By Cleve R. Wootson Jr.
cwootson@charlotteobserver.com

A man who police say was beating and choking a woman at a LYNX light rail station died after a police officer used a Taser during an arrest attempt.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg police haven't released the identity of the man, who was pronounced dead at about 11:40 p.m. Wednesday.

At 10:39 p.m. Wednesday, someone called police reporting that "a black male was beating and choking a black female at the Lynx station" at Woodlawn, a raised platform along the 4700 block of Old Pineville Road, according to a police statement.

Officer Michael Forbes was the first officer on the scene and made contact with the couple. He used the X-26 Taser "in an attempt to gain compliance," according to a police statement. In an interview at the scene, Chief Rodney Monroe told reporters the officer deployed his Taser as the man raised his hand to strike the woman again.

Shortly after that Forbes realized that the suspect was unresponsive and radioed for paramedics.

Later, police Chief Rodney Monroe said officer were analyzing video that apparently showed what happened.

"As you can see , a host of cameras (are) in and around the area, we're going through a very methodical process analyzing the data from those cameras, Monroe said.

Detectives from the homicide and internal affairs unit are conducting separate but parallel investigations.

Forbes has been a CMPD officer since September 2007. The woman who was with the suspect was taken to police headquarters to be interviewed. Other witnesses were also interviewed.

Police encourage anyone with information about this incident to call 704-432-TIPS and speak directly to a Homicide Unit Detective. Tipsters can also call Crime Stoppers at 704-334-1600. For additional information, reference CMPD complaint number 2011-0720-223903.

The in-custody death came just days after a Mecklenburg jury ruled against the Taser's manufacturer following a previous death related to a CMPD arrest.

Taser International must pay $10 million to the family of Darryl Wayne Turner, a Charlotte teenager who died in 2008 after being shocked by a police officer. It was the biggest jury award ever against the company, which has announced that it will appeal.

Turner died in March 2008 after being shocked by Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Officer Jerry Dawson Jr. at a Food Lion grocery store in north Charlotte.

Turner, who worked at the store, died from cardiac arrest. The autopsy showed the teenager's heart was pumping so fast and chaotically from the Taser shot and stress from the confrontation that it stopped pumping blood properly. The autopsy found no pre-existing heart problems.

Dawson was not charged with any crime. Prosecutors said the officer was justified in using the Taser during the confrontation with Turner, who was found with three small bags of marijuana in his socks after the incident. He was also "agitated" and threw something at a manager, police said.

Dawson was suspended for five days without pay and required to undergo additional training. Police said Dawson had violated policy when he shocked Turner with the Taser gun for about 37 seconds. Dawson held the trigger until Turner fell to the floor, according to police.

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