Chicago’s city council has agreed to pay the family of the late Ronald Hasse $500,000 after police fatally used a Taser on him.
Windy City Times reported in 2005 that the Cook County medical examiner’s office ruled a Chicago police sergeant’s Taser stun gun killed Hasse Feb. 10 of that year.
Hasse was shot with the Taser in an apartment on 26th floor of 336 W. Wellington after they arrived to help Fire Department personnel and Hasse supposedly tried to bite an officer. Deputy medical examiner Scott Denton said that Hasse received the electrical shock for 57 seconds, more than 10 times the usual amount.
Hasse had a significant amount of methamphetamine in his bloodstream, which Denton said was a contributing factor to his death. He said he could not conclude whether the shock alone would have been fatal if Hasse’s body had not already been under stress from the drug.
However, a couple who witnessed the situation involving Hasse told Windy City Times that the police distorted the facts. For example, Eric Miller (who, along with his partner Steve Giardino, saw what happened) said, ” [Hasse] was never rushed to the hospital [as the police stated]. … It was 45 minutes before paramedics even arrived. He died at the scene.”
The Chicago Tribune reported that Hasse was accused of burying Michael Denvit at Hasse’s parents’ home in 2001 after Denvit died at Hasse’s own home.