Two former East Point police officers were indicted Tuesday on charges that they murdered a 24-year-old father by repeatedly using their Tasers on him while he was handcuffed and sitting in a creek.
According to a lawsuit his family filed a year ago, Gregory Lewis Towns Jr. was trying to catch his breath after a chase of less than a mile when former police Cpl. Howard Weems and former Sgt. Marcus Eberhart activated their Tasers a combined 14 times in an effort to get the 281-pound man to stand up.
Weems and Eberhart are charged with one count each of murder, aggravated assault, involuntary manslaughter and six counts of violation of oath by a public officer.
The indictment said Towns’ hands were cuffed behind him and he was “exhibiting symptoms of fatigue and shortness of breath.
According to the autopsy, Towns’ April 11, 2014, death was caused by “physical exertion and conducted electrical stimulation.”
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