A woman has sued a Whitfield County deputy in the alleged wrongful death of her husband during a mental health episode after consuming a legal mushroom chocolate bar, according to a federal lawsuit.
According to the lawsuit, Alicio Mayorga-Rangel had a severe psychological reaction to the chocolate bar on the evening of Sept. 20, 2024. His wife, Candelaria Mayorga, called 911 for the mental health issues Mayorga-Rangel was experiencing. The complaint states that the emergency dispatcher noted it was a mental health emergency.
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When Whitfield County Sheriff’s deputy Joseph Taylor arrived at the scene, Mayorga-Rangel exited the house, naked. Taylor then tased Mayorga-Rangel, who fell to the ground, the lawsuit said. Mayorga-Rangel stood back up and moved toward Taylor again, and Taylor shot him four times in the abdomen. The suit also said that Taylor did not identify himself as law enforcement during the incident.
The complaint said that Taylor and another deputy who responded to the scene after Mayorga-Rangel was shot, along with EMS, did not provide adequate care for Mayorga-Rangel, who had collapsed in a ditch outside of his residence. Mayorga-Rangel was handcuffed with his arms behind his back after being shot.
Mayorga-Rangel died from the gunshot wounds shortly after arriving at the hospital the same night, the complaint said.
Mayorga’s lawsuit said that Taylor violated Mayorga-Rangel’s constitutional rights by acting with negligence and recklessness that resulted in Mayorga-Rangel’s death.
“The client is obviously devastated because she watched her husband get killed in front of her when she had called just to get him some help,” Jeffrey Dean, Mayorga’s attorney, said by phone, “She called hoping to get an ambulance and get him to the hospital.”
A press release from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation about the incident said that when Taylor arrived at the scene, Mayorga-Rangel charged toward Taylor and did not stop after verbal commands and the use of a taser.
“Mayorga-Rangel appeared to be very agitated and was growling. Mayorga-Rangel had his hands raised in a fighting stance and charged at the deputy,” the press release from Sept. 23, 2024, said. “The deputy gave verbal commands to stop and fired his gun several times at Mayorga-Rangel. He fell to the ground and continued to fight officers and EMTs as they rendered aid.”
Following the Georgia Bureau of Investigation’s inquiry into the case, the local district attorney, Ben Kenemer, advised that Taylor’s use of deadly force was justified and that he should not be held criminally responsible for Mayorga-Rangel’s death.
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In a response to Mayorga’s lawsuit, Taylor’s attorneys said that the deputy is not liable for damages because he acted within the scope of his duties and that the force used was reasonable to the threat Mayorga-Rangel posed.
According to court documents, Taylor admits that he did not announce himself as law enforcement because he did not have sufficient time to do so prior to Mayorga-Rangel confronting him. He also said that he did try to defuse the situation and denies that it was obvious Mayorga-Rangel was having a mental health crisis. Taylor also admits to handcuffing Mayorga-Rangel after he was shot.
Taylor was still employed at the Whitfield County Sheriff’s office as of January 2025, the most recent record in his personnel files when he reaffirmed his oath of office for deputy sheriff.
A secretary for the offices of Womack, Rodham & Ray, who represent Taylor, said the legal team will not comment on the case. Taylor was not able to be reached for comment before publication. The Chattanooga Times Free Press will publish additional, relevant information when a response is received.
As an employee at Americhem Dalton, Mayorga-Rangel worked as a lab technician after graduating from Southeast High School in Dalton in 2011, the Times Free Press previously reported. He was born in Rioverde, San Luis Potosi in Mexico, according to his obituary.
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Contact Northwest Georgia reporter Ignacio Perez at iperez@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6710.
Ignacio Perez covers North Georgia at the Chattanooga Times Free Press. He earned a degree in journalism from the University of Texas at Austin. Before coming to Chattanooga, he was a Peace Corps volunteer in Morocco.