Fayetteville returns Tasers to officers after man's death
After almost two months of testing following the death of a Fayetteville man, the Fayetteville Police Department said Friday that it was reissuing Tasers to its officers.
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Michael Wade Evans, 56, of Simpson Street, collapsed on Aug. 24 after being stunned with a Taser during a struggle with three Fayetteville police officers, according to the State Bureau of Investigation.
Witnesses said Evans was acting strangely in front of a restaurant and tried to jump into the path of passing cars.
A few days after the incident, Police Chief Tom Bergamine ordered that all department-issued Tasers be turned in for testing to ensure they were working properly.
An analysis by manufacturer Taser International showed that 185 of the police department's stun guns worked according to specifications, police said. Five others either had a power failure that would not allow them to fire or needed the pulse rate adjusted, and they were returned to Taser International for replacement.
None of the Tasers used in subduing Evans were among the malfunctioning units, police said.
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