Man Sues Taser Company and Clackamas County, Saying 50,000 Volt Jolt Caused Heart Damage

PORTLAND, Ore.--An Oregon man has filed a $3 million federal lawsuit claiming he suffered serious injuries when a Clackamas County sheriff's deputy shot him with a 50,000-volt stun gun.  TheSkanner News Video: Taser Controversy

The Oregonian reports the lawsuit filed by Paul Evan Streeters in U.S. District Court in Portland alleges the stun gun stopped his heart and his brain was deprived of oxygen, causing behavioral, cognitive and emotional problems.

The complaint says the 26-year-old Streeters suffers from mental illness and that his father called 911 when Streeters caused a disturbance at a shopping mall in December 2008.

Named as defendants are Clackamas County and Taser International.

A county attorney declined comment.

A Taser International spokesman declined to discuss the lawsuit but said the company stands by medical studies showing Tasers are generally safe and effective.