Man dies after police use stun gun on him

A man who allegedly tried to flee the scene of a car crash died while in the custody of Oakland police Thursday after officers used an electronic stun gun to detain him, officials said.

Police were called to the scene of a multiplevehicle collision on the 4100 block of Foothill Boulevard, near San Antonio Park, at 2:21 p.m. The man who later died was “identified as being involved” in the crash and trying to leave the area, police officials said.

“The man was being physically resistant while the officers were attempting to arrest him,” a statement from the Police Department read.

Police used a Taser on the man, arrested him and requested paramedics, officials said. The man was transported to a nearby hospital, where he later died.

His name and age were not released.

Oakland homicide detectives and the department’s Internal Affairs Division are investigating the circumstances of the death, and the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office is conducting a parallel investigation, officials said.

The county coroner’s office has not yet determined the cause of the man’s death.

In-custody deaths and use-of-force instances by Oakland police have dramatically declined in recent years. There were no officer-involved shootings by the department in 2014 or 2016. The most recent case happened in February, when a police officer shot and killed 32-year-old Jesse Enjaian, who had opened fire on residents, cars and officers.

The issue over whether officers should carry stun guns has been debated in nearby Berkeley and San Francisco, whose police unions have lobbied for the equipment. Community groups have opposed the stun guns.

A 2011 study by the U.S. Department of Justice examined hundreds of cases in which people died after being stunned and recommended that police avoid shocking suspects repeatedly or continuously. Most of the deaths were associated with underlying health problems such as heart disease, drug use or other issues.

The report noted that, after being stunned, “the suspect should be carefully observed for signs of distress and should be medically evaluated at the earliest opportunity.”

Oakland police did not say whether they shocked the man more than once on Thursday.

The Oakland Police Department’s general orders say that stun guns can be used “to control dangerous and violent subjects” and should involve the “minimum amount of electrical stimulation that is reasonable to obtain control.”

Anyone with information on the incident can contact the Police Department at (510) 238-3831 or call the department’s tip line at (510) 777-7950.