Oklahoma Women May Be Subject of Police Misconduct
A woman in Oklahoma recently died after she received shocks from a taser gun administered by police. Milisha Thompson, 35, was already handcuffed and on the ground when she received the shocks. The incident, captured on a surveillance camera, shows Thompson running near a homeless shelter then later struggling with officers and being shocked. Police say they were acting in compliance with the law and that Thompson, who was 6’0” and 260 pounds, was kicking and posing a threat to officers. Shortly after the shocks were administered Thompson died.
According to the police chief, officers were investigating drug activity near the shelter when Thompson approached them twice and was being disruptive, so they handcuffed her. She reacted violently, so the officer tried five times to taser her, shocking her twice in the neck.
Thompson’s husband claims she approached the officers to let them know about a crack pipe she had found. He believes she was tasered because the officers wanted to demonstrate their power in front of the crowd. Thompson’s family has filed a $1.5 million lawsuit against Oklahoma City, claiming that the officers used excessive force and were not trained properly.
This case raises questions as to whether these shocks were warranted or if this was an act of police misconduct. A study found over 250 cases in which people died after being stunned with a taser. A criminology professor at FSU feels that police should not use a taser on a suspect already in handcuffs and that officers should have tried to bind the suspect’s legs. In response to recent problems and complaints about taser guns, many police departments have prohibited their use on handcuffed suspects.