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Sword-wielding man dies after being Tased in Hampton
The Virginian-Pilot ^ | December 11, 2009 | Kristin Davis & Patrick Wilson

Posted on 12/11/2009 3:27:07 PM PST by csvset

A sword-wielding man died early this morning hours after being Tased twice by police. Police identified him later Friday as Hatchel Pate Adams III, 36, of the first block of Overlook Court in Hampton.

According to a news release from Hampton Police, officers responded to a complaint involving an emergency custody order in the 1st block of Overlook Court about 11 p.m. Thursday.

Officers tried to make contact with Adams, but he refused to come to the door, police said. They went inside after calling one of the man's relatives, who came to the scene.

Adams, carrying a Samurai-style sword, swung it at the officers, police said. Officers Tased him. He continued to swing the sword, police said, so officers Tased him a second time and tried to arrest him.

Adams stopped breathing, and officers called medics and performed CPR. He was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 1:15 a.m.

Officers involved were placed on administrative leave while the department conducts an internal investigation, police said.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; US: Virginia
KEYWORDS: hampton; meth; obese; sword; taze
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To: riverrunner

that is not their intended purpose, only to disable & clog up the court system with lawsuits. they will & should be outlawed. lawmen should only carry firearms, know how to use them & save us a lot of money, & rid us of these vermin...


21 posted on 12/11/2009 4:29:03 PM PST by ronnied
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To: csvset

All BS aside, there are far fewer fatal tazer incidents than gunshot incidents. The cop could have just as easily shot this guy three or four times instead, and been perfectly justified in doing so.

And this moron would not have been tazed at all if he had not decided to swing a cheap samurai sword at an Officer of the law. Bet me he has a well worn copy of the Direcor’s cut of “Blade” in his DVD collection...

I hope the police release the toxicology report on this deceased dimwit when the coroner reports, and I will bet you a burger he was hopped up on more than one substance.

“Stupidity cannot be cured with money, or through education, or by legislation. Stupidity is not a sin, the victim can’t help being stupid. But stupidity is the only universal capital crime; the sentence is death, there is no appeal, and execution is carried out automatically and without pity.”

R. Heinlein...


22 posted on 12/11/2009 4:40:03 PM PST by Bean Counter (Stout Hearts....)
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To: hinckley buzzard

>>You know, the Second Amendment also covers swords... so merely having one was no reason for them to taze him.
>
>How about swinging it at a police officer?

I said nothing about that, the key-word in my statement is ‘merely’.

>Think that might change the situation just a leetle bit? >Read the article.

Actually, it doesn’t change my statement’s validity or truth at all.


23 posted on 12/11/2009 4:43:08 PM PST by OneWingedShark (Q: Why am I here? A: To do Justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with my God.)
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To: csvset
All BS aside, I wonder how many fatal Taser incidents there are a year.

Someday there will be a multi-million dollar payout on a taser-related death, the career of someone BIG will go down in flames, and the use of tasers will become part of history. As they should.

24 posted on 12/11/2009 4:50:50 PM PST by RobinOfKingston (Democrats, the party of evil. Republicans, the party of stupid.)
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To: petercooper; org.whodat; OneWingedShark; Gondring

Gondring said: Yes...I thought it was good that the reporter/editor made it clear why the police were there and that they tased after he swung the sword at them.

petercopper said: You’re a moron. He came at cops with a sword and was tased and the sucker died. What were cops supposed to do, invite him for tea? They acted responsibly.

First of all saying the reporter made it clear why police were there isn't quite true, the article says it was a "emergency custody violation", what ever the he** that is.

Secondly: Why did they go inside his house? He couldn't very well harm them if they stayed outside the house, swords don't have much of a killing range, so they provoked the violence and then killed the guy because he responded to their violence(entering his house uninvited). Granted, they didn't shoot him but still, they killed him. Tasers are dangerous regardless of what the cops claim.

I would like to see what they were actually called for. Did he have a kid in the house, was he threatening the child if that was the case? Just why did the cops feel it was necessary to enter the house?

I would rather see cops go back to hitting people with their nightsticks than using tasers, they rely on them way too much.

