Man Dies After Being Stunned by Fla. Police

April 22, 2011
State investigators have stepped in to see why a man at Universal CityWalk died after being stunned by officers early Friday.

ORLANDO, Fla. --

State investigators have stepped in to see why a man at Universal CityWalk died after being tased by officers early Friday morning, according to Orlando police. Investigators said the man was acting out-of-control.

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However, WFTV learned that there was nothing in the man's past that explains his behavior before he died. He turned 33 years old two days ago. He has no prior criminal history and the only thing on his record was some traffic tickets.

Universal security called Orlando police because they said they needed help dealing with someone they called an out-of-control, irrational guest.

"He was kind of pacing around, grabbing his beard, grabbing his head and hair, and they were trying to get a hold of him. He was being disorderly,” said Sgt. Barb Jones, of the Orlando Police Department.

Police identified the man as 33-year-old Adam Johnson of Winter Haven.

Five off-duty Orlando police officers, who were working security at the park, tried to restrain Johnson and called for backup from an on-duty officer.

They said when Johnson resisted violently one of them deployed his taser. Police cuffed Johnson, but while he was down he became unresponsive.

Despite CPR efforts to revive him, Johnson died.

Police said his behavior led them to believe he had some type of mental or substance abuse problem, and officers were looking to have him baker-acted.

"The medical examiner is going to have to do that, but I would certainly be interested in the toxicology report on this particular individual. It was behavior that was not rational," Jones said.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement has been brought in to investigate.

The five officers involved are on paid administrative leave, which is standard for any officer involved in a case of this caliber.

Toxicology reports take several days, sometimes even weeks to be released.

Man Dies After Stunned By Taser At Universal

Copyright 2011 by wftv.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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