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StumbleFamily sues Taser over death of Las Vegas physician
Thursday, Dec. 31, 2009 | 9:59 a.m.
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Taser International Inc. of Scottsdale, Ariz., was sued Wednesday over the 2008 death of a Las Vegas physician who died after a Nevada Highway Patrol officer used a Taser to subdue him.
The family of Ryan Rich filed suit in U.S. District Court in Las Vegas alleging negligence and other claims.
Rich, 33, a physician and emergency room resident at Spring Valley Hospital, suffered a seizure while driving to work on Interstate 15 on Jan. 4, 2008, the lawsuit says.
The seizure left him "dazed, confused and disoriented" and as he was unable to control his vehicle he was involved in several minor traffic accidents, the lawsuit says.
After Rich stopped, he was approached by NHP trooper Loren Lazoff, who found Rich to be uncooperative.
In an effort to subdue and arrest Rich, Lazoff discharged his Taser weapon five times into Rich, three times subjecting Rich to 50,000 volts for five-second cycles and twice using the weapon in "stun mode," the lawsuit says.
Rich turned blue at the scene and was taken to Spring Valley Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, the suit says.
Lazoff's actions were later found to be justified by a Clark County Coroner's Inquest.
Taser is accused in the lawsuit of falsely representing to the NHP that its 26-watt Tasers are not lethal, cannot cause cardiac arrest and cannot cause "ventricular fibrillation," or an abnormal heart rhythm.
The suit claims Taser failed to disclose that the risk of ventricular fibrillation and cardiac arrest is significantly increased by discharging the device into the chest near the heart, especially among thin people like Rich; and that the company failed to warn the Highway Patrol that police vehicles should carry defibrillators to minimize the risk of brain damage or death in the event a suspect enters into cardiac arrest after being subjected to a Taser shock.
Taser also failed to warn that multiple shocks inflicted on a suspect increase the risk of ventricular fibrillation, cardiac arrest and death, the suit charges.
"The Nevada Highway Patrol and the officer at the scene was unaware and had been tricked and deceived that his use of the (Taser) could not cause cardiac arrest by the misrepresentations, concealments of material fact and failures to warn by defendant Taser," charges the suit, which seeks unspecified damages.
A request for comment on the allegations was placed with Taser.
This week, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco set down strict guidelines for when police officers may use Tasers. Nevada is among the states in the 9th Circuit.
The Associated Press reported that the court found a Coronado, Calif., police officer used excessive force when he used his Taser on an unarmed, nonviolent suspect. The unanimous three-judge panel upheld a trial court's decision allowing the suspect, Carl Bryan, to pursue his lawsuit against the city, police department and officer.
The appeals court said police should use Tasers only in threatening situations because they inflict more pain than other so-called nonlethal weapons at officers' disposal, AP reported.
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They have lots of suits, and settle out of court with a gag order.
Let's take the CEO of TASER out and test this theory on him with his own equipment. Sounds like fun!
rabmag, the CEO of TASER has been hit multiple time with the TASER...FYI
Well I'm 50 years old and have managed to never get tasered once. It's really not that hard to avoid it from happening.
PeterGun
So, what have you "seen?" What experience do you have that fuels your opinion that police "shoot them off way too frequently and easily?" You have a very funny view of police based on nothing but what is reported in the newspaper.
Fellow Idiots - the taser is another way of killing and the cops do not need it ... if it comes down to a man to man they can use the pistol. Five times was cold blooded murder and this mugcop should be imprisoned and beheaded. Offendingly, I would like to see ALL police departments disbanded and a new division of law and order step in !! Comrads !! Nappy New Near !!
PeterGun & fosimmons,
The taser has been proven to reduce the number of officer related injuries, as well as, officer use of firearms therefore REDUCING the number of people killed by police officers. The appeals court doesn't know what they are talking about when they stated that tasers inflict more pain then other less than leathal weapons the police have. Would you rather be stunned for 5 seconds or beaten with a steel rod called a baton which can break bones and more easily kill or cripple you?!!As for fosimmons wanting to disband police departments, move to another country if you are unhappy with this one yoou liberal jerk!
We will see how much a 33 year old doctor's life is worth.
We will see how much a 33 year old doctor's life is worth.
Looks like the same price of a 15 year old with a mental imbalance that got shot in the head by another of metro's finest.
"Lazoff's actions were later found to be justified by a Clark County Coroner's Inquest."
This Lazyofficer Lazoff scumbag tazered him five times and it was deemed justified? Who the hell is the coroner because he should be in jail for aiding and abetting dozens of officer committed homicides in this town. If the FBI wasn't so corrupt as well surely this "coroner" would be in a cell somewhere.
CC Coroner's inquest? Daffy Duck has more credibility.
I don't get why people are uncooperative with the police when they get pulled over. Be respectful, and you will be treated respectfully.
