WDBJ7 Roanoke News and Weather NRV Lynchburg Danville | UPDATED: Friends identify teen who died after confrontation with police

UPDATED: Friends identify teen who died after confrontation with police

UPDATED 9:56 p.m.

Why did police tase a 17-year-old?

That's the question friends of Derrick Jones are asking after he died shortly after being tased by a Martinsville Police officer.

"He was a good kid, he wasn't in trouble with police or anything. He was a good person. He was just fun to be around," says Heather Thompson.

Heather Thompson says it was Derrick Jones who died inside an apartment on Rives Road after being tased by police Thursday night.

Police responded around 9:30 p.m. when they got a 911 call of someone going the bathroom in the middle of the road.

When the officer arrived, he saw a 15-year-old running into apartment two. The officer got out of his car and saw blood and signs of forced entry. He then heard noises coming from the kitchen. According to police when the officer entered, the 17-year-old tried to attack the officer.

Martinsville Police Chief Mike Rogers says, "The officer deployed his taser at which time the subject went to the ground. He was handcuffed."

According to police, the officer then arrested the 15-year-old and when he turned around Derrick was unresponsive.

"I didn't come out here I was jut looking out my door. He had oxygen on him and they were rushing him into the abulance," says neighbor Sheila Coates.

Justin Gregory was the 15-year-old inside the apartment.

He told me by phone Derrick had been drinking and was yelling but says he did not attack the officer.

Martinsville's police chief defends the use of taser guns.

"When our officers went through the training all of us. Part of that training was being hit by the taser. I went through it, I knew what was it like and it's hard for me to believe this taser caused this man's death," says Rogers.

Chief Rogers believes the officer followed proper procedure but friends of Derrick Jones question why a taser was used.

"He was 17-years-old and he was 130 pounds. I think the police should have called backup, besides tasering him for no reason," says Heather Thompson.

The officer, R. L. Wray, has been put on paid administrative leave pending a State Police investigation.

FROM EARLIER

A 17-year-old man died after a Martinsville police officer used a taser on him.  The incident happened late Thursday at a home on Rives Road.

Martinsville Police said an officer was responding to a report of a person urinating in the street.  When the officer arrived, he saw a person run inside a house.  The officer followed and saw signs of forced entry and blood on a wall.  As the officer went inside the house, a person ran upstairs.  Another person, the 17-year-old, was in the kitchen.  He became combative, according to the officer, who used his taser and then handcuffed the teen.  The officer then went upstairs and handcuffed the other person in the house, a 15-year-old.  The officer turned around and saw the 17-year-old was unresponsive.  The officer started CPR and called for an ambulance.  The teen died at the hospital.  His name was not released at a Friday news conference.

The officer is on paid administrative leave.  State Police are now investigating the incident.  Witnesses told police there was a person lying in the street before police arrived and investigators are trying to determine if the teen was sick.

Martinsville police officers have been armed with tasers since 2006.  The city's police chief defended their use in Friday's news conference.

Here is the full news release:

State Police Assist in Local Investigation

MARTINSVILLE, Va. - The Martinsville Police Department is working with the Virginia State Police on the investigation of an incident which occurred in the City of Martinsville on Thursday evening.

Martinsville Police Department Officers were dispatched at 9:25 p.m. to 307 Rives Road, a duplex apartment, in reference to a possible fight and/or disturbance.  Upon arrival, Officer R. L. Wray observed, from his police cruiser, a young male run inside apartment number two.  Officer Wray exited the vehicle and approached the front door of the residence where he observed signs of forced entry.  Officer Wray then contacted dispatch requesting assistance.

Officer Wray then came in contact with an individual near the front door of the residence.  Wray heard a series of loud repetitive noises coming from the kitchen area of the apartment.  Officer Wray asked the individual in the kitchen to come out so that he could speak with him.  The individual, also a young male, exited the kitchen and moved rapidly toward Officer Wray in an offensive stance.  Officer Wray then deployed his Taser and subdued the individual.  While he was in the process of handcuffing the individual from the kitchen, Officer Wray was confronted by the other male subject, who was now on the front porch.  Wray gave the individual a verbal warning.  The subject ceased his action and complied with the warning.  Officer Wray finished handcuffing the individual from the kitchen, then proceeded to the front porch and advised the other male subject that he was under arrest.

MPD Officer E. W. Dillard arrived to assist Officer Wray.  When Wray went back to the other individual from the kitchen and started speaking to him the subject was unresponsive.  Officer Wray immediately called for medical assistance.  The subject did not appear to have a pulse, so Officer Wray began CPR.

Medical personnel from Martinsville Fire & EMS arrived and treated the individual at the scene then transported him to Memorial Hospital of Martinsville and Henry County.  The individual, later determined to be a 17 year old male juvenile, was pronounced dead at Memorial Hospital later that evening.  The other arrestee, later determined to be a 15 year old male juvenile, was taken into custody without further incident.  There were no other injuries.

"My thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of this young man and with Officer R. L. Wray and his family.  This is one of the hardest things to deal with that any one can imagine as a citizen, a parent, or a law enforcement officer.  We contacted the Virginia State Police as soon as we found out what had happened.  They will take over the investigation from here forward.  We will work with them in any way possible to bring this investigation to a fair and successful conclusion.  May God bless all those involved and their families," said Martinsville Police Chief Mike Rogers.

The Virginia State Police will handle the investigation and media relations pertaining to the case from this point forward.  Any questions should be directed to Sgt. Bob Carpentieri at 540-375-9598.