Miami University graduate Kevin Piskura passed away at 5:17 p.m. Thursday after sustaining injuries from a Taser gun deployed during an altercation April 19 outside Brick Street Bar.
Piskura's family issued a statement at around 6 p.m . Thursday saying, "Today, we lost a son, a brother, a family member and a friend. The medical staff and everyone here at University Hospital were heroic in their efforts to save Kevin, and for that we are eternally grateful."
The family said they do not want anyone to rush to judge the course of events surrounding the 24-year-old's death.
"No one feels this loss more deeply than we do, however we still request that people refrain from rash judgment and wait until the independent investigation of this event is complete, lest tragedy lead to more tragedy," the statement reads.
Senior Julie Lemieux said she was exiting Brick Street when she saw the rush of the fight between Steven Gene Smith and Brick Street employees the night Piskura was tasered.
Lemieux said that several people were trampled in the process of throwing Smith out of the bar.
Once outside, Lemieux said that Officer Geoff Robinson was off his bike immediately and shouting that he was going to tase him.
In the confusion of Brick Street security backing away, Lemieux said she saw Piskura tased once after security gave space, and again while he was on the ground, with the leads of the Taser connected to Piskura's chest.
Lemieux said after Piskura was cuffed on the ground, police were concerned with the crowd and collecting witness statements. One officer was standing next to Piskura, according to Lemieux, but officers reportedly didn't notice that something was wrong with Piskura for several minutes.
"It was at least 10 to 15 minutes (before the ambulance arrived on the scene)," Lemieux said.
Lemieux said the crowd's reaction to the incident quickly shifted after they saw how long the shock lasted.
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"At first people thought it was funny," Lemieux said, mentioning the highly publicized "Don't tase me, bro" incident earlier this year in Florida that became popular on YouTube. "But after the second time, no one was laughing."
Sgt. Jim Squance of Oxford Police Department (OPD) said that the police force has been using Taser guns since 2001.
Squance also said that since 2001, OPD officers have only used their Taser equipment in six cases, including Saturday's incident. According to police reports, Tasers have been deployed in three cases this semester.
Last October, OPD issued the new X-26 Taser for every patrolling officer. The new model is equipped with audio and video recording that is activated when the Taser is deployed.
Certification and annual recertification are required for every officer equipped with an X-26 Taser.
According to OPD, Robinson was originally certified Sept. 19, 2007, and he took a refresher course April 12. Robinson, 27, is a Miami University graduate and has been on the OPD force for two years.
The Butler County Sheriff's office is currently conducting a review of the incident.
Sgt. Monte Mayer said that the Butler County Sheriff's Office received the reports and witness statements Tuesday from OPD. He said OPD Chief Steve Schwein found it important to have an independent investigation into the matter.
Mayer said the sheriff's office does not know when the review of the incident will be released.
"With the significance of this event, (our investigation) will result in a more independent approach to the matter," Mayer said.
Mayer said it was common practice for any department to hold a review of any use of force by officers, including the usage of anything from pepper spray to fire arms.
According to the Taser International Web site, 18,000 police agencies nationwide use Taser equipment, and of those, 3,500 issue a Taser to all of their patrol officers. The X-26 has the ability to administer shock from zero to 25 feet away.
According to Lt. Ben Spilman of the Miami University Police Department, a Taser holds less potential for electro shock than a heart pacemaker. Spilman is one of three officers trained to recertify officers in Oxford.
Spilman said that officers are trained to target certain areas of the body.
"Officers are focused on hitting areas on the body with large muscle mass," Spilman said. "We aim for the back, limbs and legs, but we avoid the head and face because the barb will embed itself on soft tissue like the face."
Piskura is originally from Walton Hills outside of Cleveland, Ohio though he recently resided in Lake View, Ill.
According to the Bedford Police Department, Piskura's father Charles served on the force from January 1971 until May 2000.
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