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Troopers: armed man Tased, hospitalized after resisting arrest; AG will investigate

Delaware Public Media

The Attorney General's office will investigate after state police Tased a Milford man who was allegedly brandishing a handgun during a warrant service last weekend.

 

Troopers say 35-year-old Lionel Waters was hospitalized in "critical but stable condition" after the encounter last Sunday.

 

They were serving a warrant on behalf of Dover Police at the Milford home of 36-year-old Richard Wilson, who had allegedly violated a restraining order.

 

But troopers found Waters inside the home instead. They say he had a gun and wouldn't drop it, give his name or let them in.

 

State Police spokesman Richard Bratz says a trooper deployed his Taser and tried to take Waters into custody, but Waters still aggressively resisted arrest. Multiple troopers then managed to detain him. That's when Bratz says Waters went into cardiac arrest and became unconscious.

 

He says Waters was taken to Milford Memorial Hospital, and that preliminary investigations show alcohol may have been a factor.

 

Meanwhile, the hospital said Thursday that Waters was not listed in their system. State police did not immediately respond to requests for clarification.

 

Waters could face multiple charges, though Bratz wouldn't give details. Attorney General spokesman Carl Kanefsky says their office of Civil Rights and Public Trust is investigating the troopers' use of force.

 

Meanwhile Wilson, the homeowner, was taken into custody when he arrived several hours later. Troopers turned him over to Dover Police.

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