Drug overdose killed man who died after Taser shock

Fort Worth Star Telegram ^ | May 4, 2005

[tuffydoodle]

Posted on Wed, May. 04, 2005

Drug overdose killed man who died after Taser shock

Associated Press

MIDLAND, Texas - The wife of a Midland architect who died after he was repeatedly shocked with a Fort Worth police officer's Taser gun has commissioned her own investigation.

Eric Hammock, 43, died April 3 of cocaine intoxication, according to the Tarrant County Medical Examiner's Office. His death has been ruled accidental.

The incident happened after a struggle capped a car chase by an off-duty officer.

Kathi Hammock said she has talked with the Fort Worth man in whose backyard the struggle happened.

"The police stood there and watched him die, they made no attempt to render aid, they did not do CPR," she said. "He said they didn't even summon an ambulance for my husband until they realized he was watching them."

Mrs. Hammock said she has hired three Fort Worth lawyers to investigate her husband's death.

"I just want his name cleared," she said. "I want him to be remembered for the awesome person he was. Anyone around town would tell you what a great person he was."

The police department's investigation of the incident continues.

According to police reports, Hammock drove past a no-trespassing sign into a Waste Management facility the night of April 3. An off-duty officer working at the facility as a security guard tried to stop him.

The officer radioed for on-duty help, then chased Hammock in his personal vehicle. Hammock abandoned his car and ran into a backyard. There, police said, Hammock tried to hit the officer in the head and the officer shocked him with the Taser gun.

Police believe Hammock was stunned with a Taser at least once more by another officer who had arrived to help.

After Hammock was handcuffed, officers noticed he was having trouble breathing and called for an ambulance, police Lt. Dean Sullivan said after the incident. Hammock was pronounced dead about an hour later.

In February, after the death of a man in Houston shocked by police, the American Civil Liberties Union called for Texas police departments to stop using Tasers until policies and training are reviewed.

[corkoman]

This story is incomprehensible. So the "victim" accidentally ingested enough cocaine to get pulmonary hypertension (i assume thats the cause of death)?

But the reporter really should read the copy before submitting this loony account.

Because I am not a professional reporter this obligation does not apply to me.

[tuffydoodle]

What bothers me is I'm thinking this is the 3rd account I've read in recent months that a tasered person's cause of death was cocaine related. The cops might want to blame something else for awhile.

[corkoman]

I am convinced that 10 years ago that baton clubbing was the treatment of choice for guys like this poor slob - back then the same folks who are calling for OVERSIGHT and restraint from Tasers now were calling for oversight and restraint from the use of batons.