1.11.2010

eugene taser case ain't over

More on the case of Eugene, Oregon police officer who shot a Chinese student with a taser gun, mistakenly believing he was trespassing in an apartment that turned out to be his own. Last week, Eugene police officials announced that they had found the officer had acted "within policy."

But the 19-year-old University of Oregon student, who shares the apartment with another Chinese student, is disputing the officer's account of events that led to the stun gun incident last September... and now intends to sue the city over the matter: Taser case not over yet.

According to officer Judd Warden's police report, he fired the Taser because he thought the student moved toward him to possibly hurt him. But the student -- who has not been identified and does not speak English -- denies making any kind of move toward the officer.

The students have found legal representation, and are seriously contemplating litigation. Being new to the country, they initially intended to keep publicity about the case to a minimum, but the more they've learned about the details of the case, the more they're realizing that they were wronged. And this case ain't over.

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