Winnipeg Police: Taser Victim Was A Theft Suspect

Winnipeg, Canada (AHN) - The 17-year old who was Tasered and died minutes later was a theft suspect, according to Winnipeg Police. It was the first Winnipeg case involving a death apparently caused by the electronic stun gun.

The two officers who pursued Michael Langan and Tasered him are on paid leave, while undergoing an internal investigation. All uniformed front-line officers will still carry Tasers and no new restrictions have been placed on their use.

The Globe and Mail identified Langan, whom two civilians saw stealing a parked vehicle outside a garment factory Tuesday afternoon. The two followed Langan and gave the information to officers in a passing police car.

Police spokeswoman Constable Jacqueline Chaput said the officers confronted the 17-year-old youth in a back alley. Langan was wielding a knife and refused to put it down, prompting the officers to use the 50,000-volt Taser on him.

According to reports at the crime scene, Langan was bleeding from the head right after he was Tasered. The coroner's report identifying Langan's cause of death will be released after the autopsy is completed this week.

Sharon Shymko, the youth's mother, admitted Langan dropped out of school, did not have a job, smoked marijuana, panhandled, searched hotel parking lots for marijuana joint butts and carried a small knife for protection because he was small. She disapproved of Langan's carrying the knife, but said she could not stop him.

Shymko said their family returned to Winnipeg a month ago to restart life after an unsuccessful attempt in to do so in British Columbia.