Homicide ruled in use of Taser

Jen Lawson

Thursday, June 23, 2005 | 11:11 a.m.

The death of a man earlier this month who was shocked with a Metro Police officer's Taser gun while handcuffed was a homicide, the Clark County coroner's office determined Wednesday.

Russell Walker, 47, died of cardiac arrhythmia during restraint procedures.

A coroner's inquest is scheduled for July 8 so a jury can decide whether Officer Matthew Ruiz and Sgt. Cindy Rodriguez's actions in Walker's case were justified.

They will also go before Metro's use-of-force board, where department officials will determine whether the officers followed policy.

Last year Metro adopted a policy prohibiting officers from using their 50,000-volt Taser guns on people who are handcuffed after William Lomax, 26, died under circumstances similar to Walker's.

Police said Walker was causing a disturbance at the Western on Fremont Street on June 6 and struggled with Ruiz when he arrived to assist hotel security.

Rodriguez came to help Ruiz and used her Taser gun on Walker twice so they could handcuff him, police said.

Walker allegedly continued to struggle with the officers and Ruiz used his Taser on him a third time while he was in handcuffs.

He died a short time later at Sunrise Hospital.

The coroner's office searched for two weeks for Walker's next of kin before his name could be released.

Walker is the third man to die after Metro officers used a Taser to subdue him.

In February 2004, 26-year-old Lomax died after an officer shocked him with a Taser numerous times, including while he was handcuffed.

An inquest jury cleared the officer in that incident, but jurors determined the Taser contributed to Lomax's death.

And in August of last year, Keith Tucker, 47, died after a he was stunned with a Taser during a struggle with two officers. Those officers were also cleared.

The coroner's office determined Lomax and Tucker died of cardiac arrest during restraint, and they both had drugs in their system. It was unclear this morning whether drugs contributed to Walker's death.