Oregon Trial Begins in Suit Over Stun Gun Use

A trial is under way in Eugene over a police officer’s use of a stun gun to stop a man fleeing over a fence from a traffic stop.

The excessive force suit filed by 34-year-old David Snauer in federal court says he suffered broken neck and back bones when he landed on his head, had multiple surgeries and had to use a wheelchair for months.

A Springfield police officer pulled him over in 2007 for a burned-out license plate light.

The Eugene Register-Guard reports the trial began Tuesday and is expected to last most of the week.

The officer’s lawyer told the jury that the use of the stun gun was “reasonable and necessary under the circumstances.”