A man who became combative with officers at a Casper home last week stopped breathing during the incident, Police Chief Tom Pagel said Monday.

The man, identified by police as 38-year-old Troy Tackett, was taken to Wyoming Medical Center Friday afternoon following the incident. He remained in critical condition Monday afternoon, a hospital spokeswoman said.

During the Friday afternoon incident, Tackett bit and struck the officers, who ultimately used a Taser in an effort to subdue him, Pagel said.

The Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation is investigating the incident.

"They have uncovered nothing at this point in time that causes any concern to them on the officers' actions," Pagel said.

The officers, whom Pagel did not identify, responded to a home near the intersection of West 21st and South Poplar streets at 1:40 p.m. for a report that a man helping an evicted tenant was being confrontational with the landlord.

"When we got there, we found the individual very aggressive, very confrontational," Pagel said.

Officers tried to de-escalate the situation by speaking with Tackett, and when that failed, they tried to remove him, the chief said.

"He became very combative, striking and biting the officers," Pagel said.

Officers used a Taser three times in an attempt to control Tackett. The device, which looks somewhat like a gun, sends out two probes attached to metal wires that release electricity into the target. Tasers are designed to incapacitate a person without the use of lethal force.

The first attempt with the Taser did not subdue Tackett, Pagel said. Tackett temporarily complied with the officers' orders after a second attempt, but he became combative again. The officers used the Taser a third time and were able to handcuff Tackett.

At that point, they discovered he wasn't breathing and began performing CPR on him, Pagel said.

A witness, who declined to be named, recounted a similar version of events to a Star-Tribune reporter Friday afternoon.

Casper police asked DCI, a state law enforcement agency, to perform a third-party investigation of the incident. State agents, along with Casper police and Natrona County sheriff's investigators, spent Friday afternoon and evening collecting and photographing evidence near the home.

Messages left Friday and Monday with the Casper DCI office were not returned.

The situation is being handled similarly to a shooting involving officers, according to Pagel. His department is conducting an internal investigation to make sure its policies and procedures were followed.

"At this time, we are awaiting medical tests and blood tests and whatnot to see if there is anything that will give some sort of an explanation as to why the individual was so aggressive and [had] the unusual response to the Taser," Pagel said.

In the meantime, the two officers involved were temporarily suspended with pay. Pagel will determine when they will return to work.

Officers have had several past encounters with Tackett, who will face charges pending his release, Pagel said.

The police department began arming officers with Tasers in 2005. All officers who carry Tasers must go through a training course that includes being shocked with the devises.

Although the use of Tasers has caused some controversy in other cities, police in Casper insist the devices are safe and have actually saved lives by giving officers a less-than-lethal alternative to firearms.

Reach crime reporter Joshua Wolfson at (307) 266-0582 or at josh.wolfson@trib.com.