After Taser death, cop dies in apparent suicide

[JTFrog]

NEW YORK - A New York Police Department lieutenant apparently committed suicide Thursday, days after he ordered another officer to fire a stun gun at a naked, distraught man who then fell to his death, police said.

Lt. Michael W. Pigott was found at a former airfield in Brooklyn, dead of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound, Deputy Commissioner Paul Browne said.

"On behalf of all the members of the New York Police Department, I extend deepest condolence to the family and friends of Lt. Michael W. Pigott, who served with dedication after 21 years," Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly said in a statement after the family of the officer was notified of his death.


Pigott had been stripped of his gun and badge after a Sept. 24 incident in which police responding to a report of an emotionally disturbed man fired a Taser at the man, causing him to fall 10 feet to his death.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26989171

[fascisthunter]

1. Tragic..... Tasers Need to be Banned

[NeedleCast]

2. Banning tasers would just lead to a lot more people getting shot by cops.

[fascisthunter]

10. what a stupid and ridiculous conclusion to make

in many documented cases, people were tasered for just protesting! Don't give me that crap...

[JTFrog]

3. I agree 100%.

[anigbrowl]

6. I'm not against tasers per se, but cops' being trained to use them as a first resort

When I used to take martial arts lessons regularly, one of the other students I met was a n undercover cop who was trying to improve his physical skills to make up for the fact that he often went without a gun to avoid arousing suspicion among criminals.

At first I thought he was just keeping his skills up, but I was surprised to learn that most police departments give their deputies little to no training in unarmed fighting. Apart from a few takedown maneuvers, he said, most of them have no clue. The only upside is that most criminals don't know much about it either. He said that's unlikely to change, due to a combination of funding pressures and an outdated macho attitude among cops which extends upwards from the ranks.

[anigbrowl]

4. One tragedy begets another :-/

Now two families have lost loved ones.

[Marrah_G]

5. Oh wow-

One very bad decision.......2 deaths.

I feel so badly for both families.

[Poll_Blind]

7. BTW, remember when police used to try to TALK the people down? n/t

PB

[IowaGirl]

8. Very, very sad.

[applegrove]

9. Very sad.