Genesis Nyshellton Hicks Dies After Tasing by Frisco, Texas P.D.
The Frisco Police Department, in Texas, filed a report regarding the death of Genesis Nyshellton Hicks. Mr. Hicks was only 26 years old at the time of his death. We provide information we obtained from that report.
The report indicates at the time of the incident was 3:32 p.m. on September 14, 2022, and that Mr. Hicks passed away at 7:32 p.m. on September 29, 2022. The summary portion of the report reads in its entirety:
“On September 14, 2022, at approximately 3:15pm, Frisco PD Officers were dispatched to a car dealership at 9640 State Highway 121 in Frisco, Collin County, Texas regarding a suspect attempting to use fraudulent identifying information to purchase a vehicle. Officers attempted to detain the suspect (Genesis Hicks B/M/XX-XX-96) and he immediately ran from them. Officers pursued the suspect into a parking lot and gave verbal commands to stop and warned him he would be tased if he failed to comply. The suspect kept running and an officer deployed his taser, but it did not make full contact and was ineffective. A second officer deployed his taser, which led to the suspect falling and hitting his head on the ground. Officers placed the suspect into handcuffs, sat him upright, and immediately called for an ambulance. The suspect was transported by Frisco Fire Department to a nearby hospital to undergo treatment for his injury. On September 29, 2022, after continuous care at Baylor McKinney, the suspect died.”
Our Texas civil rights law firm, through handling a number of cases across the state, is aware that a well-known standard applicable to law enforcement officers is that they should not generally tase a person who is standing, walking, or running on concrete. Head injuries are a well-known potential issue of doing so. In fact, we are currently litigating a traumatic brain injury case that arose when a law enforcement officer tased a man who had surrendered and had his hands raised. Regardless, it is tragic that this young man passed away, suffering the ultimate penalty, merely for allegedly issuing a false statement and running from police.
The 4th Amendment to the United States Constitution guarantees that people living in the United States shall not be subjected to unreasonable force. If law enforcement officers use unreasonable force, and a person dies as a result, then certain surviving family members may be able to file a federal civil rights lawsuit. Our firm frequently litigates such lawsuits across Texas.
Dean Malone
Dean Malone