37-year-old man in critical condition after being tased by Wauwatosa police

A 37-year-old man is in critical condition after Wauwatosa police tased him and the man had a "medical emergency."

The Wauwatosa Police Department said in a statement that the incident took place Wednesday at about 8:38 p.m. at Pinelawn Memorial Park, which borders Wauwatosa and Milwaukee at 10700 W. Capitol Drive.

According to the statement, the Wauwatosa Fire Department observed a physical fight between two people at a remembrance event at the park, which is also a cemetery. The fire department called police so they could render aid to people who needed medical attention.

When police arrived, officers attempted to separate the people involved in the fight but one of the people fighting became "argumentative" and "refused to comply with police orders," police said.

An officer attempted to lead the man away from the scene but the man resisted and tried to punch the officer with a closed fist, according to police. A second officer then used a taser on the man, which police said allowed the officer to gain control of the man on the ground.

Police said after they took the man into custody it became apparent that the man was in "medical distress." Paramedics were still at the cemetery and recognized the man was not breathing and had no pulse. The paramedics began life-saving measures, which resulted in the man being transported to a hospital, where he remains in critical condition as of Thursday evening.

The Waukesha Police Department is the lead investigative agency. Three officers have been placed on administrative leave, including a 22-year-old man with one year of experience, a 35-year-old man with over nine years of experience, and 30-year-old man with six years of experience.

“I am proud of the professionalism displayed by these officers in a truly chaotic situation,” Police Chief James MacGillis said. “My thoughts are with the individual, their family, our police officers, and our community impacted by this tragic outcome.”

Check back for updates.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Man in critical condition after being tased by Wauwatosa police