Two Atlanta area police officers charged with murder after using stun guns

[Eugene]

Source: Associated Press

A grand jury indictment charging two former Atlanta area police officers with murder says a man died after the officers used stun guns on him while his hands were cuffed behind his back.

The indictment filed on Tuesday charges former East Point police sergeant Marcus Eberhart and former corporal Howard Weems in the April 2014 death of Gregory Towns Jr.

They each face charges of felony murder, aggravated assault, involuntary manslaughter and reckless conduct and violation of oath by a public officer.

No lawyer was listed for either man in the court file. Calls to a number listed for Eberhart went unanswered. A person who answered at Weems’s home said he wasn’t there and hung up the phone when asked if he could take a message.


Read more: http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/aug/18/atlanta-police-officers-murder-stun-guns

---

Associated Press in Atlanta
Tuesday 18 August 2015 21.47 BST

Short article. No more at link.

[SamKnause]

1. "To Protect and Serve" or

"To Harass, Maim, or Kill" ????

[Mnemosyne]

2. And sadly, kill seems to be their preference of outcome. Just sickening. nt

[7962]

3. Good. Change is coming. Slowly, but we are seeing it. nt

[jtuck004]

4. This seems good. How's the department feel about it? n/t

[4lbs]

5. Good. They should be charged as such. The guy was already in handcuffs. There was almost no need

to use stun guns / tasers.

If two police officers can't subdue someone in handcuffs, then maybe they shouldn't be police officers to start.

I've watched many episodes of "COPS" and even one officer has little trouble subduing a suspect that is already handcuffed. Two officers should have no trouble.

SIDE NOTE:

I've noticed that this season of COPS, they are showing more footage from Dash Cams and Body Cams.

[Sunlei]

6. they press those 'stun guns' to skin and that is considered torture same as use of a cattle prod.

cuffed or not cuffed, that use in what is called 'drive mode' is torture and even rodeo animals shocked like that drop dead every once in a while.