Chron.com | (PZ) TASER Device Prevents Post-Katrina Suicide Attempt

Chron.com | (PZ) TASER Device Prevents Post-Katrina Suicide Attempt: "According to news reports from The Times-Picayune, a New Orleans man was arrested Tuesday night after attempting to commit suicide and begging officers to shoot him to death. According to James Arey, commander of the police negotiations team, John McCusker, a Times-Picayune photographer, set out to kill himself after becoming depressed about not being able to financially rebuild his Katrina-devastated home. McCusker was spotted driving erratically near Napoleon Avenue and Baronne Street just before 7:30 p.m. and struck several parked vehicles before finally complying with officers' requests to pull over. An officer then approached McCusker's car with a gun and asked him to step out of the vehicle while a second officer posted behind the car. McCusker refused and instead rolled down the window and asked repeatedly to be killed before putting the car in reverse, pinning the second officer between McCusker's vehicle and the patrol car. Two shots were fired but missed the tires of McCusker's car as he sped off."