....It is stories like this that lead me to believe we have a human rights problem in the United States. OK guys, joke is over, bring back the 4th Amendment.April 25, 2008- A Chicago man who was in critical condition for five days after police used a Taser to subdue him outside an Ohio bar died Thursday evening.
Kevin Piskura, 24, was pronounced dead at 4:17 p.m. Chicago time of injuries suffered when police in Oxford, Ohio, fired the stun gun at him early Saturday morning.
At the Cincinnati hospital where he was transferred, Piskura was surrounded by friends and family who had been keeping a vigil.
Police said Piskura was fighting with an officer and ignored warnings to stop. A 2006 graduate of Miami University in Oxford, Piskura grew up in Ohio. He moved to Chicago's Lakeview neighborhood after graduation.
In a statement released through the hospital, the Piskura family said they were overwhelmed by the outpouring of support and thanked medical staff for their efforts. They asked for privacy and patience as the incident is investigated, "lest tragedy lead to more tragedy."
"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," the statement said.
Piskura's father, Charles, was a police officer in Bedford, Ohio, for nearly 30 years before retiring in 2000.
On Tuesday, police released a video in which someone can be heard yelling "Taser, Taser, Taser," before the gun's barbs hit Piskura in the chest. Piskura is seen rolling on the ground.
The officer who fired the Taser has been put on paid administrative leave.
mcgarcia@tribune.com
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