EGR officers cleared in man's death

EAST GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) - It started with a 911 call from a father.

"My son has flipped out," Steven Bolick told a 911 dispatcher.

It led to a battle between the man's son, Matthew Bolick, 30, and East Grand Rapids public safety officers that eventually led to four Taser shots and ended with the son's death.

Documents and police videotapes obtained by 24 Hour News 8 through the Freedom of Information Act provide a detailed look at the struggle and the actions of the officers, Gary Parker and Sgt. Brian Davis.

Friday, Kent County Prosecutor William Forsyth ruled the officers would not face criminal charges in the Nov. 16 death, and that the Tasers -- as an autopsy earlier showed -- did not cause his death.

Bolick died from what is known as excited delirium as reported earlier, and was not significantly affected by being tased four times, Forsyth said. Autopsy reports showed he only had ibuprofen and nicotine in his system.

Forsyth said his ruling did not address whether police could have taken another course of action, or whether this tragic death could have been avoided.

William Mills, the attorney for the Bolick family, says his investigation strongly indicates Tasers played a role.

Forsyth's release provided new details on the bizarre behavior that led to Bolick's death at his family's home at 2110 Heather St. SE.

For two weeks, after returning home from a trip to California, he had not been himself, relatives later told police. Bolick stopped working, didn't shower or shave and started talking to himself. He told relatives he had gotten a girl pregnant and that she was worth $400 million, that he was supposed to throw out the first pitch at the World Series, that the president of the United States was supposed to pick him up, and that Secret Service and CIA agents were on the roof of the house.

That night, he acted "possessed," relatives said, stomping his feet three times and saying he was a demon, and chasing around the family's dog, which he thought was a "Navajo."

Relatives called police that night after Bolick threatened to kill his father and had broken a kitchen window.

When Officer Parker arrived, he asked Bolick who he was running from. He said he was "running from myself."

Police said Bolick sucker-punched Parker in the face then ran.

"You run, I will shoot you, I will shoot you," Parker said before firing a pair of Taser wires, which knocked down Bolick. "I'm tasing right now...Want more?"

He tased him a second time after Bolick stood up again.

Bolick ran from the officer, with the Taser wires still stuck on him, and threw a punch at the officer.

"Hit me one more time. Hit me one more time," the officer said.

At one point, police said, Bolick snapped the Taser wires with his bare hands and fled, leading to a chase that included back-up officers.

The man ran into the family home, followed by police, who warned him and hit him twice more with Tasers -- directly, without the wires. It's called a drive stun. At some point, they handcuffed him.

They offered to help him, but he continued to struggle.

"We tased him four times," an officer said as help arrived.

A short time later, Bolick's breathing became labored, he turned pale and his lips turned blue. He died about an hour after the initial 911 call for help, despite efforts to save him.

Tests of the Tasers by CRT Less Lethal Inc. in Snohomish, Wash., showed they "functioned properly," Forsyth wrote. "In other words, it appears that both Tasers worked properly and that Matthew was 'not significantly affected'" by them, Forsyth said in his report.

However, CRT Less Lethal "offered no opinion in regard to the use of the Tasers in 'drive stun' mode," Forsyth wrote.

Inside woodtv.com:

Prosecutor's decision on Matthew Bolick case