Dominic Graffeo

Less-than-lethal force

Dominic Graffeo was a mentally ill man with a long history of altercations with police. The manager of his rooming house called to report Graffeo was having an episode and had barricaded himself in his apartment. After police breached his door, Graffeo began throwing objects at them. Police tasered him more than three times. Graffeo went into respiratory failure and died at the hospital. Official cause of death: "sudden death in a person with acute cocaine, ethanol, and oxycodone intoxication following an altercation with police involving the use of electronic control devices and physical restraints."