UNIVERSITY
PLACE, Wash. -- The family of a University Place man who died shortly after
being tased and arrested wants the officers to pay.
But
the Pierce County Sheriff's Department doesn't believe the officers caused the
death. Both sides point to cellphone video taken of the arrest to show their
points.
As
soon as neighbors realized something was up they turned on their cell phone
cameras. They captured the tasing and takedown of 44-year-old Ron Hillstrom
Sunday night. They say he'd been acting erratically in the parking lot of his
University Place apartment.
Police
were called because Hillstrom was waving around what they thought was a knife,
but turned out to be a large screwdriver.
"I
see four officers walking up on him and they're like, 'It's the police,' and
he's like 'You're not the police', and he goes to run in the circle and as soon
as he comes back the police use four tasers at one time," Ashley Patterson
said.
The
sheriff's office said officers only deployed tasers twice, and the second time
was only necessary because the first missed.
Neighbors
say the video shows deputies making the arrest using a flashlight as a baton.
Even though police say Hillstrom was conscious and screaming as he was taken to
the hospital, he died an hour and 15 minutes later.
The
Hillstrom family blames the deputies.
"it
appears that this is a guy who was reaching out for help, literally requesting
help and instead of getting help was given a death sentence," said family
attorney Nathan Roberts.
But
the sheriff's office says Hillstrom was not brutally attacked.
"No,
he wasn't beaten," said Det. Ed Troyer. "He was hit with a flashlight
a few times in an area where we believe the screwdriver was, but nothing that
would cause any type of injury that would lead up to his death."
One
of Hillstrom's neighbors says he also saw what happened and does not believe
the police went overboard.
"(Hillstrom)
kept saying the same thing, 'Help me,' and he would not listen to anything they
were saying. I don't think it was brutality," the neighbor said.
Plus,
the authorities point out that Hillstrom has 26 arrests.
"(He
was) well versed in the criminal justice system, including lots of assaults and
drug usage," Troyer said.
Hillstorm's
family say his history doesn't matte .
"Regardless
of what his criminal history is nobody deserves to be beaten to death,"
Roberts said.
At
this point no one knows why Hillstrom died. The medical examiner says that may
take weeks. The deputies are on paid administrative leave for the time being
which is routine.