Print

Email story

Comment

Email editor

Tampa an dies after arrest

By JACOB H. FRIES
Published April 6, 2006

CLEARWATER - A 34-year-old Tampa man died after fighting with three police officers who subsequently tried to subdue him with a Taser at a Clearwater Beach hotel late Wednesday, authorities said.

Thomas Clint Tipton, 34, of 10028 Colonnade Drive, was pronounced dead at Morton Plant Hospital, where he was taken after struggling with three officers, police said.

The cause of death is unknown, but police said Tipton had no obvious injury that would have resulted in his collapse and death.

Officers were called to the Tropic Isle Motel at 23 Rockaway Street on Clearwater Beach at 11:30 p.m. in reference to shirtless man who had "gone berserk," police spokesman Wayne Shelor said. The man had acted violently, knocking over patio furniture and breaking jalousie windows at the motel.

Tipton ignored an officer's commands to calm down, and when officers moved in to try to subdue him, he fought back hitting and kicking, police said. At one point, an officer used a Taser, which had 24 watts of stunning power, to try to stun the man into submission, but that failed and the fight escalated. The three officers eventually got handcuffs on the Tipton's wrists, but he continued to fight and roll, police said.

The man became limp moments later and was taken to Morton Plant Hospital, where he died, Shelor said.

"We do not know why he died," said Shelor, adding that the police will work closely with the Pinellas-Pasco Medical Examiner's Office to try and determine the reason behind the man's behavior and the specific cause of death.

All three officers involved in the incident have been placed on paid administrative leave. Police identified them as Sgt. Joe TenBieg, 50, a 23-year veteran of the department; Officer Larry Harbert, 37, a Clearwater police officer for 16 years; and Officer Daniel Higgins, 43, a 19-year department veteran.

Detectives with the department's Criminal Investigations Division and Office of Professional Standards are investigating the incident.

[Last modified April 7, 2006, 01:30:23]