Attorneys for the family of a man who died after being twice tased by Mobile police during a burglary call Sunday are disputing the Mobile Police Department’s version of events, saying the man “wasn’t even near the scene” and fell to the ground after the first tasing, complaining of chest pains.

Police said in a release officers were responding to a call of a residential burglary at a local mobile home park Sunday when they encountered two males at the scene. While attempting to identify one of the two subjects, later identified as 36-year-old Jawan Lee Dallas of Theodore, Dallas attempted to flee.

A struggle between Dallas and an officer ensued, according to police, and the officer used his taser to try and subdue Dallas, but “it did not have any effect,” according to the release, and Dallas then attempted to grab the taser from the officer.

After a brief struggle, the officer was able to fire the taser a second time. This time, Dallas went down and medical personnel were called to the scene, with Dallas experiencing what police described as a “medical emergency.” He later died at a local hospital.

According to attorney Harry Daniels, however, an unnamed eyewitness says Dallas was 100 yards from the scene of the reported burglary, was “startled” by police and was tased the moment he exited his vehicle.

Daniels also claims the witness said Dallas fell to the ground after the first tasing, grabbed his chest and complained of chest pains, but “officers tazed him again until he stopped moving,” according to a statement released by the law firm.

“Jawan Dallas wasn’t even near the scene but these officers decided that he was a suspect and tazed him until he died,” Daniels said. “This isn’t speculation. This is an eye-witness statement and if the Mobile Police Department wants to dispute they need to release the body cam video.

“Jawan Dallas wasn’t a threat and shouldn’t have even been a suspect. But they killed him anyway.”

Dallas was a convicted felon who spent over two years in an Alabama state prison for distribution of methamphetamine, according to the Alabama Department of Corrections. He was released to probation in March 2020.

Mobile Metro Jail records show that, along with numerous arrests for distribution of a controlled substance, possession of marijuana and probation revocation, Dallas was twice charged with escape, three times charged with attempting to elude police, twice charged with obstruction of justice/providing false identification to police; and providing a false name to police.

Mobile police said Monday they were awaiting several reports to assist in determining Dallas’ cause of death. They declined to comment on Daniels’ allegations Wednesday, citing the open investigation.