Taser as torture?

BATON ROUGE, La. — A federal court in Louisiana declined to dismiss a Denham Springs citizen’s claim for punitive damages against a police officer, who allegedly tased the man five times after medical personnel revived him from an overdose. The court says the allegation that the cop used the taser to inflict pain, rather than to immobilize the man, would warrant punitive damages if coupled with a showing of “evil intent” or “reckless or callous indifference.”