Daly City man dies after police use Taser on him

DALY CITY, Calif. - A Daly City man died after police used a Taser on him at his home Tuesday night. 

Warren Ragudo's family tells KTVU it was unnecessary for police to use a Taser on him. The deadly incident is being investigated by the San Mateo County District Attorney's Office.

Police tasered Ragudo inside his parent's home on the 900 block of Brunswick Street shortly before midnight Tuesday.

His mother says the family called for help when her 34-year-old son started running around the house, acting scared. 

"He likes to take drugs. That's why we called the police because he's on drugs," says Dolores Ragudo. 

She says her son had started using drugs six years ago and that he was addicted to methamphetamine. 

She says the family has called the police about 10 times in the past few years, but that police did not use a Taser during any of the previous encounters. Tuesday night was the only time.

"This is the first time he was unconscious when he left the house," says Dolores Ragudo.

"Normally, they just take him to the hospital or jail when he's high." 

"It wasn't just yelling and screaming at one point. His own family was describing it as growling and yelling," says Steve Wagstaffe, San Mateo County district attorney.

He says three Daly City police officers responded to the family's call for help.

Wagstaffe says the officers were invited inside the home where a struggle took place.

It's unclear if Ragudo was tazed before or after he was handcuffed.

"They were able to get him under control. As they did, they realized wait, the breathing got shallower. He stopped breathing. They immediately uncuffed him and started applying CPR," says Wagstaffe.

Ragudo was taken to the hospital where he was pronounced dead.

"I don't like the Taser. I'm scared about the Taser. I just wished that they didn't use that [on] him.

Maybe he'd still be alive," says Dolores Ragudo," Of course, I'm angry but it's already happened so we have to accept it."

District Attorney Wagstaffe says the investigation will take 8-10 weeks to complete.
He says one key factor is if the Taser played a role in Ragudo's death.

The investigation will look at whether the use of force was justified  and whether excessive force was used.