LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AFX) - Officials were trying to determine whether a Taser caused the death of a Louisville man Tuesday.
Larry Noles, 52, was stunned three times after failing to cooperate with officers. He fell unconscious after the last shock, and was later pronounced dead at Jewish Hospital.
No cause of death had been determined, and the autopsy is 'pending further study,' Jefferson County Deputy Coroner Gayle Norris said.
It is the first time since Louisville police began using Tasers two years ago that someone died after being stunned with the device.
Neighbors in south Louisville called police around 1 a.m. EDT Tuesday, complaining that Noles was behaving erratically. When officers arrived, Noles was naked, became combative and refused to leave, police spokesman Dwight Mitchell said.
Police Chief Robert White said the two veteran officers tried to talk to Noles, with the intent of bringing him to a hospital for psychiatric evaluation.
Police officer Michael Campbell initially shot two darts carrying 50,000 volts through 25-foot wires, striking Noles in the chest, White said.
When Noles started moving toward Campbell and officer Matthew Metzler, Noles was then 'dry stunned,' with Campbell putting the weapon directly on his neck and the back of his right shoulder, White said.
After the third shock, Noles became unresponsive and was taken to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead, White said.
White said it appeared that officers followed correct procedure, but a full investigation was under way.
The death renewed calls from critics for stricter limits on Tasers, which stun a person using electrical current. Critics argue that not enough is known about the Taser and cite deaths caused by the device's surge of voltage.
According to Amnesty International, more than 150 people nationwide have died after being struck by Tasers since 2001.
Manufacturers and law-enforcement officials say the weapons are a safer option than bullet-firing weapons.
Taser International Inc., a Scottsdale, Ariz.-based company, began marketing its stun guns in 1998 as an alternative way for police to subdue combative people. The stun guns deliver 50,000 volts through two darts connected to 25-foot wires. An electric current shocks the person, over-stimulating the nervous system and causing muscles to lock up.
Taser dominates the stun gun market, with more than 9,100 law enforcement agencies using its product.
The research arm of the Justice Department is studying the use of stun guns.
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