Two police officers charged with murder after suspect tasered 50 times

A police issue Taser. The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) has called for greater scrutiny on the use of Tasers: PA
A police issue Taser. The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) has called for greater scrutiny on the use of Tasers: PA

Two Oklahoma police officers have been charged with second-degree murder for killing a man by shocking him with Tasers more than 50 times.

Oklahoma's State Bureau of Investigation (OSBI) said Thursday that police officers Joshua Taylor, 25, and Brandon Dingman, 34, were charged for their roles in the death of Jared Lakey, 28.

The officers' use of Tasers was ruled a "substantial factor" in Mr Lakey's death, according to court records.

Mr Lakey died on 4 July 2019 in a hospital two days after being shocked more than 50 times by the officers' Tasers. The officers were responding to a report that a man was running down a street naked and screaming according to the Daily Ardmoreite.

The OSBI reviewed dashcam footage of the encounter between Mr Lakey and the officers.

"The footage reveals numerous instances of both officers using their X26P tasers to send electrical shocks through [Mr Lakey's] body in an apparent attempt to persuade him to put his hands behind his back as he lay on the ground," an OSBI agent wrote in an affidavit.

According to court documents, Mr Taylor allegedly used his Taser 30 times for a cumulative 122 seconds, over a nine minute period. Mr Lakey was Tased for nearly four minutes straight.

The OSBI report stated that Mr Lakey never acted aggressively towards the officers and that the officers never attempted to take control of Mr Lakey by physically grabbing him to restrain him.

"[The victim] is tased numerous times while merely lying naked in the ditch, presumably for not rolling onto his stomach and complying with the officers' commands to 'Put your hands behind your back'," the affidavit stated.

A felony warrant for the officers' arrest was issued on 1 July with a bond of $500,000 each. The officers turned themselves in on Thursday and are facing between 10 years and life in prison if they're convicted.

The Wilson Police Department, where the officers are employed, has not issued a statement regarding their continued employment.

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