My guess is 33 year old hotshot physician had a God complex, how dare the police pull him over, he was much more important...
It's sad, but was totally preventable...and it is the doctor that could have prevented this.
What part of the facts recited in the story are the commenters not getting?
The doctor had a seizure which left him "dazed, confused and disoriented" BEFORE he was tazed.
God forbid any of the commenters has a stroke out in public, and meets up with a cop who is not smart enough to see that the person is ill not dangerous.
There's a little thing in the U.S. Constitution called "due process" which means that cops cannot act as judge, jury and executioner on their own whim. I suspect that's what this new 9th Circuit Court of Appeal opinion is saying...not that a court opinion will do any good to control the narrow percentage of egomaniacal Rambo cops in this county.
Steven, what kind of record does this officer have? Five times is excessive.
Oh, yes, just do what the nice officer tells you to do.
That is the biggest load of crap, and people who believe it in this day and age of corruption and power hungry cops should spend a day or two in the real world.
Question everything. You have the right to do so. It is in the constitution.
Any cop who can't answer a question is an idiot and should be removed from his job.
I am a law abiding citizen, but enough is enough. Respect is EARNED - get it? You aren't entitled to it just because you wear a badge.
If you don't like your job, move on. I remember a time when police officers were respected. That time has come and gone thanks to the lies they tell to get a conviction and (yes Virginia I have proof)
these Coroners' inquests that do nothing but rubber stamp JUSTIFIED on every killing.
How much doo doo does Metro think we can believe?
Geeselouise: I am sure you are right. Metro has a department wide conspiracy just to keep citizens in the dark and make you believe in a whole bunch of "doo doo". Yeah, "question everything" because I have seen cops before and I know exactly how to do an officers job and what they deal with daily!
But wait, if you are a really good citizen like you say, then why are you even having police contact. The good citizens are the ones that do not even get pulled over because they are always doing the right thing.
So now I don't know who to believe? Man, my head hurts! Is geezelouis a law abiding citizen or is he just another cop basher that is full of "doo doo" himself.
Fine geezelouise, I am going to "question everything" starting with you. I believe that officers are so used to dealing with people like geezelouise when they do come into contact with an actual "good citizen" it may be difficult to
adjust your attitude from everyone is trying to hurt me mode to it is okay, I can relax and have a conversation with this gentleman mode. Maybe the officer that tased the good doctor had someone rush her at some time during her career and she was injured, so she decided the best couse of action was to tase the doctor to protect herself, which is any person's number one goal, cops and everyone that is on this web-page. I know if I was responding to a suspected drunk driver that had crashed into a bunch of cars and was running, and I stopped that car and the driver ran at me, I am sure I would defend myself too. Drunk people are crazy! From what I am reading on the board, most of the posters can relate.
The "good citizens" that post on this board are very poor at critical thinking.
My husband went into diabetic shock while driving and, similarly, had a minor collision, was stumbling and incoherent like this victim was. Fortunately, our local fuzz (Denver and Aurora, CO) were well trained, regarded his bizarre behavior as the medical condition that it was and got him to the emergency room -- and he is a black man to boot.
It is sad that the LVPD sees the citizenry as enemy combatants and moving targets for sport hunting. It is even sadder that a Clark County Coroner's Inquest absolved this cowboy cop so that he can -- and he will -- kill again.
VoutyBlond: The article is concerning the Nevada Highway Patrol, who are the State Police not the LVPD which is actually called the LVMPD. Also, the "cowboy cop" was a female. You were not there and you would have most likely have done the same thing in that officers shoes. I am sure your husband did not charge after an officer after crashing into several vehicles. Most of the officers do have cameras on the taser which also allows the Coroner's Inquest to see and hear what the officer saw.
Will you please read the entire article before you post on this site? Why don't you stick to Denver/Aurora news sites? Please do not come here and bash a police agency you know nothing about.
Icare--Have you ever been arrested or pulled over for no reason.. Do you believe everything the paper prints or all of what a cop says is true... I wonder how a cop is justified every time for a death and how is it justified to shock someone five times with that much voltage...Maybe you can be the test dummy and we can observe you being shocked five times... I would say you would have some problem being coherent and wouldnt understand what the hell was happening after the first time,, if you had a siezure....But then again your a lawabiding person that knows it all and lives by that theory....LMFAO...
Dazed and confused. That's like 80% of the drivers here in the valley.
The problem here is the poor judgement on the part of the police officer's use of the Tazer. It needs to be used in place of the fire arm when their life is in danger not just a tool to make their job easier.
Icare2009
Sounds like you either know more about this than the rest us or are full of it and jumping to conclusions.
