Brett Elder - Funeral and Controversy

Brett "Dewey" Elder (born 3/24/93) died two days before his 16th birthday (3/22/09). The unarmed (5'6", 140 lb) teen died after being Tasered by one of three officers of the Bay City police department. He was buried Thursday 3/26/09. His family has hired a lawyer, Flint attorney David Nickola, with the intention of suing the police department. Michigan State police have opened their own investigation into this case. Read more about this case here: 15-Year-Old Brett Elder Tasered to Death

This is one of those times where it is difficult not to form an opinion before all the facts are presented and although I will continue to report on all sides of this story, I would like to make the following statement:

I have read a number of reports regarding this young man's death and, in all honesty, the only conclusion I can come to, is that unnecessary force was used by the police against Brett Elder, resulting in his death.

The best scenario I can come up with; is that three adult police officers felt so threatened by this 15-year-old, drunk kid that they had no other option but to use extreme measures to subdue him. I do not believe this.

Any other scenario leads to the conclusion that this was a case of police brutality and possible criminal behavior. I hope justice is served!! Brett Elder did not deserve this.

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The Funeral service for Brett Elder was held at 4 p.m. at Ambrose Funeral Home, 1200 Garfield Ave. but before the service was conducted a second autopsy was perform on the teen's body by forensic pathologist Werner Spitz at the request of the law firm representing the Elder family. The law firm claims that the autopsy results "are expected to show (Brett Elder) died from being electrocuted by Taser causing his heart to defibrillate."

The first autopsy was done by Dr. Kanu Virani but he declined to offer an opinion on the cause of death until he learns results of toxicology tests checking levels of alcohol and other drugs in the boy's body. Virani said he also will await results of a microscopic examination of the boy's tissues before determining a cause of death. That could take a few weeks.

Police in Bay City held a four-minute news conference to address the death of 15-year-old Brett Elder. During the conference, Bay City Police Chief Michael J. Cecchini addressed the media by reading a prepared written statement. Cecchini said officers acted properly and denied an allegation that officers used the Taser gun after the teen was in handcuffs.

"A Taser electronic control device was deployed for one five-second cycle to subdue Brett,” Cecchini said.“He was subsequently handcuffed without incident. Upon taking Brett into custody, officers recognized signs of a possible medical problem and immediately rendered aid and summoned medical personal to the scene.”

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One of Brett Elder's friends, 23-year-old Bethany Schuster of Flint, joined with several others to paint "The Rock" on 12th Street and Hammerberg Road in Flint this week to protest Brett's death. She had planned to celebrate her 24th birthday this weekend with her friend Brett. Instead, the Flint woman will spend it mourning his death.

Bethany Schuster and her boyfriend, Brandon Look, are still coming to grips with the boy's death. Schuster said she met Brett in Bay City about five years ago, and it had become a tradition to celebrate their birthdays together. "It's unbelievable," she said, adding that he was a good kid who was easygoing and lovable. "He was not a kid without ambition," said Look, adding that Brett had a hard life growing up. "Now he's robbed of being an adult." They painted The Rock on Tuesday with birthday wishes but also had a sharp message for the police. "Tasered to death by Bay City PD," The Rock read.

For photos of the funeral and The Rock dedicated to Brett Elder click here: Tribute to Brett "Dewey" Elder

15-Year-Old Brett Elder Tasered to Death

Brett "Dewey" Elder, 15, of  Bay City, Michigan was 5' 6" and weighed about 140 pounds. Brett Elder is dead. He was the recipient of one Taser bolt to the chest, fired by one of three police officers in an attempt to subdue the youth.

Brett had been drinking and was fighting with others at 210 S. Catherine St. when the police were called at 3:40 am. They arrived at 3:44 am. Police say they were trying to break up a fight when Elder tried to go after other people in the house, as well as the police. That's when an officer deployed his TASER at 3:53 a.m. Brett was then handcuffed and because of his reaction to being Tasered, an ambulance was called.

Two males were arguing in an apartment, and one of them “attempted to fight the officers,” the statement said. “The male subject was then Tasered and taken into custody,” it said. “Medical personnel were summoned immediately due to the subject’s reactions.”

Eyewitnesses have a different story to tell. They say that Brett was handcuffed before being Tasered. They also say that not only was an ambulance not called quickly enough but they refused to allow CPR to be performed on the youth. They also question why three officers could not control him without the use of the Taser.

“He was flopping around and looked like a fish out of water. That’s the only way to explain it — his whole body was bent over,” Elder’s aunt, Cindy Hernden, said.

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State police said they have started an investigation into the death. City police have placed the officer involved on administrative leave.

“This is a very tragic event,” said police Chief Michael Cecchini. He said his department would conduct an internal investigation into whether the officer followed policy when using the Taser.

Eugene E. Elder Sr. figures police killed his teenage son unjustifiably with a Taser, and he plans to fire back with a lawsuit. "I'm going after the city. I don't care," said Elder, 55, of Bay City. "There's no reason for killing my boy. He didn't do nothing wrong."

"I believe they killed him," said Hernden. "I believe his heart couldn't handle it," Hernden added. "I just figured that Taser was too strong for that small of a kid. He's tiny, and there were three grown police officers. "They could have subdued him without handcuffs, but they handcuffed him and then Tasered him."

Bay City Deputy Police Chief Thomas P. Pletzke denied Hernden's allegation, saying Brett Elder wasn't in handcuffs when an officer deployed the Taser. Pletzke declined comment when asked if Bay City officers should share any blame for Elder's death. Pletzke didn't identify the officer who used the Taser, but said the department has placed him on administrative leave.

Relatives of Brett Elder said police arrested the late youth's half-brother, Eugene, at Bay Regional Medical Center following a scuffle with security personnel at the hospital after rescuers had taken Brett Elder there.

Brett Elder attended Wenona High School, an alternative high school at 201 Woodside Lane operated by the Bay City Public Schools. Elder attended Bay City Central High School earlier this school year.

''He was a pleasant enough young man,'' said Jerry Lombardo, principal at Wenona High School, though Lombardo noted Elder had attended the alternative school for only about three weeks.

Eugene Elder Sr. said his late son loved to ride bicycles with him, and would have turned 16 on Tuesday. He said his son had undergone treatment for alcohol abuse, but had been avoiding alcohol in recent weeks.

Brett's mother, Jodi Elder, had died in September. An aunt, Dorothy A. Hendrix of Bay City, said he was "devastated" by the death of his mother.

"He didn't even weigh 150 pounds," Hendrix said. "They Tasered a little kid."