VOLUSIA EXPOSED

VOLUSIA EXPOSED.COM

Willie Towns' death
What does his death appear to indicate
regarding the Volusia Medical Examiner's office,
local law enforcement agencies and FDLE?

Updated
August 1, 2011

"Am I my brother's keeper?"- Cain - Genesis 4:9

Willie Towns

In March 2005, Willie Towns was spotted by police walking through DeLand, Florida. He fit the general description of a burglary suspect. As the police approached Mr. Towns, he ran (apparently due to mental health concerns). The police applied their tasers on Mr. Towns. Shortly afterwards, Mr. Towns was dead.

According to the police as documented by the below media accounts - Mr. Towns had cocaine in his system.

WFTV - Orlando article about Mr. Towns' death - click here

Orlando Sentinel article about Mr. Towns' death - click here

As is documented in Howard E. Williams' book titled "Taser Electronic Control Devices and Sudden In-Custody Death - Separating Evidence From Conjecture", the Volusia County Medical Examiner's Office ruled that Mr. Towns died due to "acute cocaine intoxication" and that the taser was eliminated as the cause or as a significant causing factor in Mr. Towns death. The medical examiner's report further suggested that the body blows delivered by the police, or the application of pepper spray did not contribute to Mr. Towns death.

Page 113 of Mr. Williams' book - as is previewed by Google Books - click here

If the Volusia Medical Examiner's office report is to be believed - the DeLand Police Department was extremely unlucky the day they arrested Mr. Towns. First, they identified and chased down the wrong person / suspect. Second, they tasered, pepper sprayed and gave several body blows to a man that was currently dying of "acute cocaine intoxication" - basically Mr. Towns was a walking dead man as he began his interaction with the police. We invite you to review all of the above articles regarding the Towns incident - the police chased Mr. Towns on roofs of buildings, through windows and etc., - not too bad for a man alledgely suffering and dying of acute cocaine intoxication, is it?

VolusiaExposed.Com has previously expressed concerns that, since Volusia County Government is a "home rule" county, that the Medical Examiner's office is not independent from Volusia County Government. In many counties in Florida - the medical examiner's office is a State of Florida agency, in Volusia County, the medical examiner's office is under the Volusia County Department of Public Protection (VCDPP). We have concerns that since the Volusia Medical Examiner's office is locally supervised, that too many conflicts of interests are attached for the medical examiner's office to fairly and independently review these type of in-custody deaths.

VolusiaExposed.Com has expressed these concerns surrounding the Volusia Medical Examiner's Office regarding several Volusia County Jail in-custody deaths. The Volusia County Jail is also a subsection of the VCDPP - and therefore the clear unbiased and independent reviews of these deaths by the Volusia County Medical Examiner's Office is subject to being questioned.

VolusiaExposed.Com has also expressed some concerns that VCDPP staff (Jail) and the Volusia County Sheriff Department might have manipulated and / or outright falisifed their reports regarding some in-custody jail deaths. Our concerns center around the apparent falsifications and cover-ups done to keep the county out of lawsuits and the presumption of wrong doing. We are left wondering, IF there is a culture within the VCDPP and VCSO of manipulating / falsifying reports - would members of the Volusia County Medical Examiner's office also be influenced by this culture?

Please review the documents surrounding several in-custody jail deaths. In the particular, pay close attention to the documents attached to the Tracy Veira and Heidi Wooley deaths (two young mothers)

We also invite you to review the August 2010 death of Adam Disalvo after being tasered by the Volusia County Sheriff Department.