Suspect dies after being tased at scene
By Laura Collins
Published in News on January 27, 2010 1:46 PM
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News-Argus/MITCH LOEBER
Wayne County Sheriff's Office deputies and neighbors gather at the scene where Joe Nathan Spruill Jr., 33, died after being tased by a deputy early this morning on Dollard Town Road in Greystone Village.
A Wayne County man is dead after Wayne County Sheriff's Office deputies responded to a call early this morning.
At around 5:30 a.m., a passer-by called in a fight at the intersection of Highway 111 and Dollard Town Road, according to Sheriff's Office reports.
When Deputies Martin McAlduff and Zachary Kinlaw responded, there was no one at the intersection, but they found Joe Nathan Spruill Jr., 33, standing on the porch at a home in the Dollard Town Road subdivision Greystone Village, Sheriff's Office Capt. Tom Effler said.
"They approached him, asked if he lived there. He claimed he did, but another neighbor said no he did not, he lived at another house in the area," Effler said. "They started talking to the subject, but the subject started acting very disruptive and disoriented and started throwing things at the deputies."
At that point, the deputies were walking Spruill back to his house nearby, but when he became disruptive, they tried to place him under arrest, which Spruill allegedly resisted.
"During the resisting, one of the deputies (McAlduff) tased him. Our policy is immediately after tasing to call EMS, and EMS was called," Effler said. "The subject was responsive after he was tased. When they heard EMS coming, he was still responding and when they looked back down he was still. When EMS got here, they examined him and pronounced him deceased."
Spruill was tased for five seconds in the upper part of his body. A police TASER delivers an initial 50,000-volt shock of electricity. Effler said this is the first time the Sheriff's Office has had an injury as a result of the tasers.
"As far as our department, we've never had any problems," he said.
The State Bureau of Investigation is now handling the case.