Philadelphia man hit with stun gun outside home dies in police custody

PHILADELPHIA — A suspect who had been subdued with a stun gun died while in police custody, becoming the first fatality since Philadelphia police began using the Taser last year, authorities said.

Preliminary tests showed Anthony Spencer, 35, had cocaine in his system when he died Wednesday. Police were awaiting final results from an autopsy and toxicological tests.

According to police, Spencer, who was six feet tall and weighed 280 pounds, was naked and brandishing a seven-inch knife in front of his house when police arrived. After pepper spray failed to subdue him, police used a Taser, which delivers a 50,000-volt electrical current.

"He was conscious at the time. He was talking the whole time, ranting the whole time on the way to the hospital," Capt. Thomas Lippo said. "At some point, he became unconscious and expired."

Spencer's death is under an internal police investigation. The American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania called on police to review their use of the Taser.