Wrongful Death: Young Man Tasered Nine Times, and Dies

Winnfield, LAIt's the absolute personification of wrongful death. Baron Pikes was jolted with a Taser nine times last January. That's nine, individual shots of 50,000 volts to a man who was handcuffed and couldn't defend himself. Even though the man was only 21 years of age, Pikes' heart could not bear up under the searing jolts and he died, leaving a wife and child.

On August 11th the man's wife, and mother of the couple's four-year-old son filed a wrongful death lawsuit in a Federal Court in Louisiana. Named as defendants were various Louisiana city officials, former Winnfield police officer Scott Nugent, and Taser International.

The introduction of the Taser a few years ago has galvanized public opinion about a device aimed at aiding police officers in controlling unruly suspects—especially those who are armed, and / or are in a position to do harm to themselves and others, including police officers. However, various reports of alleged abuse have cast a pall over the device, which many refer to as a weapon.

In the Pikes case, Nugent is accused of using the Taser on Pikes while attempting to arrest the man on a drug possession warrant on January 17th. It is alleged that Nugent managed to get Pikes in handcuffs before he started using the Taser on the man, eventually hitting him nine times before the young man collapsed.

Nugent was indicted this week on a manslaughter charge in connection with Pikes' death. The Winn Parish grand jury in central Louisiana also indicted the former Winnfield officer on a charge of malfeasance in office. The latter carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison, and Nugent could face up to 40 years behind bars if convicted on the manslaughter charge. Arraignment for the former officer, who is appealing his dismissal, is scheduled for August 21st.

While Nugent claims he followed department protocol and denies using excessive force on Pikes, the local DA takes a different view. Winn Parish District Attorney Chris Nevils observes that Nugent broke the law when he "unnecessarily" used the Taser on the suspect multiple times, suggesting undue force to subdue the already-handcuffed man.
Nevils also accuses Nugent of failing to get the man medical attention "when it was apparent he needed it," the attorney told the Associated Press.

It should be noted that Dr. Randolph Williams, the local coroner, consulted two other coroners before ruling in June that Pikes' death was caused by cardiac arrest brought on by the Taser shocks.

Thus, he ruled Pikes' death as a homicide.

Parish officials are somewhat concerned over the potential for racial tension in Winnfield, where the population of about 5,800 is pretty much evenly divided between black, and white residents. Nugent is a Caucasian, whereas Baron Pikes was an African-American.

The potential for racial bias aside, this case appears to have the markings of yet another alleged example of Taser abuse among police officers who either don't understand the physical ramifications of the weapon, or too easily abuse it in the heat of the moment.

At the end of the day, what many refer to as a wrongful death has been committed, and an otherwise healthy 21-year-old man will never come home. A little boy will grow up without a father…