Police officer Tasers unarmed black man sitting on kerb
The moment a police officer used a Taser on an unarmed man sitting on a roadside kerb has been caught on camera.
The video was captured by a bystander on Thursday in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, sparking a public outcry in the US over excessive use of force by police against black men.
Police stopped the man, Sean D Williams, 27, on Thursday while responding to a 911 call about a man with a baseball bat who had pursued another person, according to a report from the police bureau.
The video shows Williams sitting on a kerb, being repeatedly asked to straighten his legs by Lancaster City Police Bureau Officer Philip Bernot.
Williams begins to follow the white officer’s directions then folds his legs up under himself again, at which point Bernot fires his stun gun and Williams writhes around in pain.
Lancaster police said the stun gun, widely referred to as a Taser due to its brand name, was used because Williams failed to follow instructions.
Lancaster Mayor Danene Sorace said in a statement she was “upset” by the images and an investigation was underway into the use of force in the incident.
