While many of the deaths due to negligent behavior of others we write about on this blog relate to fatal car accidents, there are of course other ways in which people throughout the Pittsburgh area die other than from natural resources. A former police chief for one Pennsylvania community may be an example of this.

The 49-year-old man died after being shocked with a Taser. Preceding the Taser strike, the man was the subject of a police chase after being involved in an altercation at a racetrack/casino with his estranged wife and the man she was with. The Taser was employed after the man refused to cooperate with police so that they could handcuff him. He was reportedly warned it would be used if he did not comply. It was apparently discharged on the upper part of one of his thoughts for the period of two seconds.

Immediately following the shock from the device the man seemed fine and was taken into custody. It was once he was in a police car that he told officers that he could not breathe. Despite an ambulance being called to the scene to transport the man to an area hospital, he sadly did not make it. He was determined to have died at after arriving at the hospital.

At this point the man's death has been deemed as due to natural causes. There is an investigation underway however so it is possible that could change.

When someone's death is potentially due to the negligent actions of another, even if there are no criminal charges filed in connection with the matter, it is possible to file a civil wrongful death lawsuit. When successful, monetary damages can be secured.

Source: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, "Ex-Rankin police chief dies after Meadows incident, foot chase," Karen Kane, Dec. 17, 2012