89 An Incident-level Profile of Taser Device Deployments in Arrest-Related Deaths

Abstract

Study Objectives: While a large body of research has investigated the physiological risks associated with the TASER device, much less research attention has been devoted to examining the nearly 400 police-citizen encounters in which a suspect has died proximate to the use of the device. As a result, there are numerous unanswered questions regarding officer, suspect and incident-level characteristics of these arrested-related deaths, as well as the extent to which patterns in these characteristics may have changed over time. Methods: This is a descriptive analysis of 392 TASER-proximate ARDs from 2001-2008. The authors employ a unique data triangulation method that merges 2 independent information sources: print media archives and Medical Examiner (ME) reports. TASER-proximate arrested-related deaths were first identified through a Web-based media search service (www.webclipping.com; n=392). Authors then made Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests for ME reports in all identified death cases, resulting in a combined data set (containing both media and ME reports) of 213 cases. The data were examined descriptively for the entire study period (2001-2008) as well as over 2- and 3-year periods to assess longitudinal trends, with specific focus on suspect and officer characteristics, TASER device deployment, officer and suspect use of force and resistance patterns, and cause of death. Results: The descriptive analysis shows several trends. First, the geographic pattern of arrested-related deaths is associated with population size, the number of officers per state and TASER device sales patterns. Second, the typical suspect in these study cases was a middle-aged male who was intoxicated or mentally ill and in crisis. The prevalence of illicit drug use bears out in the cause of death data as drugs were identified as the primary cause of death in approximately one-quarter of cases (media and ME data) and a contributing factor in an additional 30% of cases. Third, the arrested-related deaths in this study were complex, dynamic encounters between suspects who were actively and aggressively resisting police, and officers who were drawing deeply into their arsenal of force options in an attempt to control and arrest them. Only 10% of suspects were described as passively resisting police efforts, and suspects' active resistance continued after TASER device exposure in nearly 60% of cases. In response, police officers typically used multiple types of force either before or after the TASER device (most often physical force), and when officers resorted to the device, it was usually deployed more than once. Finally, information on cause of death was consistent in both data sources, citing drugs (cocaine), heart problems, and ExDS as the most common causes (alone or in combination). In fact, 86% of the ME reports reviewed cited one or more of these factors as cause of death. Last, longitudinal analysis showed consistency in most incident, suspect and officer characteristics, though key aspects of suspect resistance, including level of aggression and persistence after TASER device exposure, changed notably over time. Conclusion: The clear take-away message from these findings is that the arrested-related deaths examined in this study are complex, prolonged encounters that often involved multiple force options used in combination with the TASER device, as police attempted to gain control over persistently resistant and combative suspects.