Judge Allows Cincinnati Stun-Gun Death Case to Go Forward

Civil rights lawsuit in death of mentally ill man in confrontation with police

A federal judge today refused to throw out a civil rights lawsuit in the case of an unarmed, mentally ill Ohio man who died during a confrontation with police after being shocked with a stun gun seven times, kicked and repeatedly struck with a baton—all mostly after he had fallen face-first onto cement and stopped moving.

Doug Boucher, 39, died after the Dec. 13, 2009, confrontation with two officers outside a convenience store in the Cincinnati suburb of Mason. Boucher had been stopped for allegedly making lewd comments to the store's 19-year-old female clerk.

Attorneys for the city of Mason had argued that the officers' actions were reasonable and justified, and that the lawsuit, filed by Boucher's parents, should be dropped.

(Hat tip to Reason commenter and monitor of every report of police abuse Sloopyinca)