2008 Woodie Awards
Taser incident results in death
Caroline Briggs
Issue date: 4/25/08 Section: Front Page
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.
"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."
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.
"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."
Viewing Comments 1 - 10 of 51
Bill C
posted 4/25/08 @ 8:36 AM EST
The article doesn't say if Kevin Piskura was actually in the fight. Did the police taser an innocent person? Two times?? Nice P.D. you have.
How about Steven Gene Smith. (Continued…)
Nick Stroup (Miami alum)
posted 4/25/08 @ 9:48 AM EST
I had a feeling of dread wash over me as I opened my email to see this today. Now it has hit home. This has been going on all over the country. Many people are dying because of police officers irresponsibly using tasers. (Continued…)
Andrew
posted 4/25/08 @ 12:25 PM EST
Everyone is innocent until proven guilty. Unfortunately, irresponsible use of a taser will not allow Kevin to have a fair trial.
Alumn
posted 4/25/08 @ 1:10 PM EST
You are a first hand observer, saw him get tasered, and this is your contribution? If I were you I would be disgusted with what happened and not be posting on the internet acting high and mighty. (Continued…)
B
posted 4/25/08 @ 1:27 PM EST
Alum, I was trying not to go into too much detail for the sake of the family, the bar, and the OPD, but I will give you a brief overview.
His friend was being removed for fighting. (Continued…)
AnnR
AnnE
posted 4/25/08 @ 2:14 PM EST
This is definitely a tragedy and the police may have "misused" the tazer. But if I was a police officer and two people were fighting and I had no way of knowing whether they had a weapon or device that could hurt me, my butt would be tazing that person. (Continued…)
parkeral27
ALP
posted 4/25/08 @ 2:20 PM EST
Here's a video of the incident. Pretty brutal. Note: It loops after the first 20 seconds of so.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-police_taser_death_webapr25,0,7015156. (Continued…)
Joe
posted 4/25/08 @ 4:57 PM EST
How about people respect the wishes of the Piskura family (the patriarch being a retired police officer) and not pass judgment until the review of the incident is release?
Any person making inflated public pronouncements at this point is disrespecting the family of the deceased and the police. (Continued…)
Mike
posted 4/25/08 @ 5:11 PM EST
I was not at the scene, however, I have seen the video. And one thing is certain: THE OFFICER TAZED HIM FOR FAR TOO LONG. Was it really necesary for the officer to taze Kevin for 10 seconds? Was it really necessary to taze him in the chest? From the look of it, he is rolling on the ground, yet the officer is still tazing him. (Continued…)
Michael Grepp
posted 4/25/08 @ 5:13 PM EST
Just curious as to why President Hodge decided to personally post a notice on Miami's website in regards to the recently deceased alumnae of Miami University. (Continued…)
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