Former La. police officer indicted in Taser deathAug 13, 10:21 PM EDT
Former La. police officer indicted in Taser death
By MICHAEL KUNZELMAN
Associated Press Writer
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NEW ORLEANS (AP) -- A former police officer accused of repeatedly jolting a handcuffed man with a Taser before he died was indicted on a manslaughter charge Wednesday by a grand jury in central Louisiana.
The Winn Parish grand jury also indicted former Winnfield police officer Scott Nugent on a charge of malfeasance in office stemming from the Jan. 17 death of Baron Pikes, 21.
Pikes was shocked nine times with a 50,000-volt Taser as he was arrested on a drug possession warrant in January, authorities said. Winn Parish District Attorney Chris Nevils said Nugent broke the law when he "unnecessarily" used the Taser on Pikes multiple times and failed to get him medical attention "when it was apparent he needed it."
"In a civilized society, abuse by those who are given great authority cannot be tolerated," Nevils said in a statement.
Nugent, who is scheduled to be arraigned Aug. 21, faces up to 40 years in prison if convicted of the manslaughter charge. The malfeasance charge carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison.
Nugent was fired but is appealing his dismissal. Phillip Terrell, Nugent's lawyer, has said his client followed department protocols and didn't use excessive force.
After the panel's decision, Terrell said the grand jury has only heard prosecutors' side of the story. "It now comes time for us to be able to present our side of the story," he said.
Since the grand jury's decision Wednesday, Terrell said Nugent had surrendered to sheriff's deputies and was booked on the two charges. He was released from jail after posting $45,000 bond, Terrell said.
The parish's coroner, Dr. Randolph Williams, ruled in June that Pikes' death was a homicide. Williams said he consulted with two other coroners, and both agreed that Pikes died of cardiac arrest caused by the Taser shocks.
Terrell disagreed with the coroner's conclusion but said he hasn't pinpointed the cause of death. "We haven't been allowed to see the autopsies yet," he said.
Carol Powell Lexing, a lawyer for Pikes' family, called the indictments "just one step toward justice."
Anger over Pikes' death has threatened to inflame racial tensions in Winnfield, where the population of roughly 5,800 is evenly divided between black and white residents. Pikes was black; Nugent is white.
