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Irregular News for 10.24.05
Fayetteville, NC -- A man covered in gasoline suffered burns over 70 percent of his body when a deputy shot him with a Taser gun, Cumberland County officials said. Richard Nuejean McKinnon, 52, of St. Pauls was in critical condition Thursday after the shooting, which occurred after a chase with police late Wednesday night, said Debbie Tanna, spokeswoman for the Cumberland County Sheriff's Office.
The chase began when sheriff's Cpl. Bradley Dean noticed a van that was missing a tail light. Dean stopped the van, whose driver then drove off, Tanna said. Dean, who was patrolling an area where several thefts had occurred at construction sites, also noticed that the van was sitting low to the ground. At some point, a fuel container in the van came open and sprayed throughout the vehicle, Tanna said.
The pursuit ended when the driver drove his van into a yard and hit a mailbox, she said. The driver crawled from a window, and Dean drew his gun but put it away when he realized the suspect wasn't armed, Tanna said. Instead, Dean shot suspect with the Taser when he refused orders to stop, she said.
The suspect's shirt caught fire, and Dean threw him to the ground, Tanna said. The fire was extinguished when the men rolled into a creek. McKinnon was taken to Cape Fear Valley Medical Center and airlifted to the UNC Health Care System in Chapel Hill. Dean was placed on administrative duty with pay pending the outcome of an internal investigation.
A container for gas, about 75 bags of mixing concrete that weighed about 1,000 pounds and a loaded, sawed-off shotgun were found in the van, Tanna said.
Arrest warrants had been issued in Bladen County for McKinnon on charges of armed robbery, kidnapping, burglary and larceny. The Cumberland County Sheriff's Office has warrants charging McKinnon with resisting arrest and obstructing justice, Tanna said. He will be served with the warrants when he leaves the hospital.
"We don't see anything the deputy did wrong," Chief Deputy Cuyler Windham said. "We don't use them (Tasers) every day by any means, but we do use them instead of deadly force."
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Fayetteville, NC -- A man covered in gasoline suffered burns over 70 percent of his body when a deputy shot him with a Taser gun, Cumberland County officials said. Richard Nuejean McKinnon, 52, of St. Pauls was in critical condition Thursday after the shooting, which occurred after a chase with police late Wednesday night, said Debbie Tanna, spokeswoman for the Cumberland County Sheriff's Office.
The chase began when sheriff's Cpl. Bradley Dean noticed a van that was missing a tail light. Dean stopped the van, whose driver then drove off, Tanna said. Dean, who was patrolling an area where several thefts had occurred at construction sites, also noticed that the van was sitting low to the ground. At some point, a fuel container in the van came open and sprayed throughout the vehicle, Tanna said.
The pursuit ended when the driver drove his van into a yard and hit a mailbox, she said. The driver crawled from a window, and Dean drew his gun but put it away when he realized the suspect wasn't armed, Tanna said. Instead, Dean shot suspect with the Taser when he refused orders to stop, she said.
The suspect's shirt caught fire, and Dean threw him to the ground, Tanna said. The fire was extinguished when the men rolled into a creek. McKinnon was taken to Cape Fear Valley Medical Center and airlifted to the UNC Health Care System in Chapel Hill. Dean was placed on administrative duty with pay pending the outcome of an internal investigation.
A container for gas, about 75 bags of mixing concrete that weighed about 1,000 pounds and a loaded, sawed-off shotgun were found in the van, Tanna said.
Arrest warrants had been issued in Bladen County for McKinnon on charges of armed robbery, kidnapping, burglary and larceny. The Cumberland County Sheriff's Office has warrants charging McKinnon with resisting arrest and obstructing justice, Tanna said. He will be served with the warrants when he leaves the hospital.
"We don't see anything the deputy did wrong," Chief Deputy Cuyler Windham said. "We don't use them (Tasers) every day by any means, but we do use them instead of deadly force."
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