Bobby Louis “BJ” Merrill III

Less-than-lethal force

According to police, Bobby Louis "BJ" Merrill Jr. was acting strangely, walking in the street and jumping onto cars at around 4 p.m. Merrill allegedly became combative and officers tasered him, but said the Taser didn't have an effect. While handcuffed in the back of the cruiser, police said Merrill began to show "symptoms of going into (cardiac) arrest". Merrill died at a hospital. An autopsy report said Merrill had alcohol and high levels of cocaine in his system and that he died of cardiac arrest.