Man who died after taser and tranquiliser ‘only armed with a broomstick’ nephew claims

A relative of Ronnie Ghiller, who died after being tased and tranquilised, claims the doctor did not ask the family whether the man was on some medication before administering the tranquiliser

Ronnie Ghiller, 48, died after being tasered and tranquilized by the police
Ronnie Ghiller, 48, died after being tasered and tranquilized by the police

A relative of a man who died after being tasered and then administered a tranquiliser has shed more light on the fatal incident that happened last Friday.

In an angry Facebook post, Dylan Ghiller, nephew of victim Ronnie Ghiller, 48, accused the authorities of ignoring over 20 phone-calls his family had made to the Żabbar police station in the space of three days, asking that the man be given assistance as he was in a bad mental state.

The family are awaiting the results of toxicological tests on Ghiller’s body, alleging that a doctor had used a tranquiliser on him without first informing or consulting with his family about any allergies or possible interactions with other medications he was using. “These police came to the scene and chucked everyone out, taking the law into their hands,” he wrote, adding that his uncle had received no help from the police before the incident. 

The victim, who police had described as armed, was only carrying a broomstick, his nephew alleged, also claiming that the presence, one storey below him, of 20 RIU police officers “armed to the teeth” negated the need for tranquilisers.

Ghiller’s sister Sandra Ghiller said her brother was fearful of COVID-19 and the queues of people waiting for nearby shops that stretched to the front door of where he lived.

The police had said in a statement that Ghiller was aggressive to a doctor from the Paola Health Centre. The man was administered a tranquiliser after being tasered, following a long standoff. He passed out and died sometime later in hospital.

Magistrate Yana Micallef Stafrace is conducting an inquiry into the incident.