DRUGS, NOT TASER,

Drugs -- not the high voltage shock from a Taser gun -- killed a
Kingston man after a standoff with police last weekend.

A coroner has determined Samuel Truscott, 43, died of a drug overdose
at Kingston General Hospital Sunday, Aug. 8, after being subdued by a
Taser gun in a 30-minute standoff with police.

The finding clears a Kingston police officer who used the gun to
subdue Truscott, who was armed with a knife and baseball bat.

Truscott was handed over to KGH custody under the Mental Health Act
after Kingston Police ended a 30-minute standoff by using a Taser gun.

The province's Special Investigation Unit has terminated an
investigation of Kingston Police officers after the coroner ruled out
electroshocks from the Taser had no factor in the man's death.

SIU Director James Cornish states that there is no basis to believe
that any criminal act on the part of any officer caused or contributed
to the man's death.

The SIU is a civilian agency that investigates police involved in
incidents where civilians receive serious injury, sexual assault or
death.

Kingston's Police Chief Bill Closs says that it's unfortunate that
someone lost their life. This individual has friends and family, he
says.

"It's also very unfortunate that the police officers, just trying to
help someone, end up being subjected to an investigation by the SIU,"
says Chief Closs.

The SIU and coroner agree that the "officers conducted themselves
appropriately."

Police were called by fire and emergency services to a Portsmouth
Avenue home at about 8:30 a.m., Sunday, regarding an apparent drug
overdose.

When police arrived, they found Truscott barricaded in a room,
threatening to hurt himself. Pepper spray had no effect on the man and
police resorted to the Taser gun.

After Truscott was stunned, he walked to the police cruiser under his
own power and also walked into the hospital.

Two and a half hours later he died after suffering a seizure.

Police were concerned that bad drugs were on the street because two
other incidents occurred on the same day, one involving a woman who
smashed the windows of cars and homes.

No other drug related occurrences have surfaced this week.

Initially, there was concern that the Taser may have had an impact on
the man's health. This week, the Canadian Association of Chief's of
Police and the National Research Centre announced they are conducting
a study on the Taser guns.

"The research council and police are going to combine all the
information on Taser use and put it into context," says Closs.