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A daughter of a Sutherlin woman hospitalized after being stunned with a Taser by a police officer on Tuesday says the tasing was not necessary.
Angela Price, 19, disputes allegations made by the Sutherlin Police Department that her mother, Erica Leif Price, 36, made an aggressive move toward the officer with the stun gun.
Erica Price suffered a head injury in a fall after she was stunned. The woman had been upgraded to serious condition Saturday afternoon at Legacy Emanuel Medical Center in Portland, a hospital spokeswoman said.
Asked to respond to Angela Price's claims, Sutherlin Police Sgt. Justin Marquis said Friday, “We're waiting to say anything, to release anything, until the Sheriff's Office gets their report to us based on their interviews with everyone.”
The Douglas County Sheriff's Office, which is reviewing the incident, is expected to complete its review by Monday, according to a Sutherlin Police Department news release.
According to information previously released by Sutherlin police, Price was injured after an officer responded to a medical call at about 7:40 p.m. Tuesday. The caller, Angela Price, had told 911 dispatchers her mother had showed up covered in blood at her apartment on the 200 block of Taylor Road.
When Officer Jay Huskey arrived, he found Erica Price and her longtime live-in boyfriend, Ryan Robert Fulton, also 36, involved in a disturbance, police say.
Huskey then made a verbal command to Erica Price, who reportedly did not comply. She then allegedly made an aggressive move toward Huskey, who stunned her with a Taser, police said.
She sustained a serious head injury. She was taken to Mercy Medical Center in Roseburg and then to Legacy Emanuel.
Price has been cited for allegedly interfering with a police lofficer.
After the incident, the Sutherlin Police Department placed Huskey on paid administrative leave and asked the Douglas County Sheriff's Office Major Crimes Team to review the incident.
But Angela Price, 19, says the police version of the incident is not exactly what took place at her apartment Tuesday evening.
In a phone interview Friday, Angela Price said her mother and Fulton were not fighting. Instead, she said Fulton had driven past Erica Price, who had been walking with a friend near her daughter's apartment earlier in the evening.
Fulton had noticed Erica Price was bloody and was told by Erica Price's friend that she had fallen down, Angela Price said.
Fulton then drove Erica Price to her daughter's apartment to clean her up, Angela Price said. Angela Price then called 911 dispatch for medical help because her mother was bleeding.
When Huskey arrived, Angela Price said her mother and Fulton were in the bathroom and Fulton was trying to clean up her mother. She claims Huskey pointed his Taser at Fulton and her mother.
“She was very drunk,” Angela Price said of her mother. “She didn't know where she was probably. She probably didn't know who (Huskey) was.”
“She wasn't in her right mind,” she added. “I've never seen my mom like that in my whole life.”
Angela Price said Huskey then asked Fulton to step out of the bathroom, which he did. She said she pleaded with Huskey not to tase her mother. She thinks Huskey may have told her mother to calm down or to stop.
Erica Price then said she wanted to get out of the bathroom and be left alone, her daughter said. Erica Price then started stumbling toward the hallway, her daughter claims.
When Erica Price was still 2 or 3 feet from Huskey, he stunned her with his Taser, Angela Price said. Erica Price fell backward on the apartment's concrete floor, hitting her head on the concrete, her daughter said.
Angela Price also alleges Huskey told her and Fulton he had used the stun gun because Erica Price was bloody and he didn't want to get blood on himself.
“He could have restrained her with his own hands,” Angela Price said, noting her mother is about 4 feet, 11 inches tall and weighs about 125 pounds.
“He could have put rubber gloves on,” she added. “He could have restrained her without going for his Taser and he didn't do that, and that's what really makes me mad.”
Angela Price said her 18-year-old sister and 10-year-old brother were also at the apartment when the incident took place.
She said her mother cracked her skull, has undergone brain surgery and is on life support in the Portland hospital.
On Friday, Angela Price said doctors had told her they planned on Saturday to take out her mother's breathing tube “and see how she does and they're going to try to wake her up.”
“It's just this whole thing should have never happened,” she said.
