2 ex-Oklahoma officers convicted of murder for Tasering man over 50 times

Authored by axios.com and submitted by DocWaterfalls

Two former Oklahoma police officers who used Tasers over 50 times on an unarmed man who later died have been convicted of second-degree murder, the New York Times reported Monday.

Why it matters: The death of Jared Lakey, 28, from a heart attack following his July 2019 arrest brought to the fore the issue of police using stun guns, with advocates arguing they're safer than firearms and critics saying they've contributed to "many fatalities," the NYT notes.

It's also an example of excessive force being used by police, argued prosecutors — who noted that "in Oklahoma, officers are only permitted to use the degree of force "reasonably necessary under the circumstances," according to the NYT.

Police were instructed that the use of Tasers should be limited to 15 seconds, prosecutors said, per the NYT. Lakey's exposure exceeded three minutes.

Details: Brandon Dingman and Joshua Taylor, then serving Wilson, Oklahoma, police officers, were responding to a call that "involved Lakey acting in a disorderly way," per an Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation statement.

The pair repeatedly used their Tasers when Lakey didn't comply, the bureau said. Lakey was hospitalized and died in custody two days later.

The Oklahoma Office of the Chief Medical Examiner determined his death was due to complications of a heart attack "and law enforcement use of electrical weapon and restraint," according to the Daily Ardmoreite.

Of note: A jury in Carter County, Oklahoma, on Friday also found Dingman and Taylor guilty of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, per the NYT.

The second-degree murder charge carries a possible sentence of 10 years to life in prison.

What's next: Sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 2.

suppersready90 on November 9th, 2021 at 14:53 UTC »

I'm so happy to hear this. The video of these 2 idiots shocking that man over and over and over is absolutely sickening.

"“They Tased Jared because he was lying naked in a ditch and wouldn’t put his hands behind his back when they asked him to, even though it wasn’t clear whether Jared truly understood what was going on or what he was being requested to do,” he said. “He never made any aggressive moves towards the officers, swung at them, lunged at them, or kicked at them.”

These 2 pussies didn't want to be the first one to put their hands of a naked man so they kept tasing him.

mikemojc on November 9th, 2021 at 14:11 UTC »

Brandon Dingman and Joshua Taylor are the murderers of Jared Lakey in Wilson Oklahoma.

Always get the names out.

manwithappleface on November 9th, 2021 at 11:20 UTC »

Over three minutes of shocking the victim. Until he had a heart attack. At 28 years old.

The man was tortured to death.