March 11, 2020 - 1:48 PM
ST. LOUIS - A 37-year-old man has died after a St. Louis sheriff's deputy used a stun gun on him while serving a restraining order, authorities said Wednesday.
Deputies arrived at a home about 5:30 p.m. Tuesday to serve a temporary restraining order that required the man to leave the residence, the sheriff's office said in a news release. Officials said the man tried to assault the two deputies, prompting a struggle.
One of the deputies used his stun gun. The man became unresponsive and the deputies called for medical help, but the man was pronounced dead at a hospital. His name was not disclosed.
An official cause of death has not been determined. Sheriff's officials are working with St. Louis police and the city's circuit attorney's office in the investigation. Both deputies are on paid leave pending the outcome of the investigation.
One of the deputies has been with the sheriff's office for 30 years, the other for 16 years.
The St. Louis Sheriff’s Office is responsible for serving and enforcing what are called ex parte orders, which are typically temporary orders pending a formal hearing. The news release said the office serves about 2,500 such orders each year. The order was requested by the man's landlord, Deputy Sheriff Gregg Christian said.
St. Louis deputies do not wear body cameras, Christian said.
News from © The Associated Press, 2020