Copyright 2006 THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS
Dallas: Repeated shots criticized; doctor doubts device killed man
By LILIANA VARGAS
The Dallas Morning News
DALLAS, Texas — The family of a man who died Monday shortly after Dallas police stunned him with a Taser gun says the device shouldn’t have been used repeatedly on him.
Speaking on behalf of José Romero’s family after the man’s funeral Friday at Ed C. Smith & Brothers Funeral Home in Dallas, attorney Humberto Guerrero said witnesses’ statements don’t appear to justify the number of times Mr. Romero was hit by the Taser.
He also questioned whether the officer who fired the Taser had enough experience to use the weapon.
“Why was ... [Mr. Romero] shot more than once when he was really seeking help? To my understanding he was not a threat,” Mr. Guerrero said. “His behavior expressed that he was under a lot of stress and needed medical attention. He needed help.”
The Dallas Police Department is conducting an investigation, but a police spokesman declined to comment on the case Friday.
Authorities believe Mr. Romero, a convicted felon with a long criminal history, was high on drugs when he threatened police early Monday.
Mr. Romero was cutting himself on the arm and neck, screaming gibberish and grunting as he crawled toward the officers, still waving the knife at them, police said. Witnesses said Mr. Romero was foaming at the mouth.
Results of Mr. Romero’s autopsy are pending.
Dr. Paul Pepe, chairman of emergency medicine at UT Southwestern Medical Center, has said he doubts the Taser caused the man’s death.
He and Dr. Jeffrey Barnard, Dallas County’s chief medical examiner, have said they think Mr. Romero’s death may have been caused by excited delirium, the cause of death involving suspects who are high on drugs and surging on adrenaline when shocked by a Taser.
Mr. Romero died at Baylor University Medical Center, where he was taken when he stopped breathing.
Officers were called about 2 a.m. to a home in the 600 block of Grandview Avenue, where Mr. Romero allegedly broke in through a window and was holding a knife and wearing only boxer shorts.
According to reports, he was shot with the Taser more than once, including once when he was on the ground but still holding the knife. The officer who fired the Taser has been on the force since 2003.