By Chelsea Phua
The Sacramento Bee
WOODLAND, Calif. — A Woodland man died Wednesday morning after he was shot at least once with a Taser stun gun during a struggle, authorities said.
The man, whose identity has not been released, also was struck in his arms and legs by police batons, Lt. Charles Wilts said.
The man, described as being in his late 40s, was a client at Safe Harbor Crisis house, a short-term voluntary program for people trying to resolve mental health issues without hospitalization.
The facility staff called police and reported that when the man left, shortly before 9 a.m., he was verbally aggressive. They asked police to find him to determine if he posed a threat to himself or others.
Two officers found him about half a mile away near North West Street and Kentucky Avenue.
When they tried to talk with him, he became confrontational, police said. They tried to calm him, but he ignored their instructions and became increasingly agitated, they said.
“He did a lot of pacing back and forth,” Wilts said. The man was not armed, but was holding a pencil and moving closer to the officers.
Officers determined he needed to be taken into custody, Wilts said.
“They felt the best way to do that was to use their Tasers,” Wilts said. “That method was the least likely to present physical harm to the officers and the subject they were trying to control.”
Wilts said at least three officers deployed their Tasers, but it is not clear how many times the man was shocked.
The first Taser did not have any effect, so officers hit his legs and arms with their batons. He managed to run away. When more officers arrived, he was Tasered again and fell to the ground, Wilts said.
When they placed the handcuffs on him, the officers discovered he was not breathing. They administered CPR and called for emergency medical assistance.
The man was taken to Woodland Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 10:15 a.m.
A news release said the Police Department and the Yolo County District Attorney’s Office will be reviewing the incident.
Copyright 2008 The Sacramento Bee