William Wheeler

Less-than-lethal force

William Wheeler had a psychotic breakdown near his Philadelphia home. Hallucinating, high on cocaine, and armed with a pair of scissors, a steak knife, and a screwdriver, he ran into the street screaming at imaginary assailants. When Officers Gregory Schaffling and Michael Cannon arrived, they tried to calm Wheeler, to no avail. Wheeler charged them with a screwdriver. The officers deployed pepper spray, grounded Wheeler, and then used control holds to handcuff him. Minutes later, he died of "cardiac dysrhythmia" and "drug intoxication and restraint."