Hollywood Man Did Not Die From Taser Shot, Report
Says
The Associated Press
Published: Apr 3, 2002

HOLLYWOOD, Fla. (AP) - A shot from a police stun gun did not kill a homeless man who was arrested in January,
according to the Broward County Medical Examiner's Office.
Vinnie Del'Ostia, 31, died in police custody after ripping the Taser probes out of his chest.
Del'Ostia had cocaine in his system, but the medical examiner did not release his cause of death Tuesday.
Police had responded to a Hollywood hotel Jan. 27 after an employee said Del'Ostia was behaving violently in the
lobby. Police said he refused orders to get on his knees and put his hands behind his back.
An officer then fired an M-26 Taser, which shoots two 1/2-inch probes attached to wires that transmit 50,000 volts
of electricity into the body for up to five seconds.
Del'Ostia ripped the probes out of his chest before several officers wrestled him to the ground and handcuffed him,
police said.
The officers noticed Del'Ostia was having trouble breathing and called paramedics. He died later at Hollywood
Memorial Regional Hospital.
"Heroin and cocaine are major stimulants that race the heart significantly," said Dr. Richard Luceri, director of the
Arrhythmia Center at Holy Cross Hospital in Fort Lauderdale. "Forget the Taser, the circumstances are just plain old
ripe to have cardiac arrest."
No deaths have been linked to stun guns from 8-year-old Taser International, which sells stun guns to Hollywood
police, a company spokesman said.
On March 27, a 46-year-old man died after Nassau County Sheriff's deputies shot him with a Taser gun. His cause
of death has not been released.
AP-ES-04-03-02 0537EST

Police Cleared In Taser Death
Wednesday March 27 05:22 PM EST
A Broward County medical examiner said a police taser gun was not responsible for a
Hollywood man's death.
The examiner said 31-year-old Vincent Delostia (pictured, right) died from a cocaine
overdose.
Police said that they fired the taser gun at Delostia back in January while trying to arrest him
for being disruptive at the Entrada Hotel.
After being hit by the taser, Delostia stopped breathing and died. Some witnesses at the scene
said that the taser was used repeatedly, but officers said it was only fired once.
Hollywood Police Lt. Tony Rode said that the department has never had a problem or a death
while using a taser before.

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Police Cleared In Taser Death
Medical Examiner Says Cocaine Killed Man
Posted: 5:06 p.m. EST March 27, 2002
HOLLYWOOD, Fla. -A Broward County medical examiner said a police taser gun was not responsible for a Hollywood man's death.
The examiner said 31-year-old Vincent Delostia (pictured, right) died from a cocaine overdose.

Police said that they fired the taser gun at Delostia back in January while trying
to arrest him for being disruptive at the Entrada Hotel.
After being hit by the taser, Delostia stopped breathing and died. Some
witnesses at the scene said that the taser was used repeatedly, but officers said
it was only fired once.
Hollywood Police Lt. Tony Rode said that the department has never had a
problem or a death while using a taser before.

HISTORY OF INCIDENT:
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Police-Involved Taser Shooting Autopsy Completed
Medical Examiner Awaiting Toxicology Report
January 29, 2002

HOLLYWOOD, Fla. -- The autopsy report is in, but the medical examiner has yet to determine how a man died in
the custody of Hollywood police after being shot with a taser gun.
Police say 31-year-old Vincent Delostia was being disruptive at the Entrada Hotel Sunday night.
When officers arrived on the scene, they shot him with a taser gun in order to subdue him.
After the taser hit, Delostia stopped breathing. He was dead by the time he arrived at Memorial Regional Hospital.
The medical examiner is waiting on toxicology results before ruling on the exact cause of death.
Hollywood police say they have used the taser for a year and they've never had a problem with it before.
Previous Stories:
• January 28, 2002: Man Dies After Being Hit By Police Taser
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