By Lanz Christian Banez
The Times-Herald
VALLEJO, Calif — Vallejo police on Thursday dismissed a claim by members of a Vallejo man’s family that they killed Michael White with excessive force.
“No, we did not murder Michael White. The autopsy’s indicating ... excited delirium as the positive cause of death,” police Lt. Abel Tenorio said Thursday, a day after White’s family lobbed strong accusations at police.
White, 47, died Tuesday after a struggle with police during which Tasers were deployed at least twice.
Preliminary test results from the Solano County Coroner’s Office indicate White had cocaine in his system. A full toxicology report is expected within two weeks.
Excited delirium is a combination of a physically agitated state combined with external excitement. Often, it involves a reaction with any drugs present in a body.
White’s family members, including his brother, aunts and cousins, gathered Wednesday to vent their frustration with the police department to the Times-Herald and plan their next steps.
White allegedly choked a female neighbor in her 60s at Vallejo Mobile Estates. Four officers responded when she called police, Tenorio said. There was visible bruising on her neck, he added.
The officers tried to subdue an allegedly combative White. Eventually, two officers used their Tasers.
White was shocked at least twice, but not simultaneously, Tenorio said.
White continued to be combative as he was loaded onto a gurney to be checked out at Kaiser Permanente Medical Center, Tenorio said. He was pronounced dead there.
“What happened to pepper spray?” aunt Alma White had asked during the Times-Herald interview, referring to another non-lethal option available to police officers.
Tenorio said pepper spray was likely not used because of the proximity of the officers to White as they struggled. The spray could have affected both the officers and White, he said.
“There was no justice here,” said cousin Shannon White, warning the police department to expect a wrongful death lawsuit.
White’s family members expressed disbelief over the alleged victim’s claims.
Tenorio said White has an extensive criminal record, with White’s family agreeing that he has had his run-ins with the law before.
“Since 1990, he’s been arrested for 14 different criminal violations ranging from theft, grand theft, forgery, numerous drug violations including transport of drugs, assault with a deadly weapon, assault of a peace officer, resisting arrest and parole violation,” Tenorio said.
In 1986, White was convicted of battering a Vallejo police officer.
White’s family believe the Vallejo Police Department had been harassing White since he was 12.
“That is a ridiculous statement,” Tenorio said.
This purported police harassment would make it unlikely that White, a parolee also on probation at the time of his death, would struggle with police because he would not want to go back to prison, his family said. White leaves behind a 15-year-old daughter.
White’s family also expressed frustration that the coroner’s office did not notify the family until 1 a.m. Wednesday, more than eight hours after the incident began.
The coroner’s office tries to notify families in person as soon as deputies are able, said Sgt. Walt Gilliam with the Solano County Coroner’s Office. After the initial scene investigation, deputies had to wade through several phone numbers for White, and then verify the correct person to contact, Gilliam said.
“We don’t want to go to the wrong house, so we have to confirm,” Gilliam said.
Both officers who used a Taser on White remain on duty. The Vallejo Police Department generally places officers on administrative leave after such an incident to evaluate them and check their mental health, Tenorio said. In this case, the officers felt they did not need time off because they felt none of their actions caused White’s death, Tenorio said.
“We’re continuing the investigation, and we’re waiting for the autopsy reports. We have a preliminary finding, but we’ll continue the investigation, talk to witnesses and have the (district attorney) review it when it’s complete,” Tenorio said.
Copyright 2010 The Times-Herald