Escambia County defends officers in inmate death

[Judi Lynn]

Posted on Sat, Oct. 08, 2005

Escambia County defends officers in inmate death

Associated Press


PENSACOLA, Fla. - Escambia County officials say the lawsuit filed by the family of an inmate who died after being shocked by a Taser is an "absolute misstatement of the facts."

Robert Boggan's family alleged this week that guards maliciously shocked him as punishment for not following orders even though he suffered mental problems. The 65-year-old Pensacola man died Aug. 29 after being in jail for 11 days.
(snip)

The suit, filed Wednesday, alleges that jailers pepper-sprayed Boggan, stripped him, forced him into a shower and shocked him at least three times after he disobeyed orders.

"Each time the Taser's darts were shot into Mr. Boggan's wet chest and he was shocked with 50,000 volts, the entire shower cell walls flashed as if lightning were striking in that small space," the suit alleges. "Mr. Boggan screamed for his life on each occasion." The complaint says Boggan collapsed, was put in a restraining chair and dragged back to his cell, where he remained without medical attention until he was found dead seven hours later.

Boggan was being held on $10,000 bond for alleged aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and criminal mischief, court records show. The lawsuit says Boggan was arrested after knocking over boxes at a Dollar Tree store during a "mental episode."
(snip/...)

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/breaking_news/12853715.htm
(Free registration required)

[greekspeak]

1. A lovely act of red stupidity in a lovely red county.

[bluestateguy]

2. If the south ever seceeds, Florida will have to be split in two

The south takes the panhandle all the way out to Jacksonville, and we'll take the rest.