Deputy Jeff Key
Deputies tasered teenager strapped to chair for nearly a minute
Norris was on suicide watch and his arms, chest, waist and legs were restrained so that a nurse could attend to him
An 18-year-old in the middle of a mental health episode was restrained in a chair by three Cheatham County deputies and tasered repeatedly inches from his heart, as shown in surveillance video taken at a Tennessee jail. Jordan Norris is now suing the deputies for excessive force “without legitimate law enforcement purpose,” seeking punitive damages.
“The repeated and prolonged use of a Taser against a fully restrained person amounts to torture; the videos speak for themselves,” Benjamin Raybin, a lawyer for Norris
“Are you ready?” Bryant asked Norris, who seemingly braced for the inevitable surge of voltage. He appeared to ask for water.
“Would you like to comply?” Bryant asked. Norris’s response was inaudible.
“No you won’t,” Bryant said as his stun gun surged into Norris, who grimaced and groaned.
“Stop resisting!” one of the deputies yelled at Norris, who was strapped into restraints.
“You don’t like it, do you?” a deputy asked.
In video of the incident, Bryant can be seen tasering Norris four times for a cumulative 50 seconds. Generally, a taser “ride” should not exceed five seconds. Deaths have been reported for rides lasting 10 seconds. At one point in the video, Bryant tells Norris “I’ll keep on doing that until I run out of batteries.”
Norris’ stepfather William Chapman told a local CBS affiliate that he counted forty burn marks on his son’s body.
The deputies involved have been placed on paid leave. An investigation is ongoing.
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