Autopsy: tasered man's heart stopped

August 22, 2007
Mike McPhee, The Denver Post

"The Denver Medical Examiner has ruled that a man who died after police Tasered him early one morning in July died because his heart stopped beating.

Albert Romero's death was aggravated by the Taser, disease in his arteries and marijuana in his blood, according to the autopsy released today.

Albert Romero, 47 [and unarmed], died after police confronted him in front of his home around 3:30 a.m., July 16. Police said they had been looking for suspects when they came upon Romero, who was alone. They said Romero became enraged with officers and attempted to pull a stop sign out of the ground, then charged a police car when they Tasered him into submission.

They handcuffed Romero and transported him to a hospital, where he died a short while later.

Medical Examiner Dr. James Wahe concluded that Romero's "manner of death is undetermined." The cause of death was "a cardiopulmonary arrest which occurred in a setting of atherosclerotic coronary artery disease, probably excited delirium state, electrical restraint administration and marijuana in the blood toxicology," Dr. Wahe wrote in the autopsy report."

Albert Romero's wife, Debbie Romero, has been quoted as saying "I feel the Taser is an electric chair without a trial."