Man sues city over Taser incident

ARLINGTON, Texas, March 25 (UPI) -- An Irving man who was shot twice with a police Taser is suing the officer and the Texas city of Arlington, officials said.

The suit filed by Jonathan Pierce said officer D. Vo shot him twice with a Taser even though witnesses told the officer he was pursuing the wrong man, the Fort Worth (Texas) Star-Telegram reported.

The incident occurred Sunday as police pursued a stolen vehicle that crashed into a minivan parked outside a pool hall in Arlington. An occupant of the stolen vehicle, a 200-pound white man wearing shorts and an Orlando Magic basketball jersey fled the scene.

Witnesses told the officer several times he was trying to apprehend the wrong man, the suit alleges. Pierce, who is black, weighs about 130 pounds and was wearing jeans and a Boston Celtics jersey.

Pierce said he wasn't resisting arrest when he was shot. He said he fell to the ground and the officer then allegedly shot him with the stun gun a second time.

Police later arrested Ronnie Lee Malone, 26. He was in the Tarrant County Jail Thursday, facing a charge of evading arrest.

Pierce's suit was filed Thursday in federal court in Fort Worth. It names as defendants Police Chief Theron Bowman, Deputy Police Chief James Hawthorne, the city of Arlington and officer Vo.

It seeks unspecified damages, contending Pierce's constitutional rights were violated.

City officials declined to comment on the suit and the police department said it was still investigating the incident.