2005 Taser death toll: sixty-nine
February 23, 2006 in Opinion
Since September 28, 1999, at least 168 North Americans have died after being shot by police or law enforcement Tasers. Sixty-nine people died in 2005, including five Canadians:
(Six more have died so far in 2006 after being Tasered, all in the U.S.)
1. Jan. 2: Gregory Saulsbury, 30, Pacifica, California
2. Jan. 5: Dennis Hyde, 30, Akron, Ohio
3. Jan. 8: Carl Trotter, 33, Pensacola, Florida
4. Jan. 28: Unknown man, Chickasha, Oklahoma
5. Jan. 31: Jeffrey Turner, 41, Lucas County, Ohio
6. Feb. 10: Ronald Alan Hasse, 54, Chicago, Illinois
7. Feb. 12: Robert Camba, 45, San Diego, California
8. Feb. 18: Joel Dawn Casey, 52, Houston, Texas
9. Feb. 20: Robert Heston, 40, Salinas, California
10. March 3: Shirley Andrews, 38, Cincinnati, Ohio
11. March 6: Willie Towns, 30, Derland, Florida
12. Mar. 12: Milton Woolwolk, 39, Lake City, Florida
13. Mar. 17: Mark Young, 25, Indianapolis, Indiana
14. April 3: James Wathan, Jr., 32, Delhi, California
15. April 3: Eric Hammock, 43, Fort Worth, Texas
16. April 8: Ricky Barber, 46, Carter County, Oklahoma
17. April 22: John Cox, 39, Bellport, New York
18. May 3: Keith Graf, 24, Phoenix, Arizona
19. May 5: Kevin Geldart, 34, Moncton, New Brunswick
20. May 6: Stanley Wilson, 44, Miami, Florida
21. May 6: Lawrence Berry, 33, Jefferson Parish, La.
22. May 13: Vernon Young, 31, Union Township, Ohio
23. May 17: Lieroy Pierson, 55, Rancho Cucamonga, Cal.
24. May 20: Randy Martinez, 40, Albequerque, New Mexico
25. May 23: Lee Marvin Kimmel, 38, Reading, Pennsylvania
26. May 23: Richard Alverado, 38, Tustin, California
27. May 28: Richard T. Holcomb, 18, Akron, Ohio
28. May 28: Nazario J. Solorio, 38, Escondido, California
29. June 4: Unidentified male, 33, Sacramento, California
30. June 7: Russell Walker, 47, Las Vegas, Nevada
31. June 11: Horace Owens, 48, Fort Lauderdale, Florida
32. June 13: Michael Anthony Edwards, 32, Palatka, Florida
33. June 13: Shawn Pirozzi, 30, Canton, Ohio
34. June 14: Robert Earl Williams, 62, Waco, Texas
35. June 24: Carolyn Daniels, 25, Fort Worth, Texas
36. June 29: Unidentified male, Miami, Florida
37. June 30: Gurmeet Sandhu, 41, Surrey, B.C.
38. July 1: James Foldi, 39, Beamsville, Ont.
39. July 7; Rocky Brison, 41, Birmingham, Alabama
40. July 12: Kevin Omas, 17, Euless, Texas
41. July 15: Otis G. Thrasher, 42, Butte, Montana
42. July 15: Ernesto Valdez, Phoenix. Arizona
43. July 15: Paul Sheldon Saulnier, 42, Digby, Nova Scotia
44. July 16: Carlos Casillas Fernandez, 31, Santa Rosa, CA
45. July 17: Michael Critchfield, 40, West Palm Beach,FL
46. July 23: Maury Cunningham, 29, Lancaster, S.C.
47. July 27: Terrence L. Thomas, 35, Rockville Centre, NY
48. August 1: Brian Patrick O’Neal, San Jose, California
49. August 3: Eric Mahoney, 33, Fremont, California
50. August 4: Dwayne Zachary, 44, Sacramento, California
51. August 5: Olsen Ogoddide, 38, Glendale, Arizona
52. August 26: Shawn Norman, 40, Laurelville, Ohio
53. August 27: Brian Lichtenstein, 31, Stuart, Florida
54. Sept. 18: David Anthony Cross, 44, Santa Cruz,CA
55. Sept. 22: Timothy Michael Torres, 24, Sacramento,CA
56. Sept. 24: Patrick Aaron Lee, 21, Nashville, Tenn.
57. Sept. 26: Michael Clark, 33, Austin, Texas
58. October 13: Steven Cunningham, 45, Fort Myers, Fla.
59. October 20: Jos Perez, 33, San Leandro, Cal.
60. Nov. 1: Miguel Serrano, 35, New Britain, Conn.
61. Nov. 13: Josh Brown, 23, Lafayette, La.
62. Nov. 17: Jose Angel Rios, 38, San Jose, Cal.
63. Nov. 20: Hansel Cunningham, 30, Des Plaines, Ill.
64. Nov. 26: Tracy Rene Shippy, 35, Fort Meyers, Fla.
65. Nov. 30: Kevin Dewayne Wright, 39,Kelso,Wash.
66. Dec. 1: Jeffrey Earnhardt, 47, Orlando, Florida
67. Dec. 7: Michael Tolosko, 31, Sonoma, California
68. Dec. 17: Howard Starr, 32, Florence, S.C.
69. Dec. 24: Alesandro Fiacco, Edmonton, Alberta
This list has been compiled from media reports, including statistics and reports generated by The Arizona Republic newspaper. For further information, please see www.azcentral.com/specials/taser