Man Dies in Ambulance After Police Use Stun Gun

An autopsy will be performed on a Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, man who died on the way to the hospital after police shot him with a stun gun.

On Friday, around 4 a.m., police were called to the Fegley’s Mini-Market on Center Street in Tamaqua, Pennsylvania, for a report of a man running around the parking lot and screaming obscenities. When they arrived, they found 38-year-old Jose Paulino Jr. of Tamaqua, who was allegedly acting “aggressively.”

Investigators say Paulino refused to cooperate with the officers and ran over to a nearby Sunoco Station. The officers then shot him with a stun gun numerous times in order to bring him under control, according to police.

Medics were called to the scene and Paulino was placed in an ambulance. Paulino then died inside the ambulance as he was being taken to St. Luke’s Hospital Coaldale.

NBC10 affiliate WBRE spoke with Schuylkill County residents who believed the officers handled the situation correctly.

“I think the cops handled it the way they were supposed to handle it,” said Keith Bieber of Tamaqua. “I think they had to do what they had to do to protect themselves and the other people around.”

Pennsylvania State Police are now investigating the incident to determine whether the officers who used the stun gun were justified. An autopsy is also scheduled for Saturday to determine the cause of death.
 

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