Legal Commentary

No Charges For Cops Who Tasered Inmate to Death

By Jeralyn

Denver District Attorney Mitch Morrissey announced yesterday there will be no criminal charges brought against the four deputy sheriffs who tased jail inmate Marvin Booker, put him face down in a cell, and sat on his back for 90 seconds, after which Booker died.

Booker, a homeless minister, was in the booking process on a petty offense charge of drug paraphernalia possession when he disobeyed a deputy's order to go to his cell, leaving his shoes behind. He wanted to take his shoes with him.

Morrissey said he viewed the video camera footage four times, the deputies were justified in their actions and Booker was responsible for his death:[More...]

"When an arrestee's conduct necessitates the use of physical force by the deputies to carry out their responsibilities, it is not a mutual combat event," Morrissey's statement says. "There is not supposed to be a fight. Arrestee compliance is not optional, it is mandatory."

Here is Morrissey's official statement. The officers still face an internal affairs investigation over whether they broke department rules .

Here's where Booker was sitting and where they wanted him to go.

Full post as published by TalkLeft on September 29, 2010 (boomark / email).