Police kill man with tazer

Man shocked by police Taser dies
Valerie Olander / The Detroit News
Livonia -- A Livonia man who hit his head after being shocked with a police Taser has died after being removed from life support, a family member said this morning.

Michael Ford, 50, of Livonia was taken to Beaumont Hospital following the incident at an apartment complex at Eight Mile and Purlingbrook.

Ford's cousin Ewayne Harrell said Ford had more injuries than falling and hitting his head after being jolted by a stun gun.

"(The police) beat him up. He had a ruptured spleen, a cracked pelvis and cracks in the front and back of his head. I don't see how you can get all that from a Taser," he said.

Harrell also disputed police statements made Tuesday, saying Ford did not have a knife and "was not on drugs."

Livonia Police Lt. Greg Winn said today that the police department would issue a statement shortly.

On Tuesday, Deputy Police Chief Curtis Caid said an officer was responding Saturday to a disturbance call involving loud music. The first officer called for back-up after seeing a man wielding a large kitchen knife in one hand and another object in the other.

He said the man appeared "agitated, under the influence of narcotics" and refused to drop the weapon as ordered.

"This was a deadly force situation and when there's no compliance to drop the weapon, the officer uses a Taser; it's better than shooting his gun," Caid said.

The fall led to injuries and the suspect was taken by ambulance to the hospital.

Both officers are veterans with the Livonia Police Department and are still on duty while the department investigates if the use of force was appropriate in the situation, he said.

This is the second death in a week related to the police use of stun guns. On Friday, 31-year-old Stanley Jackson Jr., died hours after he was shocked by Washtenaw County Sheriff deputies making an arrest in Superior Township.