You tell people to read the article before commenting and refer to "charging" or running at the "female" officer. Two problems with that. 1) No where does it refer to the Dr "charging or running at the officer. (In fact it says HE was approached by the Officer, which is expected, thats there job) 2) you keep stressing "she" (does that even matter?) but you for some reason stress that, problem is according to the RJ reprt on the inquest the officer was a man: see excerpt from RJ below:
Lazoff deployed the Taser five times, he testified at the inquest held in April 2008, saying Rich was in "fight mode" and appeared to be impaired. A driver who assisted Lazoff on the freeway that day testified Rich appeared "dazed." The driver also thought the doctor was impaired."
Again not sure why gender matters or why you would claim to multiple times the officer was a female and the RJ states the officer was a male. Why would it matter anyway. And where does the "charging at the officer" come from? He did say fight mode, but that is a very vague statement (of course the officer felt threatened Im sure he didnt do it for fun. Other say dazed. Question is did Taser mislead agencies, they most likely did or at least the family feels so. And the argueement most people are having was it justified to do 5 timee to a "thin, dazed person" I dont know i wasnt there and from the discrepancies in your arguement you dont know either.
I heard Taser has just issued a memo that tells the police not to aim at center mass when they fire the taser. So I guess they want you to fire the taser at the legs or shoulders.
I don't put my ass on the line for the ordinary people out there in danger and neither do any of you, so let's stop the constant insults at Metro and it's officers, they do a damn good job and we should be proud of them.
It says nothing for any comment or debate when people vent their paranoid fantasies in the direction of the Police.
Debate is about the truth and the truth is that we have some genuinely fine examples of law enforcement out there.
Tazers are meant to restrain the violent as a means of bringing them to their sense, if someone is so far out of their head that they need to a shocked time and again, then the odds are that they would have had to be shot anyhow.
It was a judgement call and none of us were there.
martin123, asleepatawheel and geezelouise you guys are absolutely right. You win. I after reading the awesome comments martin123, asleepatawheel and geezelouise left, I now feel that all police agencies across the United States should by shut down. I now realize that the citizens of the United States can police themselves. We do not need a police force. I am sure now that once the police force is disbanded, there will no longer be any crime. If nothing else, lets at least take all weapons away from the cops. I mean, do they really need them? According to martin123, asleepatawheel and geezelouise, the only thing they use the weapons for is to injure and kill innocent citizens. Think about how much fun this town would be without a police force. I could speed and run red lights and the new LED television I have been eying a Fry's will be all mine after I take it!!!! Down with the man!!!!
j/k
Thanks again martin123, asleepatawheel and geezelouise for helping me see the light!
The ever-increasing number of LV-area cops killing people should receive a special award to distinguish themselves -- how about putting a death's head skull on their hats, like the SS used to wear?
As for Lazoff: prove how tough you are by driving without a seat belt.
Icare-- Its great that you see the light of how your stuck on Idiot Island and will more than likely be there awhile..I never said anything like what you say.. Some people should be responsible for their actions including the police...Being tased five times is a little bit excessive and if they were in fear of their life then they can always call for backup and take refuge in their cars... Just because you have a badge doesnt mean you can do as you want and no laws pertain to you.. Any kind of excessive force is uncalled for and should be held accountable... anyways Icare why dont you act like you write to a cop and see how that goes and see if you dont get tased excessively for no apparent reason other then having a seizure and being dazed.....
As for the police dept shutting down so you can run amuck Icare,, thats a good idea then all you would have worry about was the government trying to kill you...Anyways you should go to a store that has a better selection of TVs..You might as well pick up a DVD player and anything else you can carry... So if you have a truck,, can you drop a TV off at my place..It would be greatly appreciated....
Icare, glad you found the postings informative. Since you find my input so worthy I will I have more for you. Spend more time reading he article this forum refers to and less time telling me how I feel police should be disbanded. (I never said anything remotely similar and yes in fact I do appreciate the police and the crap they put up with on a daily basis that would make most people have a break down) The whole subject of the article is actually about Taser misleading police and the public (the discussion many are injecting is whether the officer was excessive and no they are not always right, but everyone including an officer can make a bad judgement call. Even if this Officer did it doesnt make them a monster, just wrong with a horrible outcome) But back to my enlightening input, spend time reading the article and facts known which you misstate and actually did not address in my post a) you stress it was a female officer (for some reason, lie it matters) when the inquest state the officer is a male. b) the DR "charged" the officer, now where does it say that, in fact it says the Officer approached the Dr (thats perfectly normal) The article clearly states that yet you insist "charged" the Officer (charging is not even necessary for the officer to feel threatened, so I dont know why you feel you need to add that)
Any way, your position would be much better received if you accurately stated your case instead of adding effects and changing gender for who knows what reason. (Are you trying to imply a female Officer is not capable of handling a physical confrontation and there fore needs to escalate sooner than a male things to protect herself?)
If you feel the need to respond to me please address those misstatements rather than jumping to a ridiculous and false conclusion as to my feelings about police.