Anti-Taser vigil today in SR
Man, 39, died last week after deputy used stun gun on him
Published: Friday, December 26, 2008 at 4:21 a.m.
Last Modified: Friday, December 26, 2008 at 4:21 a.m.
Responding to a frantic mother's calls for help, a Sonoma County sheriff's deputy arrived at the Vaughn residence in Santa Rosa on Saturday morning to assist the mother in controlling her son, who was assaulting his father.
Less than two minutes after the deputy entered the home, 39-year-old Nathan Vaughn was hit with a Taser three times; 53 minutes later, he was declared dead.
Now local activist groups including the Peace and Justice Center of Sonoma County and Petaluma CopWatch are calling for Tasers to be removed from the arsenals of local law enforcement agencies.
"Two people have been killed in the last two months. I don't think you can say it's a non-lethal alternative anymore, or that it can be used in situations where the officer's life is not at risk," said Carl Patrick, an organizer with Impact, a social advocacy group in Petaluma.
The groups, which also include the October 22nd Coalition, an anti-police brutality group, have planned a vigil in Vaughn's memory today in Old Courthouse Square in Santa Rosa, followed by a protest at the Sonoma County Sheriff's Department.
Law enforcement agencies consider Tasers to be a less-than-lethal weapon that, like all weapons, includes the risk of death, said Lt. Scott Dunn of the Sheriff's Department.
"There are risk factors," he said. "But there's less risk using a Taser than a gun."
Petaluma police, who are investigating Vaughn's death, released details of the event in a timeline Wednesday.
Deputies went to the Brighton Drive home about 10:38 a.m. and said they found Vaughn throwing and breaking things. Deputies were familiar with Vaughn, who has an extensive criminal record and who had been in custody at the County Jail the day before.
To get control of Vaughn, who was 6 feet tall and 180 pounds, a deputy used his Taser. When Vaughn continued struggling, the deputy activated the Taser two more times, Lt. Chris Spallino said.
Vaughn then was handcuffed, and once he was secure, began showing signs of medical distress, Spallino said. The Petaluma police report did not detail the nature of the emergency.
An ambulance crew already on scene began working on him and took him to Kaiser Permanente Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.
Petaluma Police Lt. Mike Cook said the deputy who shot Vaughn with a Taser has been placed on administrative leave, according to procedure in officer-involved deaths.
The Sheriff's Department has not authorized release of the deputy's name, Cook said.
Vaughn's death is the second officer-involved fatality this month for the Sheriff's Department and the second death in two months to follow the use of a Taser by local law enforcement.
In November, 42-year-old Guy James Fernandez died after being hit with a Taser and handcuffed by Rohnert Park police.
Four other people have died in Sonoma and Lake counties this year after law enforcement officers used lethal force.
Craig Von Dohlen of Sonoma, David Vestal of Clearlake, Heather Kathleen Billings of Rohnert Park and Jesse Hamilton of Santa Rosa were shot by law enforcement officers.
Von Dohlen and Vestal were armed with guns and threatening police when they were shot.
Billings carried a razor blade, and Hamilton carried a knife.
Today's 4 p.m. vigil in Santa Rosa will be in their honor, as well as in honor of the eight people killed in 2007 and two in 2006, Patrick said.
The coalition of groups is also asking for independent investigations of officer-involved deaths. Under current procedure, evidence is gathered by a county law enforcement organization other than the one involved in the shooting.
The evidence is forwarded to the district attorney, who rules if the shooting was justified or if the death could have been avoided.
Demonstrators hope to send two representatives into the department to meet with Sheriff Bill Cogbill and discuss removing Tasers from the department's arsenal.
Cogbill and Capt. Dave Edmonds, the department spokesman, were on vacation Wednesday and not expected to be in the office the rest of the week, Dunn said.
"We are not opposed to dialoguing with the sheriff, but we are not going to back down or compromise," Patrick said. "We'll do whatever it takes . . . phone calls or a regular protest or a petition drive. We're going to take action."
You can reach Staff Writer Laura Norton at 521-5220 or laura.norton@pressdemocrat.com.
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