Did O.C. deputies taser a cat to death?

The Orange County Sheriff's Department has been under fire recently for its treatment of jail inmates, including the death this month of a man who was Tasered in his Santa Ana jail cell.

But there is a new alleged victim: a cat.

The department is investigating a report that deputies used a Taser electric stun weapon on a cat at Theo Lacy jail, a department spokesman said today. A cat’s corpse was later found on the jail grounds in Orange.

The investigation comes one week after the release of grand jury transcripts that showed Theo Lacy deputies allowed inmates to discipline each other while guards watched television, played video games and exchanged cellphone text messages.

Sheriff’s officials were conducting a necropsy today to determine whether the dead cat was shocked with a Taser, said sheriff’s spokesman John McDonald. An unidentified person told sheriff’s officials that deputies used the Taser on the cat "a couple of weeks ago," McDonald said.

"We’ll know more this afternoon, after the necropsy is completed. This cat may not have had anything to do with the report," McDonald said. "This isn’t being taken lightly. This is a pretty serious matter."

-- Stuart Pfeifer

Comments

[kathy]

WHOA..I HAVE 4 CATS. I KNOW DARN WELL BY LOOKING AT THE SIZE OF THEM THAT THEY WOULD NEVER SURVIVE A TASER. THEY ARE SMALL.WHAT WERE THEY THINKING? ANIMAL RIGHTS WILL BE ON THIS ONE LIKE AN UNEUTERED CAT.. THIS ONE AINT GOING AWAY.......=(^-^)= KATHY

[cas]

I hate OC Jails.... they do more damage then they ever do good. With people like that enforcing the jails. its no wonder more then 85% are repeat offenders....

[SueAnn]

There are so many reports of Sheriff Department abuses of citizens, especially with non lethal weapons. They abuse people with lasers almost as a matter of course. There are more advanced non lethal weapons on the horizon. These bozo's SHOULD NOT be given access to any of them. They indulge themselves and violate civil and human rights.
They need to raise the educational standards for Sheriff Deputies and require personality
and psychological examinations. Each Deputy's job performance record, including each and every citizen complaint must be made public. Also, these people require
strict oversight and accountability.