A 76-year-old nursing home patient died recently from complications of injuries suffered when he was subdued by a police Taser.
Zheng Diao, who had been behaving erratically, was wielding a knife and scissors when St. Louis Park officers responded to a call for help from the Park Health and Rehab nursing home July 14, according to police.
Officers gestured for Diao, who did not speak English, to drop the weapons when Diao moved the knife toward his throat, according to police. When the officers used the Taser to try to prevent him from harming himself, he fell and seriously injured his face, according to authorities.
Diao, of Blaine, died July 29 at Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis from pneumonia that developed as he was being treated for delirium and his injuries, the medical examiner said Wednesday.
A plaintiff's attorney who specializes in nursing home cases said he was unaware of another instance in which a Taser has been used on a patient.
"I've never seen anything like it," said attorney Mark Kosieradzki, who has reviewed more than 1,000 cases alleging nursing home abuse and negligence.
Death to be examined
The nursing home facility would not answer questions about the incident, but issued a statement from administrator Kristie Johnsrud in which she described the event as "an unfortunate situation."
"Our staff responded quickly and appropriately at the time of the incident by immediately contacting the local authorities for assistance," Johnsrud said.