A bizarre event took place at a Golds Gym establishment in the USA when a weightlifter named Chad Brothers, 32, suddenly went into an uncontrolled frenzy.
It began at about 5.45am in the morning. It appears he had been acting strange for about half an hour, making unusual and odd sounds while he was working out. He then went up to a man on a treadmill, pressed the speed button to increase his speed and then punched him in the face.
Police were called but before they arrived he walked out of the building twice and also entered an office where he destroyed computers and pushed over filing cabinets.
When the police arrived he continued his onslaught by throwing boxes and 20kg dumbbells at the police along with turning over 300kg pieces of fitness equipment and smashing up a display case.
A women officer Tasered Brothers and he fell to the floor but as the police tried to restrain him the bodybuilder who stood over six feet tall and weighed 17 stones just stood up with an officer still clinging to him.
He was Tasered at least four more times and hit with police batons, he even got hold of a Taser and used it on himself. Eventually he was bought down and double handcuffed but it was at this time that Brothers suffered a heart attack. A defibrillator was used but because his heart was still beating it failed to shock his heart.
An off-duty fire officer performed CPR but Brothers was pronounced dead at Albany Medical Center at 7.14am.
The police said it was one hell of a battle and two officers and one gym user were injured but none required hospital treatment. Asked if steroids were to blame the police said they could not comment until the autopsy report had been filed.
Tasers can emit up to 50,000 volts of electricity in each shot according to The New York Civil Liberties Union and can be dangerous to people with weak hearts, although Taser International says that it is nearer 1300 volts. However, according to the Union, more than a dozen people have been killed by them in recent years, and that they are not deployed correctly as only 15% of the people they have been used on were armed.
In this case the Police felt they had acted properly but a review of the force used would be forthcoming.
Gold’s Gym in Latham, Albany, where Chad Brothers was training before he ran amok, issued this statement:
‘We would like to extend our heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of this individual. We are co-operating fully with local authorities to expedite and resolve their investigations.’