Stun Gun Excessive, Mom Says After Man's Death

INDIANAPOLIS -- The mother of a man who died after Indianapolis police used a stun gun to subdue him last week said Monday she believes the officers are to blame for his death.

The county coroner's office hasn't ruled on the cause of Henry Bryant's death, but Rita Abram said she believes police used excessive force to subdue the 35-year-old at an O'Charley's restaurant on the city's northwest side Friday night.

"Four officers? And to Tase him that many times? That's ridiculous. And I have to say, to me, that's murder," Abram said.

Police said they were called to the restaurant at about 10:30 p.m. Friday on a report that an armed man was threatening to shoot people.

Authorities said the armed man was Bryant's friend, Scott Broadnax. Bryant (pictured) also was there, and during an investigation, Bryant refused to cooperate with officers and started to fight them, police said.

Police said they used a stun gun and pepper spray to subdue Bryant. Officers called for a medic after noticing that Bryant was having trouble breathing, police said.

The officers administered CPR as they waited for the medics, and Bryant eventually was taken to Methodist Hospital, where he died, according to police.

The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department said it would not talk further about the death until an autopsy and an investigation are completed. The officers involved in the confrontation have been placed on administrative duties pending the investigation's outcome, IMPD said.

Broadnax said Monday that Bryant did nothing to deserve the stunning.

"He did not do anything. He did not commit a crime," Broadnax said. "There was nothing that he did that would cause him to be Tased or for him to lose his life that night."

According to an Indianapolis police report, an officer also used a stun gun on Bryant a year ago during a confrontation. The report said Bryant continued to resist officers after that stunning.

Abram said she wants an apology from IMPD.

"Something needs to be done about this," she said. "They need to do training or take (Tasers) away from (officers), because they use them now to their advantage. It used to be where they'd just shoot you; now they're using these Tasers."

Indianapolis police said they've used stun guns hundreds of times since 2003. IMPD said no deaths have ever been directly attributed to the department's use of the guns.