2011-01-05 Kelly Sinclair

Kelly Wayne Sinclair, 41, died about 10 p.m. Wednesday, January 5 after Amarillo police discharged a Taser while trying to subdue him.

January 5, 2011 Death of Kelly Sinclair

The incident began outside Sinclair’s parents’ east Amarillo home. The 41-year-old man was sitting inside a pickup with a butcher knife pressed against his neck and repeatedly threatening to kill himself.

The suicide threats led Sinclair's father to call police to the family home in the 600 block of South Vernon Street, police said.

Officer Jon Heath eventually deployed his Taser while Officer Royce Bushey attempted to remove the knife. Police said Sinclair continued trying to cut his throat even after the Taser temporarily immobilized him.

"Preliminary autopsy results on Kelly Sinclair are listed as undetermined pending toxicology and microscopic studies," said Lt. Gary Trupe of the Potter-Randall Special Crimes Unit. Narcotics were found in Sinclair's system, but those results must be confirmed, he said.

After they turned the device off, officers realized Sinclair was not breathing, called for an ambulance and began CPR, Trupe said.^[1]

February 24, 2011 Cleared Of Wrongdoing

A Potter County grand jury declined to bring charges against two Amarillo police officers involved in the death of Kelly Sinclair, who became unresponsive after being stunned with a Taser during a two-hour standoff.^[2]

The January 5 incident began outside Sinclair’s parents’ east Amarillo home. The 41-year-old man was sitting inside a pickup with a butcher knife pressed against his neck and repeatedly threatening to kill himself.

Officer Jon Heath eventually deployed his Taser while Officer Royce Bushey attempted to remove the knife. Police said Sinclair continued trying to cut his throat even after the Taser temporarily immobilized him.

Heath maintained the electrical charge for 42 seconds, considerably longer than the standard five-second cycle. Potter-Randall Special Crimes Lt. Gary Trupe said the extended deployment was necessary because Bushey needed additional time to reach Sinclair and secure the knife. Bushey also received part of the electrical charge during the struggle.

Sinclair continued resisting and speaking after officers disarmed and handcuffed him. When he began struggling to breathe, the officers performed CPR until paramedics arrived. Sinclair later died.

The final autopsy identified a methamphetamine overdose as the cause of death. Investigators said the Taser exposure, cardiovascular disease, an enlarged heart and depressants in Sinclair’s system also contributed to his death.

Sinclair’s father, Charles Sinclair, said his son had bipolar disorder, had stopped taking his medication and was experiencing severe paranoia. He believed police were surrounding him and feared being sent back to prison.

Although Charles questioned how long the Taser was used, he said he understood the officers’ decision and supported the grand jury’s findings.

“There isn’t any way those men could have done a better job than they did at the time,” he said.

Heath and Bushey had been assigned to administrative duties while the shooting investigation was reviewed. Both returned to regular duty after the grand jury determined their actions were justified.