Police: Man dies after being hit by Taser

LOUISVILLE, Ky., July 3 (UPI) -- An unidentified man is dead in Louisville, Ky., after a police officer used a Taser on him in an attempt to control an alleged conflict, police say.

Police spokeswoman Alicia Smiley alleged an unidentified officer used the Taser, which delivers a paralyzing jolt of electricity to its target, as part of an attempt to end a lengthy fight between the man and his brother, the Louisville (Ky.) Courier-Journal said Thursday.

"The struggle was very prolonged," Smiley said of Wednesday night's incident.

Smiley said after being hit by the Taser's electrical surge, the man collapsed and soon died despite resuscitation attempts by an officer and emergency personnel.

Neighbors of the man told the Courier-Journal that responding police should have handled the situation differently.

"This was just a family dispute," 25-year-old Louisville resident Tony Johnson said. "I'm pretty sure it could've been done a better way."

The newspaper said the man's death marked the second Taser death in the city during the last two years with a similar September 2006 incident leading to numerous requests from the public that police cease using the electrical devices.