25 posted on 12/11/2009 5:58:44 PM PST by calex59
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To: calex59
"emergency custody violation",

Helps if you get it correct, emergency custody order

That means it's to place in protective custody, IE, straight jacket time.

Protective custody does not mean kill the man!!! Court normally issues these only when they have a court history of mental problems for the person.

26 posted on 12/11/2009 6:07:49 PM PST by org.whodat
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To: csvset

I have no clue. The number of fatalities would be meaningless unless we knew the number of times the taser was used.


27 posted on 12/12/2009 2:41:12 AM PST by Scotsman will be Free (11C - Indirect fire, infantry - High angle hell - We will bring you, FIRE)
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To: csvset
Sword-wielding man's death in Hampton ruled accidental

HAMPTON

The death of a sword-wielding man who was Tasered by police in December was ruled accidental by the Medical Examiners Office, according to a Hampton Police news release.

On Dec. 10 about 11 p.m. police were called to the home of Hatchel Pete Adams III, 36, in the 1st block of Overlook Court. Police attempted to make contact, but he refused to come to the door. Officers eventually gained entry to the home after calling a family member who came out to the house.

Inside, police found Adams armed with a Samurai-style sword. He began swinging it at officers and so police used a Taser. Adams was able to free himself from the Taser probes and continued to swing the sword at officers, the news release said. A second Taser was used and police tried again to take him into custody, but he stopped breathing.

Despite calling medics and beginning CPR, he later died at a hospital about 1:15 a.m.

It was the first such reported death since officers there began carrying the devices in 2003, a Hampton police spokeswoman said in December.

Experts from the University of Miami, who specialize in excited delirium, helped the Medical Examiners Office investigate the cause of death.

The findings indicate that the death was ruled accidental and the cause was “excited delirium” in addition to mental illness, methamphetamine use, obesity and the use of the Taser by police.

The officers were placed on administrative leave, but have since returned to full duty.

28 posted on 05/05/2010 4:17:45 PM PDT by csvset
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To: Gondring

What is an “emergency custody order”?


29 posted on 05/05/2010 4:24:22 PM PDT by jpsb
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To: ronnied

One death by gunshot is too many.

Ond death by drunken driving is too many.

One death by a beating is too many.

(Just trying to follow your logic here)


30 posted on 05/05/2010 4:24:38 PM PDT by Mears
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To: csvset

Fascinating. You’d think meth would keep you thin, wouldn’t you?


31 posted on 05/05/2010 4:27:39 PM PDT by RichInOC (No! BAD Rich! (What'd I say?))
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To: RichInOC
Perhaps he took meth to lose weight?

Have you watched Breaking Bad?

32 posted on 05/05/2010 4:50:38 PM PDT by csvset
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To: org.whodat
Cops used the old “lets kill the bastard” so we can go take out donut break. Look cop you had nothing else to do, talk him down, are call someone competent enough to do it.

They tased him. They at least tried to take him without killing him.

Now, me, if somebody came at me threateningly with a sword, most likely I'm going to empty my gun into him.

33 posted on 05/05/2010 4:54:48 PM PDT by PapaBear3625 (Public healthcare looks like it will work as well as public housing did.)
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To: ronnied
All BS aside, I wonder how many fatal Taser incidents there are a year.

one is too many...

Yeah! Get rid of those tasers! Everyone would be safer if we just went back to cops shooting people who came at them with swords./s

34 posted on 05/05/2010 4:58:36 PM PDT by 70times7 (Serving Free Republics' warped and obscure humor needs since 1999!)
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To: csvset

Why wait for an autopsy? Blame TAZER! Hang the cop.
Maybe dude was a Dopehead? Some people do crazy $hit.
Three members of my family are cops and all had to go through a Tazer hit, while in training.


35 posted on 05/05/2010 5:02:22 PM PDT by GOYAKLA (Flush Congress in 2010 & 2012)
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To: GOYAKLA

Addendum: My recommendation on this particular incident would have bee a 12 gauge load of #7 shot at his legs!
That’s what I use on Looney birds.


36 posted on 05/05/2010 5:10:29 PM PDT by GOYAKLA (Flush Congress in 2010 & 2012)
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