A Livonia man tased two weeks ago by an Oakland County police officer died Tuesday of injuries he sustained during that altercation. The Oakland County Medical Examiner’s Office and the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office are currently conducting further investigations into the man’s death.
The taser incident occured on August 14 around 1 a.m. after police were called about a man playing loud music in an apartment complex in a neighborhood in Livonia. Upon arrival, police officers maintain that they found Michael Ford, 50, standing outside of the complex, intoxicated. At that time, the officers allege that they instructed Ford to go back inside his apartment. However, the police were apparently called a second time and found Ford standing outside with two knives in his hands. The police allegedly ordered Ford to the ground, but when he failed to comply, they tased him. Consequently, Ford’s body went limp and he fell to the ground, striking his head on the concrete.
Ford was taken to Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak and was taken off of life support on Tuesday. He is the second man to die in Southeast Michigan after a taser incident with police. Stanley Jackson, 31, of Ypsilanti was also killed by a taser while running from police on August 20. The Livonia police lieutenant, Gregory Winn, declined to identify the officer who tased Ford and also declined to comment on whether or not a police investigation discovered the knives that Ford was reportedly holding during the confrontation with police. Meanwhile, the responsible officer is on desk duty while the Livonia police continue their investigation.
