The police are not above the law: The family of an American teenage artist who died after being tasered by Florida police officers has accused the law enforcement of using excessive force. A lawsuit, filed in Miami-Dade Circuit Court on Tuesday, said that Miami Beach police used excessive force in shooting Israel Hernandez-Llach with a Taser stun gun, and failed to give him proper medical attention afterward, Miami Herald reported. Hernandez-Llach, 18, died on August 6 after police shocked him with a taser as he was found spray-painting the wall of a shuttered building. The young artist was not carrying a weapon and therefore he was posing no threat to the police or the public, according the lawsuit. The artist’s death sent shockwaves across Florida sparking rallies decrying Miami Beach police. The incident reignited debate over law enforcement’s use of stun guns. “We believe this investigation will illustrate that the City of Miami Beach and Miami Beach Police do not properly train or supervise their police officers in the use of force, including the use of a Taser weapon,” said attorney Todd McPharlin. Taser International, the company that manufactures the Taser stun guns, suggests police officers try to avoid shooting suspects in the chest, as was done in Hernandez-Llach’s case, because of the risk of cardiac arrest in some people. The suit, which alleged that police violated the teenager’s civil rights, asked for damages of more than $15,000.
Posted on: Wed, 28 Aug 2013 14:04:14 +0000
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