March 11, 2010

Taser Autopsy: Roberto Olivo (Tulare CA)

The Tulare County Coroner's Office says that Roberto Olivo, a 33-year old man who died in police custody earlier this month, suffered a fatal drug overdose. [SOURCE]

"According to the medical examiner, the levels of methamphetamine in the decedent's blood were phenomenal," Tulare police Capt. Wes Hensley said.
Unidentified Tulare police officers responded to a local motel after receiving calls about a man, later identified as Olivo, knocking on doors, calling for help and causing chaos, police said. After arriving at the motel, officers spotted the man, who seemed disoriented and appeared to be under the influence of an intoxicant, police said.

Instead of helping the man ... or calling for medical assistance ... the police decided to get in a fight with the Olivo. A struggle ensued and the unidentified officers used pepper spray and then a Taser to gain control and take the man into custody.

Olivo lost consciousness and had difficulty breathing. 50,000 volts of electricity into your body tends to do that. Anyhow, he was transported to Tulare Regional Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.

Olivo was calling for help. Instead of help ... he received 50,000 volts of electricity and death from the Tulare police officers.

The penalty for being a meth-head is not death ... yet, we are forced to watch another taser-related death being swept under the rug under the guise of 'drugs'.

Something smells ... don't you think?

7 comments:

Gunfighter said...

OK, did the police "decide" to get into a fight? or did they encounter the man and becuase of his state a fight ensued. Those two things aren't the same, and you are making an assumption about the motivation of the officers involved.

You said that eh telephone calls were about a man "causing chaos", right?

You don't really believe that cops are going about the country stunning people with Tasers in order to kill them, do you, Wayne?

Unknown said...

Gunfighter - I beleive that police officers wake up each morning wanting to do the right thing. I believe that they go on their various radio calls with the intention of serving / protecting the public.

That being said ... I believe that they use taser guns with too much frequency and in situations where it is not warranted.

I believe that killing one person per week isn't a good thing ... even if it is done by well-meaning LEO.

That is what I believe...

Hey Shae! said...

Something definitely smells. Tasers should not be the first option. And if they are, how do we stop another shooting where an officer pumps lead into because he "thought it was his taser gun?"

Unknown said...

Shae - I would be happy just to go one solid week without a taser-related killing in our country...

Anonymous said...

you meanies he was dead on the spot

Unknown said...

Bianca - don't let others steal your joy. this blog is very sorry for your loss.

Unknown said...

Robert olivo Jr. Was my little brother