Man dies after being Tasered by Broward deputy

John J. Meier Jr., 48, Tamarac, Florida

April 1, 2009
BY DAVID SMILEY, Miami Herald

A man who was Tasered in a fight with Broward Sheriff's Office deputies after he was found running in and out of traffic in front of Sawgrass Infiniti has died in the hospital, according to authorities.

Deputies first encountered the man, who was wearing only his shorts, about 7:30 p.m. Tuesday after he began undressing and running through traffic on West Commercial Boulevard, according to BSO spokesman Jim Leljedal.

According to Leljedal, the first deputy to arrive tried to lead the man away from the road. But the man began fighting the deputy and continued to struggle when two backup deputies arrived.

One of the deputies drew his Taser and pressed it directly to the man's body, taking him to the ground, where he was handcuffed.

Paramedics took the man to University Hospital, where he was treated for several hours before being pronounced dead at 1 a.m.

Leljedal said an autopsy by the Broward Medical Examiner's Office showed no trauma or injuries other than minor scratches and Taser marks on his right side. The man's death appears to have been caused by cocaine toxicity or excited delirium, though a toxicology test has not been finalized, Leljedal said.

Authorities do not know the man's identity, as he had no identification on him at the time of the incident, Leljedal said.

The man's death is under investigation by BSO homicide, crime scene and internal affairs detectives -- a standard policy, according to Leljedal.

Florida man stunned, hospitalized
April 1, 2009
Sun Sentinel

A man running in and out of evening traffic on the Sawgrass Expressway was hospitalized in critical condition after Broward sheriff's deputies used a stun gun to subdue him, authorities said. The man, whose name and age were not released, was taken to University Hospital & Medical Center. Officials think the man may have been intoxicated.

Deputies received calls that the man was zipping through traffic by the highway's Commercial Boulevard entrance ramp about 7:30 p.m. A deputy used a stun gun to bring him down when he resisted arrest, according to the Sheriff's Office.