A man died this weekend after being struck by a Taser fired by an officer with the Enfield Police Department, the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation has reported. The town of Enfield is located in Halifax County, 70 miles northeast of Raleigh.
The decedent was Michael Tyrone Gallagher, 55, of Midlothian, Virginia.
At approximately 11:04 p.m. on Saturday, EPD Lt. Jerry Powell, 52, responded to the 100 block of Whitfield Street in Enfield regarding a breaking-and-entering in progress at a local business, where he encountered Gallagher.
After a confrontation, Powell and a witness became engaged in a physical altercation with Gallagher. During the confrontation, Powell fired his taser, striking Gallagher.
Powell and the witness put Gallagher in handcuffs. Halifax County EMS was dispatched to the scene. Emergency personnel found Gallagher unresponsive. He was transported to the Halifax County Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead yesterday.
The Enfield police chief has requested the SBI to investigate the death.
The cause and manner of death are undetermined at this time, said the SBI. An autopsy will be conducted.
Powell and the witness were treated for injuries.
Powell has been placed on paid administrative leave pending investigation.
