Man Dies After Police Shock Him With Taser

WCCO
May. 07, 2008

ST. PAUL (WCCO) ― Authorities are investigating the death of a 21-year-old man who died after St. Paul police shocked him with a Taser early Sunday.

According to his family, Joe Kubat was at his and his brother, Marc's, apartment on the 300 block of Wheelock Parkway in St. Paul Saturday night. His family said Joe had a bad reaction to the hallucinogen LSD and threatened to kill himself. Marc tried to help Joe, but was scared when he couldn't calm him down.

Marc called St. Paul Police, who also tried to subdue him. Police said they tried to restrain Joe so paramedics could help, but he began fighting with officers.

Neighbor Christine Donaghy was woken up around 2:40 a.m. when the floor in her apartment started to shake.

"It sounded like a lot of yelling. It basically sounded like someone was having a really big fight," said Donaghy.

Police say the 6 foot, 3 inch, 145-pound Joe fought them and bit two officers. When pepper spray didn't work, another officer who was trained to use a Taser was called.

"Anytime you get a call of a suicidal person, you always take that into account. You try to mitigate what happens, you really do," said St. Paul Police spokesperson Peter Panos. "But, at some point, it goes from trying to take care of them to trying to make sure you don't get hurt or some other officer doesn't get hurt or they get you on the ground or get your weapon or anything else."

Marc said he saw Joe shocked at least twice before he died.

Denise Chapman, Joe and Marc's mother, said Joe would never have wanted to kill himself. She said he was excited about life and he loved his family and his brothers. She said Joe called her last week to tell her that he was excited to go to his brother's graduation from Army boot camp.

"I know he made a bad choice about drugs as a young adult, to think they are invincible. And that choice cost him his life. It was worthless and meaningless," said Chapman.

Investigators from St. Paul's Crimes Against Persons unit are investigating the incident and the coroner will determine the exact cause of death.

No one knows yet how Joe died -- whether it was the drugs, the Taser or the fight, but his mother wonders how much of it was necessary.

"I want to know what happened. I want to know why my son died and I want it somehow to mean something," Chapman.

Both officers who were bitten were treated at Regions Hospital and released. Four officers, two who were bitten and two who were trained to use the Taser, have been put on paid administrative leave, which is standard in this type of case.












All original InformationLiberation articles CC 4.0



About - Privacy Policy