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August 19, 2011 in Idaho
Man Tasered in North Idaho died of heart attack
A man who died after being shocked with a Taser by a sheriff’s deputy in North Idaho in May suffered a heart attack, officials said Friday
Daniel L. Mittelstadt, 56, of Mount Shasta, Calif., had a pre-existing heart condition and a long history of mental health issues when Boundary County sheriff’s Cpl. Clint Randall responded to a report of a naked man blocking a road with his car about 1 a.m. on May 16.
Mittelstadt was wearing a jacket and was described by Randall as “uncooperative and irrational.”
He fought with Randall, and Randall shocked him with a Taser before handcuffing him. But he immediately released him from handcuffs after noticing Mittelstadt was having difficulty breathing. Randall performed CPR, but Mittelstadt was pronounced dead at a hospital.
The Idaho State Police investigated the death, and the Boundary County Prosecutor’s Office determined no criminal charges were warranted against Randall.
“The cause of death was determined to be heart attack, not directly caused by the incident,” according to a news release, though authorities say Mittelstadt suffered the heart attack after the Taser was deployed.
Rich Stevens, Boundary County deputy sheriff, said pathologists determined that the Taser “did not in itself case the fatality” but a combination of factors like stress and the physical struggle contributed.
Stevens said Randall did not know of Mittelstadt’s condition - atherosclerotic coronary artery disease - during the encounter.
“He had a guy that was fighting him - that’s all the information he had at that time,” Stevens said.
Mittelstadt had traveled to Boundary County from the Lake Shasta area in California. He had several contacts with law enforcement during the trip, including a driving under the influence arrest in Oregon that included a mental health examination.
Stevens believes Mittelstadt may have been trying to contact a family member in Moses Lake but became lost. He was located on a dead-end road about 10 miles from the Canadian, border, Stevens said.
“It looks like he was trying to find a relative in Washington and in, his medical or mental state, he was just kind of lost,” Stevens said.
Human trafficking suspects released 
deltaelk on August 19 at 2:52 p.m.
I see, it just so happens that by a million in one chance the dude had a heart attack right at that precise moment, for no other reason than it was his time. So what if he had a history of anything, it doesnt clear the guy for tasering him. I would love to see the bible that law enforcement has at their disposal, so they can come up with hogwash excuses. Kind of like the excuse given for Otto Zehm’s death. I think these cops resort to the taser way too fast, and are using it in the wrong situations. It’s too easy for them to use it, and they dont give a damn if it harms somebody. I am certainly not against the officer protecting himself, but things use to be handled without tasers, why cant they now?
Norther on August 19 at 3:02 p.m.
“…but things use to be handled without tasers, why cant they now?”
Because real bullets are more expensive than tasers in more ways than one.
ManleyPointer on August 19 at 4:49 p.m.
His real crime, seeing as he was in Boundary County, was driving a car with California plates. Deputy Stevens was right: he was in the wrong “state.”
idahocity on August 19 at 6:26 p.m.
hundreds of citizens have been killed with tazers over the last few years. they are also used to torture citizens.
oneanddone on August 19 at 6:42 p.m.
I agree with Idahocity. Coppers should just shoot the dirt bags.
deltaelk on August 19 at 7:22 p.m.
I think cops are losing the ability to calm a situation down without resorting to the use of a weapon. They no longer have people skills, its just them against the public. If they are not gonna have these skills, why train them at all, just beat the hell out of everybody. They have cut budgets, probably are cutting training budgets too, just give em a gun and a taser. Most of the Idaho cops I have seen or dealt with have the Rambo complex, plus they cant wait to use their toys. Someday a cop is gonna meet the wrong guy and he is gonna get tasered. Hope it doesnt happen, but it will.
crazyivan44 on August 19 at 7:54 p.m.
Things used to be handled without tasers because cops carried a real honest to goodness baton they could beat the tar out of people with. The rules of engagement changed, society became more politically correct, and now they have all of these extra tools at their disposal for less than lethal that carry a double edged sword.
The idea that a taser can cause a heart attack is inconclusive at best. The fact that anyone has a medical condition should be of absolutely no concern to an officer if he is facing someone combative that is threatening his safety. You deal with the threat in a professional manner as prescribed by the law. From the article it states that the officer recognized a medical problem and took action to make an attempt to save his life. Sounds like he did a good job to me.
deltaelk your bias is coming through loud and clear. How about riding along with Idaho’s finest and see the crap they have to deal with and why they make the split second decisions they do, then you can tell us if anyone acted inappropriately. Once again, nobody on this board was there, so quit armchair quarterbacking the incident and let the professionals determine if there was inappropriate conduct. The media, and this publication in particular, does a horrid job of objectively providing enough facts to make a fair conclusion when there is a police issue…there is always much much more to the store than what is published.
AnalyzeThat on August 28 at 8:05 p.m.
There are just too many people in aggravated “mental states” for the police to have to deal with - it appears the officer did his job to the best of his ability while keeping the public safe.
People should be asking more questions of where was this person’s family support prior to this incident……..