• You can reach reporter Kathy Korengel at 957-4218 or by e-mail at kkorengel@nrtoday.com.
Angela Price, 19, disputes allegations made by the Sutherlin Police Department that her mother, Erica Leif Price, 36, made an aggressive move toward the officer with the stun gun.
Erica Price suffered a head injury in a fall after she was stunned. The woman had been upgraded to serious condition Saturday afternoon at Legacy Emanuel Medical Center in Portland, a hospital spokeswoman said.
Asked to respond to Angela Price's claims, Sutherlin Police Sgt. Justin Marquis said Friday, “We're waiting to say anything, to release anything, until the Sheriff's Office gets their report to us based on their interviews with everyone.”
The Douglas County Sheriff's Office, which is reviewing the incident, is expected to complete its review by Monday, according to a Sutherlin Police Department news release.
According to information previously released by Sutherlin police, Price was injured after an officer responded to a medical call at about 7:40 p.m. Tuesday. The caller, Angela Price, had told 911 dispatchers her mother had showed up covered in blood at her apartment on the 200 block of Taylor Road.
When Officer Jay Huskey arrived, he found Erica Price and her longtime live-in boyfriend, Ryan Robert Fulton, also 36, involved in a disturbance, police say.
Huskey then made a verbal command to Erica Price, who reportedly did not comply. She then allegedly made an aggressive move toward Huskey, who stunned her with a Taser, police said.
She sustained a serious head injury. She was taken to Mercy Medical Center in Roseburg and then to Legacy Emanuel.
Price has been cited for allegedly interfering with a police lofficer.
After the incident, the Sutherlin Police Department placed Huskey on paid administrative leave and asked the Douglas County Sheriff's Office Major Crimes Team to review the incident.
But Angela Price, 19, says the police version of the incident is not exactly what took place at her apartment Tuesday evening.
In a phone interview Friday, Angela Price said her mother and Fulton were not fighting. Instead, she said Fulton had driven past Erica Price, who had been walking with a friend near her daughter's apartment earlier in the evening.
Fulton had noticed Erica Price was bloody and was told by Erica Price's friend that she had fallen down, Angela Price said.
Fulton then drove Erica Price to her daughter's apartment to clean her up, Angela Price said. Angela Price then called 911 dispatch for medical help because her mother was bleeding.
When Huskey arrived, Angela Price said her mother and Fulton were in the bathroom and Fulton was trying to clean up her mother. She claims Huskey pointed his Taser at Fulton and her mother.
“She was very drunk,” Angela Price said of her mother. “She didn't know where she was probably. She probably didn't know who (Huskey) was.”
“She wasn't in her right mind,” she added. “I've never seen my mom like that in my whole life.”
Angela Price said Huskey then asked Fulton to step out of the bathroom, which he did. She said she pleaded with Huskey not to tase her mother. She thinks Huskey may have told her mother to calm down or to stop.
Erica Price then said she wanted to get out of the bathroom and be left alone, her daughter said. Erica Price then started stumbling toward the hallway, her daughter claims.
When Erica Price was still 2 or 3 feet from Huskey, he stunned her with his Taser, Angela Price said. Erica Price fell backward on the apartment's concrete floor, hitting her head on the concrete, her daughter said.
Angela Price also alleges Huskey told her and Fulton he had used the stun gun because Erica Price was bloody and he didn't want to get blood on himself.
“He could have restrained her with his own hands,” Angela Price said, noting her mother is about 4 feet, 11 inches tall and weighs about 125 pounds.
“He could have put rubber gloves on,” she added. “He could have restrained her without going for his Taser and he didn't do that, and that's what really makes me mad.”
Angela Price said her 18-year-old sister and 10-year-old brother were also at the apartment when the incident took place.
She said her mother cracked her skull, has undergone brain surgery and is on life support in the Portland hospital.
On Friday, Angela Price said doctors had told her they planned on Saturday to take out her mother's breathing tube “and see how she does and they're going to try to wake her up.”
“It's just this whole thing should have never happened,” she said.
• You can reach reporter Kathy Korengel at 957-4218 or by e-mail at kkorengel@nrtoday.com.
