospital in Phoenix.

Despite DPS’s claims about Mr. Morse’s behavior on the morning of February 4^th, his family has demanded more information. They expressed disbelief that Mr. Morse was capable of behaving the way DPS claimed he did. Mr. Morse’s cousin said, “We're just trying to understand what happened and why it’s been kept so hush-hush.” Mr. Morse, who grew up in Phoenix and lived in Arkansas, was in town to introduce his fiancée to his mother.

Taser stun guns are increasingly carried and used by law enforcement officers throughout the United States, despite the fact that their use has been associated with hundreds of deaths. Individuals who have been injured or lost loved ones as a result of Tasers have successfully brought claims for personal injury and wrongful death damages. In some cases where law enforcement officers have used Tasers inappropriately, victims have brought claims of excessive force and collected significant settlements and verdicts to compensate for officers’ misconduct.