John Wrana Jr.

How they died

Less-than-lethal force

Police responding to an assisted living facility encountered a reportedly belligerent John Wrana Jr., 95, who was refusing treatment. Wrana, who was frail and dependent on a cane or walker, was armed with his cane, a 2-foot-long metal shoe horn, and a butcher knife. Five officers responded. Wrana refused to drop the knife. After one taser failed to hit Wrana, officer Craig Taylor fired 5 beanbag rounds from a distance of 6-8 feet. After the fifth shot, Wrana dropped the knife but remained standing. The commander on scene knocked him to the floor with a riot shield and cuffed him. Wrana died hours later in a local hospital. Officer Taylor was cleared of criminal wrongdoing. Wrana's family received a $1.1 million settlement for wrongful death.

Why we remember them

This record exists so that John Wrana Jr., and all who are named in this archive, are never reduced to a number.

References & sources