Death of man after police tasing investigated in Montgomery County

WASHINGTON — The Montgomery County Major Crimes Unit is investigating the death of a 40-year-old man who died Tuesday night, two days after police tased him.

According to a Montgomery County Police Department news release, police were responding to a tip on May 12 that a man, later identified as Dajuan Graham, was walking down  Castle Boulevard in Burtonsville, acting erratically and high on PCP.

Upon the officers’ arrival to the 13900 block of Castle Boulevard, a woman flagged them down and said Graham punched her in the face when she asked him to leave the middle of the street. Police say the woman was left with a cut on her lip.

When police finally approached Graham, he continued to stand in the middle of the southbound lane of Castle Boulevard with his hands in his pockets. According to police, officers asked Graham four times to remove his hands from his pockets, but he refused to comply and “assumed a threatening stance.”

That’s when police tased Graham in the stomach and right, upper thigh. Graham then fell to the ground and police arrested him. An ambulance arrived just before 11 p.m and took Graham to Holy Cross Hospital in Silver Spring for treatment.

Graham arrived at the hospital, and police removed his handcuffs while he received treatment. Soon after, police say, Graham assaulted an officer and member of hospital security staff.

According to the news release, police ultimately left Graham with the medical staff and security personnel and at no point was Graham unconscious.

On Monday afternoon, Graham was transferred to the cardiac care unit due to an elevated heart rate. Then, on Tuesday night, he suffered a medical event and died.

Two days later, Graham died.

The department is naming the officers involved as Nathan Kane, hired in January of 2007 and Marco Aguiniga, hired in August of 2013.

Graham has 55 court entries for Maryland and spent time in prison in 2013 and 2014 for various charges including assault, drug possession, disorderly conduct, resisting arrest and false imprisonment.

The investigation is ongoing.

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  • Whiskey Tango Foxtrot

    This is horse manure. The guy dies 3 days after being tased and they’re blaming the cops?

    • Badeye

      Horse manure?

      • Snooki McKnight

        Well, you can’t say chit.

    • Donovan Nin

      The guy died after being assaulted by police. Just because the assault ws likely justified does not changed that fact.

      I don’t see anybody accusing the police of misconduct. If the facts of the case as reported are true, then police were justified in thier action. But they still killed him.

  • EricL

    I would say running his heart on high octane for too long done did him in.

    • Donovan Nin

      The “excited delirium” defense.

      Absurd. Excited delirium i something police made up in a ridiculous and medically baseless attempt to justify unjustifiable homicides.

      This particular case seems justified to me, but there are many cases of so called “excited delirium” is alleged to have magically occured despite no supporting medical case histories.

      Don’t be absurd. Stick to the facts.

      • EricL

        Stick to the facts… well let’s see.
        A) He was on PCP, which spikes blood pressure and heart rate.
        B) he was combative and violent during the arrest and during treatment.
        C) Throughout the day he was suffering from elevated heart rate (PCP remember?)
        D) His heart finally threw a monkey wrench a day later and under medical care.
        E) The heart issues lead to his eventual demise.
        F) Whey did I use the phrase “excited delirium”?
        Where have I gone astray on the “facts”?

        • http://www.seekerfreakcsmusings.blogspot.com Tsulaa

          “Excited delirium” — A term neuroscientists (& others) use to describe the crazy, spastic tripping that users of psychoactive drugs like PCP, MDMA, Molly, & bath salts experience.

  • QuestionAuthority

    Seriously bad dude. Why did it take so long?

  • Chris Thompson

    God Bless America in the 21st Century. We are doomed. A black man (“Dajuan” – figure it out), high on drugs, major career criminal, absolute scum of the scum; assaulted numerous people and the police department is investigating his death. Wow.

  • Badeye

    A .22 will do the same thing. Kill you in a couple days.

    • SomeoneYouKnow

      just how many tasers did they use? LOL…

  • R A.

    “Dajuan” high on PCP
    Bye bye dirtbag

  • Jenn

    More sensationalism. You think that possibly the man may have died from complications of taking drugs? Let’s not assume that possibility.

    • spoony g

      Another example of mentally ill DEMON cops terrorizing the American people. They do not know how to handle a situation properly. These cops involved should be arrested and suspended WITHOUT PAY.

      • Fox Mulder

        Lets just overlook the 55 court entries, and the fact he was high on pcp, he did himself in. He was also violent, I think he did the world a favor.

        • spoony g

          You’re all heart.

      • Sailor

        Spoony, apparently this guy wasn’t black, since they did not harp on him being “unarmed”. So you won’t have to do your one-person riot act for this one.

        • spoony g

          I am concerned about ALL victims of police Brutality not just NEGROES.

  • Tetta Zwo

    Why is taxpayer’s money wasted in this investigation?

    • Donovan Nin

      ALL officer involved deaths should be thouroughly investigated. Police are given authority to kill. With that authority comes great resposibility.

      Sometimes police abuse that authority. When police abuse thier authority, they should face appropriate consequences.

      It appears that police DID NOT abuse thier authority in this particular case. Nonethesless, a man died. Therefore, an investigation is appropriate.

  • Capel Gruff

    “Tuesday night, he suffered a medical event and died.

    Two days later, Graham died.”

    He died two times? Wha?

    • Sailor

      Saw that too. Guess it is time for WTOP to resuscitate an editor. But he probably won’t last more than two days either.

  • Fox Mulder

    His time ran out…

  • Bill Hussein O’Stalin

    Bad habits lead to bad results.

  • lifetimearearesident

    The police didn’t shoot him, instead they tazed him. In most cases this does not result in permanent injury. Considering Graham’s violent behavior it appears that the police did this properly. Unless there are material facts missing from the story, my guess is that the case will be wrapped up quickly and the officers will be back on the job soon.

  • tncem

    T-H-U-G. Society rid of yet another gentle giant.

  • Scooby

    Why wasn’t he wearing his “Don’t tase me bro” bracelet?

  • Westofthebridge

    I’m surprised that the staff writer didn’t put another racial spin on this story. For what it’s worth. Kudos

  • Snooki McKnight

    I salute the officers that did in this miscreant.

  • RossPass

    Middle of the street? Was he a crossing guard?

  • The original B.S.

    The headline should instead read, “Death of man after taking PCP and assaulting police investigated…”

    If he didn’t take PCP, he wouldn’t be dead. End of story.

  • Maj Frank Burns

    Police need to stop using lethal force, and use other means….warning shots (like they do on TV), shoot to wound, dart guns, night sticks…even those sticky balls like in the Incredibles. The reigh of “non-lethal” tasers needs to end.

  • Smoke_Monster

    Getting tattoos on your face, & walking in the middle of the street are good ways of advertising your worth to society. In the future I would like to see articles cover things like these in the “do they have an attorney” paragraph.

  • Al Neustadter

    So he wasn’t a boy scout, the death of an unarmed human being still deserves to be scrutinized. Mo-co po-po are known to be ethical, disciplined and highly trained; Holy Cross Hospital not so much.

    I’d be concerned that the hospital may not have properly treated Mr. Graham, especially if he didn’t have family at his side advocating on his behalf. Was this gentleman treated aggressively as a full code patient? 40-year-olds in hospitals, absent critical illness, do not just die 2 days later from a “medical event.” The hospital could also conceivably have falsified the records to make it appear they did nothing wrong. Wouldn’t be the first time (see HolyCrossHealth.com).



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