Treon "Tre" Johnson, a central figure in an upcoming Rakontur documentary on backyard brawling, died on Thursday after a confrontation with Hialeah Police. Officers responded to a report and found Johnson standing on a rooftop throwing coconuts at a dog who had bitten him. To subdue Johnson they used a taser gun and pepper spray. He died shortly after.
It's the third case of a man dying after being Tasered by police in Miami-Dade in less than a month.
See also: Another Young Man Dies After Being Tasered By Miami-Dade Police
A witness called police on Thursday to report that they saw Johnson jump into his backyard and beat his dog with a metal pipe. Johnson then jumped into another yard and had yet another confrontation with a dog. Police arrived to find him on the rooftop, and a short foot chase ensued. That's when an officer broke out the stun gun to assist in detaining him.
Officers noticed that Johnson's health began to decline. He was taken to a series of three hospitals, and died at the last one, Jackson Memorial, at about 6 p.m.
Johnson's mother told the Miami Herald yesterday that she had been told Johnson had been Tasered before his death. Hialeah police confirmed that today. However the full police report has not yet been released. An official cause of death may take weeks to determine.
This is the third time a young man has died after being Tasered by police in the last month.
Willie Sams, 21, died after a police confrontation in Liberty City back on February 5th. Last Thursday Maykel Antonio Barrera was also pronounced dead after being Tasered. No cause of death has been released in either case.
The recent string follows last year's death of Israel "Reefa" Hernandez, a 19-year-old artist who was chased and Tasered by police after tagging an abounded McDonald's.
Johnson plays a central part in Dawg Fight, a documentary on backyard brawling from the creators of Cocaine Cowboys that is set to be released this summer.
