Cops charged with murder after tasing man 50 times

Joshua Taylor and Brandon Dingman, two officers with Wilson Police Department in Oklahoma, were charged with second-degree murder after killing a man they tased 50 times. The New York Times reports that Jared Lakey, 28, "stopped breathing and became unresponsive" and died two days later.

Court records said that such dangerous and unnecessary tasing was a substantial factor in bringing about Mr. Lakeys death. ... Spencer Bryan, a lawyer for Mr. Lakeys parents, Doug and Cynthia Lakey, said both officers had initially claimed that they used Tasers on Mr. Lakey only four times. He said the charges were appropriate given what was shown on Mr. Taylors body camera footage, which he said the city of Wilson had allowed him to view.

I have never seen a more disturbing video, Mr. Bryan said in an email. After watching it, I cannot understand how the city allowed officers who exhibited such gross recklessness, resulting in a mans death, to continue working. We have great confidence the evidence supports the charges.

Murder is a variable. Police lying about what they did is a constant. Read the rest