The police department in Evansville, Ind. saw four people die over just 14 months after officers used tactics or weapons that are not intended to kill, yet have contributed to the deaths of civilians across the nation. That cluster stood out for a mid-sized city among the more than 1,000 deaths after force such as Tasers and holds that an investigation led by The Associated Press documented. The AP’s investigation found a pattern: Authorities minimized the use of force, the county coroner who has long ties to law enforcement ruled that officers did not contribute to the deaths, and no officer was criminally charged. Evansville was not the only department where AP found these dynamics, and the U.S. Department of Justice has raised concerns in other cities about the same types of force-related issues. A city lawyer said force by Evansville officers has “overwhelmingly been deemed lawful” when challenged in court.
Police academies have long held "fight days" or similar drills to toughen up rookies before they hit the streets. Evansville’s “Big Fight” was based on a scenario in which an officer ran up the stairs of an apartment building to apprehend two people. During one such drill, rookie Asson Hacker collapsed after a seven-minute fight and later died from rhabdomyolysis, a condition caused by extreme exertion. Another recruit, Tanner Corum, also collapsed and was hospitalized with the same condition and a spinal injury. Evansville police training instilled a mindset of fear, with rookies being told to prepare for life-threatening encounters contributing to incidents where force escalates quickly. In 2019, rookie officer Trevor Koontz and his partner used excessive force on Edward Snukis during a welfare check, leading to Snukis' death. Several other deaths include Dean Smith, who died after a police dog attack, and Steven Beasley, who became unresponsive after being tased while handcuffed. In another case, Evan Terhune died after being tased while hallucinating on LSD. In all five deaths the AP examined, Vanderburgh County Coroner Steven Lockyear did not cite the actions of officers as causal or contributing factors. He ruled three accidental, one natural and one undetermined.
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