“OK, I’m dead, I’m dead,” Chase Sherman cried out, moments before he died. “I quit, I quit.” He was in handcuffs, in the back seat of his car. He’d been Tased 15 times by Coweta County, Ga. sheriff’s deputies, according to his lawyer, though he was unarmed, and his parents had called 911 to come help, because he’d been hallucinating in their ride back to Florida.
The family had been at Sherman’s brother’s wedding in the Dominican Republic, which he attended with his fiancee. The couple and his parents were driving home to Destin on Interstate 85 in November, apparently after flying into Atlanta, when Sherman, 32, started hallucinating: he’d taken synthetic marijuana days earlier. He “bit his girlfriend and tried to jump out of the back seat of the car,” according to The Times, prompting the 911 call.
A deputy’s body camera catches the resulting encounter, in which Sherman was struggling with one deputy, then with another, to get out of the car. A deputy points a Taser at him to attempt to subdue him. Sherman grabs for the Taser. He is then Tased numerous times as deputies attempted to restrain him, screaming again and again–as cops do when an individual does not immediately comply with their commands–to “stop resisting.”
“For four minutes and 10 seconds after he said ‘I quit,’ they still tased him and kept him on the ground,” his family’s lawyer told The Times. “That’s torture, and they killed him.” The full account in The Times, which obtained the body camera video, is here.
“The video, a copy of which was obtained in recent days by The New York Times,” the paper reports, “is similar to ones that recorded fatal incidents involving law enforcement officers in Chicago; North Charleston, S.C.; and Staten Island. Each one depicts in stark terms a response from officers that resulted in a death. In this instance, there are no racial overtones — both the Sherman parents and the deputy sheriffs are white.”
The video, which includes violent scenes and graphic language, is below.
Outsider says
So now, when the cops use non-lethal force to try and subdue a combative person, it’s still wrong. The guy was obviously tripping out on his synthetic pot, and now it’s someone else’s problem. Don’t blame the guy that uses drugs and flips out, blame the cops who are supposed to clean up the mess and make sure no one gets hurt while the criminal tries to take their weapons. Besides, why should anyone care? This man was a evil old white guy.
Downtown says
I would think that a person would have trouble being relaxed and would struggle when pain and discomfort is being applied to the body. Seems to me that cops scream “stop resisting”, “relax”, “stop fighting” to cover the fact that they are inflecting pain and discomfort which is causing the suspect to struggle. The suspect is in a no win situation. You cannot lay still when getting zapped by a taser nor can a person remain still when pain is being inflicted. Why wasn’t mace used? A blast of tear gas to the face will stop most people in their tracks. Lack of professional training creates these types of situations. This mans death could have been prevented had the officers been trained in these type situations. Saturday night wresslin’ doesn’t replace proper training.
Knightwatch says
Outsider… the cops didn’t “clean up the mess”, they murdered a human being in obvious distress. All too often cops get a “bye” when going way beyond the bounds of their authority. Being a cop does not give anyone special dispensation to maim, to kill or even to overreact. These cops need to be prosecuted for manslaughter, as do all cops who abuse their power.
Just saying says
No first hand experience but I’ve heard from medical personnel that the effects of spice/k2/synethetic marijuana causes extremely high body heat, extremely high heart rates among other issues. Which is likely why the chemicals used to make the drugs are not legal.
That leads me wonder if the most harmful event in the situation was the ingestion of illegal stimulants.
Sickening says
15 times is excessive and charges need to be brought on those for using excessive force. This is so disturbing.
Agnese says
Such a shame, so sad for the family. Hope internal affairs will investigate.
shark says
I guess he was right !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Steve says
I totally agree with outsider. Who says he was killed by the cops? Maybe the illegal stimulants killed him, which is why he was first hallucinating. Much too quick to blame law enforcement. You just don’t know but you do know that Sherman was out of control, extremely strong because of the stimulants in his body, making him a threat to the police as well as everyone else. Think of what this madman could have done to innocent people had law enforcement not been there. Way to go policy. I support you 100 %.
marshall says
The problem is q man was tazes 15 times. Forget everything else. Since when does it take 3 armed men 15 times of tazing a man to stop him. Its bullshit. The cops may have been dealing with a man on drugs. But i think they are using the fact he took drugs days prior in advance as there scape goat. Ive done synthetic weed before and its a trippy drug. But a few days later it dosent effect you. I think he caught an illness or parasite or misquito born illmess while in the islands. And the cops should have called an emt there knowing the call was about a male just recently back to the states who seems to be hallucinating. Id have an ambulance there for quick evacuation after the man should have been subdued properly.
Cops lie says
The man was hand-cuffed! There is no logical reason why the man should have been tazed for over 4 minutes when he was restrained and couldn’t be a threat to anyone without the use of his hands. The cops shot to kill and taze to kill and then want to justify what they do by saying everything is a threat. Cops are killing people, shooting them in the back, kicking and beating them when they are down without consequence. It can only make me wonder how many people are faced with charges by what a cop says and not have the money or ability to prove themselves. These cops need to be taking lie detector tests and external investigations need to be conducted by someone other than FDLE. These cops know they were wrong and the video says it all! Consequences should be they be tazed by this boys mother the same way they did her son!
JonP says
Looks like the cops need commendations. They stopped a crazed, drugged loons tic from inflicting further damage on innocent people traveling on I-85. He was fighting them to the end and probably got his just rewards. Thanks to the fine officers for limiting the carnage to the instigator
Leroy Tyrone Yukoshima says
My God all you people supporting the suspect are idiots, it’s not hard to listen to simple commands! Listen and it’s all avoidable, better yet don’t do drugs! I could say so much more but it’s not worth my time.
Gkimp says
Cops should stop responding! Should have let Mom and Grandma handle the out of control substance abuser.
Sherry says
Requiring anyone who is handcuffed and being tased repeatedly to relax and stop struggling is outrageously ridiculous! Depending on the type/setting of the taser, the victim could be experiencing tremendous pain. . . plus, he was handcuffed and posing NO threat to anyone! Most policing procedures would require that NO tasing at all be conducted after handcuffs are implemented.
An EXTERNAL investigation should immediately be undertaken!
Oldguy says
I can state from firsthand experience that dealing with a subject who is “tripping out” in a violent fashion is like grabbing the proverbial tiger by the tail. Temporary superhuman strength and low pain threshold greatly reduces the effectiveness of non-lethal responses such as pepper spray/mace and the taser. Officers cannot allow these folks to harm anyone including themselves and must respond with the tools, tactics, and training they have been provided. Having said that I do realize that we live in an imperfect world and sometimes mistakes are made in these types of cases to also include the subsequent investigations. Those who are proven guilty of abuse should be punished appropriately. The majority of Police, Fire, and EMS personnel deal with similar situations nationwide on a daily basis with positive outcomes for all. I am very grateful for their service.
A.S.F. says
I remember working in the ER when PCP was all the rage. I saw patients breaking through restraints that would otherwise seem to hold down an elephant. People under the influence can have an unreal amount of strength. It is also true that some chemicals can raise body heat to an extreme level (take ecstasy, for instance.) No one knows what that synthetic pot was “cut” with. A real tragedy for all concerned.
Anonymous says
Let me put a cop in cuffs ,sit on his back tase him 15 times and see if he struggles to get free.Stop tortureing him give him a chance to calm downCops are pathetic