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Man Dies From Cops' Taser at Universal Studios

By Stephanie Rabiner, Esq. on April 28, 2011 | Last updated on March 21, 2019

We all thought that it was funny when the "Don't tase me, bro!" video popped on YouTube, but the fact is that the devices can be dangerous, and taser deaths are real.

The death of Florida resident Adam Spencer Johnson last week proves this. The 33-year-old man died after being tased by a group of 5 on- and off-duty police officers.

After celebrating his birthday, Adam Spencer Johnson went to Orlando's Universal CityWalk, where the events took place.

Standing outside a theater, 4 off-duty police officers working as security saw him acting a bit strange, reports USA Today. He was pacing and kept grabbing his hair.

Along with an on-duty officer, the 4 approached Johnson to calm him down, but The Ledger reports that he violently resisted officers' instructions. So they tased him and he died.

By all accounts, Adam Spencer Johnson was a friendly, mild-mannered man with no criminal record, reports The Ledger. His friends and family fear that his agitation was actually jerky movements caused by a recent back surgery.

With officers utilizing the tools more frequently to subdue suspects, taser deaths and injuries are not all that uncommon anymore. Even though a study has determined that they are generally safe, Amnesty International claims 277 deaths between 2001 and 2007 were the result of tasers in the U.S.

If you're worried about taser deaths, it's best not to resist arrest or give a police officer cause to use his stun gun. It's what you're legally supposed to do anyway.

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