Two cops from Wilson, Oklahoma have been charged with murder for using their tasers "more than 50 times" on a 28-year-old man who ultimately died.
The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation said that Wilson Police Department officers Joshua Taylor and Brandon Dingman were responding to a call regarding Jared Lakey shortly before midnight on July 4 when they used their tasers. Per a press release, a Carter County deputy is said to have also arrived on the scene and assisted the charged officers in getting Lakey into custody. Shortly after, Lakey stopped breathing and became unresponsive, at which point he was taken to a nearby hospital. He died on July 6 at OU Medical Center in Oklahoma City.
Arrest warrants were issued for Taylor and Dingman on July 1 of this year, with both officers turning themselves in on charges of second-degree murder. They were both given bond of $250,000 and have since bonded out.
As noted in court documents cited in a CBS Newsreport, the extreme use of tasers by the officers now charged with murder "greatly exceeded what would have been necessary or warranted." Furthermore, the use of the tasers was determined to have been a "substantial factor" in Lakey's death.
Both officers now face a sentence of 10 years to life in prison if convicted on the charges. For more, read the full update from the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation here.
