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Thursday, October 02, 2008

NYPD lieutenant who authorized the fatal use of taser on a man in Brooklyn commits suicide

October 2, 2008
Eyewitness News

NEW YORK -- The NYPD lieutenant who authorized the fatal use of a taser stun gun on a naked Brooklyn psychiatric patient committed suicide at Floyd Bennett Field this morning.

Eyewitness News has learned Lt. Michael Pigot reported to Floyd Bennett Field in Brooklyn, where he took his life shortly after 6 a.m.

Another police officer reportedly sustained a non-life threatening injury during the incident.

Authorities say the 45-year-old Pigot directed a fellow Emergency Services Unit officer to use his Taser on 35-year-old Iman Morales as he teetered on a Brooklyn building's ledge.

The 50,000-volt shock caused Morales, a troubled psychiatric patient, to topple 10 feet headfirst onto the sidewalk, killing him.

Pigot, a 21-year veteran who lives in Suffolk County, told a reporter earlier this week that he was "truly sorry for what happened." Pigot was one of two officers disciplined by NYPD commanders for violating Taser-use guidelines. Pigot's gun and badge were taken away and he was placed on modified duty. Police say the officer who used the Taser, Nicholas Marchesona, was placed on desk duty.

The Brooklyn district attorney's office and the NYPD are investigating.

Floyd Bennett Field is the base for the 400 officers in the NYPD's Emergency Service Unit. All ESU officers are undergoing retraining there this week to reinforce the proper use of Tasers when dealing with the mentally ill.

Funeral services will be held for Morales later today at Our Lady of Pompeii in Greenwich Village.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

The consequences of those being tasered and those doing the tasering is very sad. An ex police officer told me last year that I would be surprised how little it affects an officer when a suspect dies during a confrontation....I didn't believe that then and I don't believe that now...

Anonymous said...

I dont believe law enforcement use tasers without cause. They use them after the suspect won't obey or becomes a threat. Don't go after law enforcement, go after the manufacturer if you have issues. Maybe the power is too much for some since we are all different. Bottom line is, they are usefull and work better then "Please"...

Anonymous said...

"I don't believe law enforcement use tasers without cause. ..."

Utter BS. You simply haven't been paying the slightest attention to this issue. For example, police have on several occasions tasered victims in diabetic comas.

Also, in Canada, tasers are legally classified as a firearm. They're supposed to be used for defence.

Using them to force people to comply is clearly defined as 'torture' under the Criminal Code of Canada (s. 269.1).

The complete absence of any legal basis for tasers in Canada is amazing.

Their use is most-often criminal.