The Associated Press
ORLANDO, Florida- A 47-year-old man died Thursday after being shot twice with a Taser stun gun as police tried to subdue him.
Orange County Sheriff’s deputies responding to a mobile home disturbance found Jeffrey D. Earnhardt “screaming and attempting to run into traffic,” according to a statement.
Earnhardt allegedly struck deputy James Vignali, who responded with a jolt from the Taser, which the deputy said didn’t affect the man. Vignali fired a second time, and again it had no effect, the sheriff’s office said.
Earnhardt, who has a long history of drug and other arrests, was restrained when more deputies arrived. He was taken to Florida Hospital East, where he was pronounced dead.
Taser Inc. says its stun guns are a non-lethal alternative to shooting dangerous suspects. The devices shoot 50,000 volts of electricity into people, temporarily disabling them.
But more than 100 people have died in the United States and Canada since 2001 after being shocked with a Taser, including several in Florida. Many of the victims were drug users.
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