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Taser Va Halts Stun Guns After Prisoner Death, Taser, 2001

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fIDDAY,MAY 18; 2(X)11 PAGE'()B

··StlnJ. guJ1.'S:tl$C:: ~alt¢d~
after prisoner's- death
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RIClll4.0ND, (AP) - ' Virginia
prison officials" imposed a moratorium 00 ·the use.'·of ·the· mtroo' IT
stun gun after an. autopsy raised
que.stil?DS ,about the" role of'·lhe
devIce m aa inmate's death. " .. ',
Lawrence FraZier, a Connecticut
Inmate being held in the infirmary
at iWallens Ridge state prison, died
July 4 a.I:'ter he was shocked with the
stun" gun during a struggle with

ural causes, bJ'Ought, about by

bis i

underlying cbronicmedical c:Oolli- ,
tion," CQdections Dire~or'R9n;'
AJ;Igelone said in·a.'WritteD'SUlte-;

meat

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The Department of· Corrections '

haS. ,not said' publicly ,bow ..many ,
times Fr'azier.was·sbocked with·the :
stun gun,during ·a,June 29.disturbance in the,wauens "Ridge,.infir.. I
mary, or bow: long be was tied haDd- :
guards.
'
aad-foot·to'a' bed before,he',·was:
An autopsy completed this '9o'eek found uncoriscious. _
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concludes that Frazier died of"car·
Frazier; a 50-year-old convicted '
diac 8I'Tbythmia due to stress wbile rapist; Lap&ed into a coma and died ,
being restraiDed following.stunning five days'later at a,aichInond:bos-with Ultron II device. The manner pital.
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of death is natural,.. said Robert
The Ultron II isa'hand'·beld
Holloway,~~ministratorof device that delivers 50,000 volts,of I
the state M .
. er's Office electricity. The departm"entbas
in Richmond.
issued a statewide moratoriUm ,on ,
That findinJ is at odds with last the use ofthe mtron IT "until issues
SWDmer's rev:zew, commissioned by regarding, the- device are clarifiedi'
the state 'Department of Correc- Mr. Angelone said.' \; ,. ": ,.. ":,~ •.,,
tions, that determined the stun gun
The FBI and the us. Department
had nothing to do' with ,Frazier's of.Justice are,inVestigating allega·
death.'
,
. tions of excessive force· 'against
~Priorto the. receipt oftbe med·
inmates at Wallens Ridge,aiJd'Vir'lcal examiner's report. all indica· gioia's other super'maximurn-secu;:'
riODS were that Frazier died of natrity pri.so~ at Red Onion.-', '. '.C' ;''':'''~ ; ~
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