Oregon Man Shot with Stun Gun Dies
June 14--Jackson County sheriff's investigators are probing the death of an Eagle Point man who died shortly after a police officer shot him with an electrical charge from a stun gun.
The area's Major Assault and Death Investigation Unit is assisting the Sheriff's Department in investigating the in-custody death of Scott Chappell, 44, of Eagle Point. They do not know if the stun gun charge was responsible for his death and will await autopsy results to see if there were other possible factors.
On Tuesday, Eagle Point police responded to the 100 block of Little Butte Drive for a medical call.
The officers arrived and found Chappell acting erratically, Jackson County sheriff's spokeswoman Andrea Carlson said. Chappell already was facing multiple charges, including assaulting a police officer, from a previous incident.
Chappell's family told the officers they were concerned for his safety and asked officers to take him to the hospital, Carlson said.
"The officers and medical personnel on the scene determined that he was, in fact, a danger to himself and possibly other people, so they decided it was best if he was given medical attention," Carlson said.
The officers and Jackson County Fire District No. 3 and Mercy Flights medics on the scene attempted to escort him to a vehicle for transport to a hospital but were deterred when he began to struggle.
An Eagle Point police officer then used a stun gun to subdue Chappell. The electrical charge from the stun gun did not appear to have an effect, Carlson said.
Chappell eventually was detained and placed in an ambulance. On the way to the hospital, Chappell stopped breathing. He was taken to Rogue Valley Medical Center in Medford, where he was pronounced dead, Carlson said.
An autopsy and toxicology reports are scheduled, Carlson said.
"The toxicology results can take between eight and 10 weeks to return," Carlson said. "We are hoping to schedule the autopsy sometime this week."
Carlson said the autopsy could help determine exactly what happened that day.
It is routine for an outside agency to investigate an in-custody death, Carlson added. The Major Assault and Death Investigation Unit is made up of officers from a number of local police agencies
"We want to bring in another agency for an unbiased opinion to determine if everything was done as it should have been," Carlson said.
Jackson County Circuit Court records show Chappell was awaiting trail on charges of possession of methamphetamine, resisting arrest, assaulting a police officer and second-degree disorderly conduct. He pleaded not guilty to these charges. His trail was scheduled for July 17, records show.
Copyright 2012 - Mail Tribune, Medford, Ore.
