Records: Florida Officers Never Investigated for Use-of-Force


Associated Press

DELRAY BEACH, Fla. (AP) -- Two police officers who used a Taser stun gun on a 31-year-old man before he died have been reprimanded in the past for minor offenses but never investigated for use-of-force incidents on the job, records show.

Francisco Casarez Jr., 35, and Steven Hynes, 33, have remained on active duty since Timothy Bolander collapsed while walking to a squad car Dec. 23. He died at Delray Medical Center.

The Delray Beach officers shot Bolander with the Taser outside his home, where he was found banging his head against a metal fence post. His wife called authorities because she had obtained a temporary restraining order against him two days before, making it illegal for him to be in the yard.

When officers arrived, he struggled with them until he was he was shot twice with 50,000 volts, police said.

Police officials said they believed Bolander's death was drug related and not a result of the use of the Taser. Results of an autopsy and toxicology results were not yet available.

Police officials did not say Tuesday whether Casarez, a nine-year department member, or Hynes, who has been with the department four years, used the Tasers, or whether both did.

Both officers have received acceptable to outstanding ratings on evaluations, which include their critical-incident management and safety performance.

But Hynes had been reprimanded for eight offenses, including a three-day suspension for using vulgar language, verbal and written reprimands for traffic accidents, verbal counseling for not properly securing evidence, and a 30-day suspension from extra-duty details for failing to show up for assignment.

Casarez was barred from extra-duty details for 30 days after failing to show up for the extra detail.

The stun gun's manufacturer maintains the devices are safe. But Amnesty International said in a report last month that at least 74 people have died in the United States and Canada in the past four years after being shocked with Tasers.

Delray Beach is about 17 miles south of West Palm Beach.