October 2008 Archives

Two men were seriously injured this morning when two Harley Davidson motorcycles crashed into each other.  The accident occurred at 1 am on US 41.  According to the St. Pete Times, "John J. Odonnell, of Odessa, was driving his 1986 Harley northbound in the outside lane of U.S. Highway 41 behind the 2004 Harley of Chad M. Canady, of Wesley Chapel, when, for unknown reasons, Odonnell struck Canady. Both drivers were thrown off their bikes."

As most motorcycle accidents, the drivers of the motorcycles were seriously injured.  One was taken to Tampa General Hospital in critical condition.  The rise in motorcycle accidents in Tampa Bay is alarming and is an almost daily occurrence in the Tampa Bay area.

Orange County Deputy Sheriff's tasered an unidentified man after the man was wandering through traffic.  According to police, the man was "under the influence" at the time he was tasered.  Police state that they tried to calm him down before tasering him.  As a result of being tasered, the man has died.

Witnesses had said he was carrying a hammer but it was actually a squeegee. 

Once again, the supposedly non-lethal taser is at the center of another death.  Amnesty International and other advocacy groups have criticized the safety of the taser weapon and have called on police to discontinue its use until it can be determined whether the taser is actually a lethal weapon even though it's been marketed as a non-lethal alternative to a firearm.