nvestigation continues into Taser death of Ont. man
Becky Rynor and Al Sweeney, Canwest News Service
Published: Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Ontario's Special Investigations Unit on Tuesday identified Jeffrey Mark Marreel as the man who died Monday after he was shocked by a police using a Taser.
Ontario Provincial Police said the 36-year-old, of no fixed address, was being combative and was disturbing others during an incident Monday morning at the beach hamlet of Turkey Point, on Lake Erie, about 130 kilometres southwest of Toronto.
"During the encounter, police deployed a conducted-energy weapon," police said in a statement.
A passing motorist called police from Krista VanPaemel's house after seeing Marreel looking strung out and threatening cars.
"He described it as holding a three-foot metal plate, ah, like a piece of a staircase over his head and acting like he was going to throw it at the cars or lunging at the cars with it," she said.
Residents say Marreel then tore apart a telephone box, cut himself, and walked down the road waving a piece of metal. He was chased by an OPP cruiser, left behind blood on a garbage container, and then was shocked by a Taser at a nearby intersection.
Police say he collapsed in jail in Simcoe, Ont., after being transferred there following the Taser incident. He later died in hospital.
Officers said they administered first aid until the ambulance arrived, and the man was then rushed to hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
On Tuesday, Margaret Marreel of Delhi, Ont., said she is dealing with a shock and grief that no mother should face.
"I couldn't believe it. I couldn't believe it," Marreel said.
She called for a ban on police carrying Tasers.
"If they go with three or four cops you mean to tell me they can't deal with one man and put him in a cruiser?" she questioned.
Other media reports said the man's father, Noel Marreel, said his son was depressed after losing his job at a flower shop two weeks prior to the incident and had a history of drug use. He also said his son recently had broken up with his girlfriend.
An autopsy performed Tuesday was found to be inconclusive and further forensic tests have been ordered to assist in determining the cause of death.
"The circumstances and sequence of events are all a focus of the SIU investigation," said SIU spokesman John Yoannou. "Of course, the investigation includes police methods, in this case the Taser."
The SIU unit is an independent agency that investigates incidents involving police in which people are hurt or killed.
Since 2003, there have been 20 Taser-related deaths reported in Canada. More than 300 people across North America have died.
The RCMP's watchdog released a report last week, saying he wants stricter guidelines on the use of Tasers but did not recommend an outright ban or a moratorium on the weapon.
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Inconclusive... and I couldn't find a more recent article (I welcome you to try). That's not remotely black and white there, Stretch. Also, the man's behavior was stupid crazy and probably warranted the tase anyway... try again?
