WASHINGTON D.C. (Metro) -- The U.S. Supreme Court upholds a lower-court ruling that the use of a Taser by police officers against suspects in some circumstances could be considered excessive force and exposes the officers to lawsuits.
The high court declined to review a ruling by the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals concerning the case of Malaika Brooks, who was seven months pregnant when she was Tasered by Seattle police during a traffic stop in 2004.
Authorities say Brooks refused to sign a ticket for the traffic violation and resisted arrest, and officers applied the Taser three times.
The Seattle Police Department has changed its policy since the incident and no longer requires drivers to sign citations.
