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Derek Hale (died November 6, 2006) was a retired Marine Sergeant who served two tours in Iraq. He was killed while peacefully sitting at his home in Wilmington, Delaware when three unmarked police cars pulled up and attempted to place him under arrest. They suspected that he was part of a narcotics ring due to his association with the Pagans Motorcycle Club, and proceeded to taser him when he failed to remove his hands from the front pocket of his hoodie, although witnesses say that he made no threats. At first he was unable to respond to their demands because of the convulsions so they tasered him again, causing him to vomit. When he was still unable to respond, they tasered him a third time before William Brown put his gun into Hale's chest and shot him point blank three times. His death sparked outrage against the War on Drugs. His widow, Elaine Hale, filed a wrongful death suit against more than 30 defendants, including state and city police departments.
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