Cocaine killed man, not stun gun: doc

October 2, 2007
GLENN KAUTH, Edmonton Sun

It was cocaine, and not a police stun gun, that killed an Edmonton man on Christmas Eve two years ago, a fatality inquiry heard yesterday. As the hearing opened, Dr. Bernard Bannach, the province’s assistant chief medical examiner, reiterated his earlier conclusion that 33-year-old Alesandro Fiacco died of a cocaine overdose and not from four shots from a stun gun on Dec. 24, 2005.

Fiacco was hit with the controversial shock weapon after police were called to deal with him as he wandered into traffic near 113 Street and 76 Avenue that day. He died in an ambulance several minutes later, and relatives have since complained police should have done more to help him as he stammered in a drug-induced state rather than shooting him with the stun gun. At the time, Fiacco believed bees were attacking him, according to witness accounts.

Bannach, however, said that when an electrical current kills someone, it causes a heart attack within three to 15 seconds. In Fiacco’s case, it took 12 minutes after he was zapped for him to go into cardiac arrest. “In this case, the cocaine levels are very, very high,” Bannach said, noting Fiacco had taken enough of the drug to kill him.

Fiacco’s death turned up no evidence of criminal wrongdoing by police, Det. Mark Antsey, who investigated the case, told the hearing yesterday. Under questioning, however, he admitted he had no experience or training with stun guns himself and couldn’t explain police policies on handling people who are mentally ill. “I wasn’t convinced (Fiacco) was mentally ill,” Antsey told the inquiry.

Fatality inquiries are automatically held whenever someone dies in police custody. The presiding judge determines the cause of death and may make recommendations for avoiding similar cases but does not assign blame.

Cocaine killed man, not taser, inquiry hears

October 1, 2007
Trish Audette, Edmonton Journal

EDMONTON - An overdose of cocaine is the only thing that killed a man who was Tasered on Christmas Eve in 2005, a fatality inquiry heard today.

Alessandro Fiacco, 33, did not die because he was Tasered, said Dr. Bernard Bannach, assistant chief medical examiner for Alberta.

"There were no other findings that would lead to death by themselves," Bannach told the inquiry. "As far as I am aware, there is no evidence in the scientific literature that Tasering a healthy individual will cause their death."

Fiacco was seen yelling and thrashing at the intersection of 75th Avenue and 113th Street on the afternoon of Dec. 24, 2005. When police arrived, Fiacco resisted arrest and an officer Tasered him three times in 17 seconds in order to subdue him.

He had a heart attack in the ambulance and was pronounced dead in the University Hospital's emergency room. At least 12 minutes passed between the time he was Tasered and his death, Bannach said, which rules out electrocution.

Later this afternoon, an Edmonton police service detective testified an officer used his Taser at 3:13 p.m. on Dec. 24. Paramedics in the ambulance with Fiacco reported his cardiac arrest at 3:41 p.m.

In his last moments, Fiacco complained that he felt snakes or bees on his skin, which Bannach said is typical in those who have high levels of cocaine in their systems. Anything more than one milligram per litre of blood is dangerous or life-threatening.

Fiacco had 5.32 milligrams of cocaine per litre of blood in his leg and groin area, and 2.18 milligrams per litre in his heart, the autopsy found.

Police were first called to the McKernan neighbourhood on Christmas Eve two years ago because of the noise Fiacco was making in the middle of the street.

Det. Len Hudyma testified today officers found Fiacco's rental car nearby; he had first rented the car in late November, and he had been staying at a west-end motel since Dec. 1, 2005. The motel manager told Hudyma that Fiacco had never been any trouble, and said Fiacco was either coming from or going to work on a pipeline up north.

Fiacco's parents were in the courtroom today, but declined to comment.

The fatality inquiry, which is set for the next two weeks, is taking place because Fiacco died in police custody. It will not assign blame, but the provincial court judge hearing the inquiry can make recommendations to avoid similar deaths in the future.

Cocaine not stun gun killed man

June 7, 2006
By ELIZA BARLOW, EDMONTON SUN

A cocaine overdose -- not a police stun gun - is to blame for the death of a 33-year-old city man last Christmas Eve, a medical examiner has found.

Alesandro Fiacco died on the way to hospital after he was shocked with a stun gun by police trying to subdue him.

Witnesses to the bizarre Dec. 24, 2005, incident said Fiacco was behaving erratically and had wandered into traffic near 113 Street and 76 Avenue.

Police said officers made several attempts to bring Fiacco, who was unarmed, under control before the stun gun was used. A senior cop at the scene told the Sun that Fiacco was shocked four times.

Assistant chief medical examiner Dr. Bernard Bannach said yesterday that neither the stun gun nor a condition called excited delirium killed Fiacco.

Excited delirium - known to hit drug and alcohol abusers and some psychiatric patients - has been blamed for four city deaths since 2001 involving men who police had to subdue because of violent behaviour.

Bannach said the condition doesn't occur when the amount of cocaine in the body is at overdose levels.

"Although (Fiacco) may have been exhibiting symptoms of psychotic behaviour, it was the overdose that killed him."

An Amnesty International report earlier this year cited 156 deaths related to stun guns in the U.S. and 14 in Canada since April 2003, two of which were in Edmonton.

But Bannach said there's no convincing medical evidence that a stun gun has ever killed anyone.

He said even if the device malfunctioned and the person it was being used on was electrocuted, death would occur almost instantly.

"In the Fiacco case, he died at least 12 minutes after the last time he was shocked, if not longer."

Staff Sgt. Peter Ratcliff, president of the Edmonton Police Association, said the cop who used the stun gun on Fiacco will be relieved to hear the device didn't kill the man.

A fatality inquiry will be held in the case because Fiacco died in police custody. No date has been set.