Mobile, Ala.– The federal judge refused lawsuit Submitted by the family of an Alabama man who died after police shocked him multiple times with a stun gun in 2023.
U.S. District Judge Christy K. DuBose on Tuesday filed a wrongful death and excessive force lawsuit against the city of Mobile and two police officers. At the conclusion of the case, the Federal Court revealed: body camera footage, Which has not been released to the public before.
Juan Dallas, 36, died on July 2, 2023, after being shocked while police attempted to arrest him. His death sparked protests in Mobile.
The medical examiner found that Dallas died primarily of “acute myocardial ischemia and cardiorespiratory failure caused by mixed drug toxicity — including toxicity caused by the presence of methamphetamine,” DuBose wrote.
“Unfortunately, Mr. Dallas died of a heart attack approximately twenty minutes after being handcuffed,” DuBose wrote. She wrote that the use of force against Dallas was objectively reasonable.
Lawyers for his family disagreed with the decision and said they planned to appeal to the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
“The video evidence is astounding. Juwan Dallas was tased for approximately 44 seconds, longer than the recommended time, and tragically lost his life even though he was not the person charged with trespassing,” the Dallas family’s attorneys said in a statement.
The medical examiner found three abrasions on Dallas consistent with dry Taser injuries and six puncture wounds in Mr. Dallas’ back, four of which were consistent with “deeper” injuries caused by the Taser probe, according to Tuesday’s ruling.
Officers approached Dallas after responding to a report of a possible burglary and trespassing in a trailer park. Dallas was in his car. One of the officers demanded that Dallas get out of the car and show his identification. “This is illegal,” Dallas appears to say to the officer. He is then pulled from the car and a fight breaks out.
“Please, please, I can’t breathe,” Dallas was heard saying in audio from the body camera footage.
Lawyers for the officers and the city said Dallas resisted arrest. An expert hired by the Dallas family said he was not resisting but rather reacting to the searing pain caused by the stun gun.