Jacksonville inmate tased by police dies at hospital

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A man who was hospitalized after he was tased twice by Jacksonville police died this week, according to his attorney.

Paul Testa’s family is waiting to learn the cause of death from a medical examiner report, according to attorney Ted Pina.

He said it’s not clear if Testa’s death was caused by the tasing, restrainment, or a combination of both.

“We do know his brain was deprived of oxygen for a significant period of time,” said Pina.

Pina said 44-year-old Testa had a history of mental health issues, and was having some sort of mental episode when he was tased.

Testa was arrested Dec. 21 around 4 a.m. after a neighbor found him in her backyard fighting with a dog.

He was charged with trespassing and criminal mischief, according to the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office.

JSO officials said officers restrained Testa around 7:15 a.m. after he began to act erratically and tried to rile other inmates at the jail. They tased him after he became aggressive with officers, according to JSO.

Pina said Testa later became agitated after a judge ordered he be Baker Acted at his first appearance at the jail around 2:30 p.m.

According to JSO, Testa tried to rush back into the courtoom following the appearance, then was combative with officers. He was tased again and placed in a restraint chair on the sixth floor, where he became unresponsive, according to police.

Testa was taken to the hospital, where he was listed in life-threatening condition.

He was “essentially brain dead” when he got to UF Health, according to Pina.

He was on life support until his death, according to his family.

Pina said the level of force used and the time it took for rescue to try to resusicitate Testa will be elements that are investigated.

He said it’s difficult to understand why he’d have to be tazed twice when according to his family, Testa weighed only 145 pounds.

He said he has requested video from the jail and Testa’s admission documents.

According to Pina, Testa was a father and worked two jobs.

He had never been arrested, according to Pina.

JSO responded to multiple mental health calls involving Testa in the past, including a call in 2013 during which Testa was reportedly armed with a machete and threatened to kill his neighbors.

Cox Media Group