Post by KC on Apr 18, 2006 19:01:11 GMT -5
October 14, 2005 - The "new life" a former Shelbyville man sought came to an abrupt end after he was shot with a taser gun by a Florida police officer Thursday morning.
Steven Cunningham, 45, of Fort Myers had been taken to a mental health center for an "evaluation," according to a family member and reports from Florida media.
Police were called after Cunningham became "hostile," at Ruth Cooper
Center for Behavioral Health Care, according to prepared statements from the center and Fort Myers police.
Fort Myers officer Scott Townsend shot Cunningham with the taser gun in the center's parking lot at 9:50 a.m. Police refused to say how many times Cunningham was shot. Cunningham died later in the day at a Fort Myers hospital.
WZVN-TV of Naples reported center workers called police when Cunningham became
An official with the Ruth Cooper center wold not give the Times-Gazette any information beyond their official statement -- which stated only that Cunningham was "hostile" with no further details -- but said an official "incident report" will be released Monday. Fort Myers police also gave no details of the confrontation beyond the "hostile" comment.
Cunningham's sister, Darlene Demonbren of Shelbyville, the Fort Myers News-Press and WZVN said he was taken to the center by a unnamed friend. The "friend" told WZVN Cunningham was "acting crazy" and appeared to be under the influence.
"He left Shelbyville about three months ago," Demonbren said. "He went down to start a new job and a new life.
"He was sending money back to my mother and was working to buy a lot and build a house here and was helping me with my expenses," Demonbren said through tears Friday morning.
"We were told that he went to a treatment center to get help. The police came and he was shot with a taser. It was unnecessary for somebody going and getting help to get killed."
"We can't get any help," Demonbren said. "They (Fort Myers police) won't tell us what happened."
A check of Bedford County Jail records going back to the mid-1990s showed Cunningham had no record of violence.
Steven Cunningham, 45, of Fort Myers had been taken to a mental health center for an "evaluation," according to a family member and reports from Florida media.
Police were called after Cunningham became "hostile," at Ruth Cooper
Center for Behavioral Health Care, according to prepared statements from the center and Fort Myers police.
Fort Myers officer Scott Townsend shot Cunningham with the taser gun in the center's parking lot at 9:50 a.m. Police refused to say how many times Cunningham was shot. Cunningham died later in the day at a Fort Myers hospital.
WZVN-TV of Naples reported center workers called police when Cunningham became
An official with the Ruth Cooper center wold not give the Times-Gazette any information beyond their official statement -- which stated only that Cunningham was "hostile" with no further details -- but said an official "incident report" will be released Monday. Fort Myers police also gave no details of the confrontation beyond the "hostile" comment.
Cunningham's sister, Darlene Demonbren of Shelbyville, the Fort Myers News-Press and WZVN said he was taken to the center by a unnamed friend. The "friend" told WZVN Cunningham was "acting crazy" and appeared to be under the influence.
"He left Shelbyville about three months ago," Demonbren said. "He went down to start a new job and a new life.
"He was sending money back to my mother and was working to buy a lot and build a house here and was helping me with my expenses," Demonbren said through tears Friday morning.
"We were told that he went to a treatment center to get help. The police came and he was shot with a taser. It was unnecessary for somebody going and getting help to get killed."
"We can't get any help," Demonbren said. "They (Fort Myers police) won't tell us what happened."
A check of Bedford County Jail records going back to the mid-1990s showed Cunningham had no record of violence.