A man sustained a fractured vertebra in his neck after a Palo Alto police officer used a Taser on him during a confrontation at the Stanford Shopping Center, according to body-camera footage released by the department.
The incident occurred on July 19, as depicted in video footage shared on August 14. The video shows the man sitting on a bench after being awakened and then arguing with an officer and a security guard who were attempting to remove him from the mall.
At one point in the video, the man stands and moves toward the officer, who warns him that he will be tasered. The man then says, "Do it," before advancing further. The officer then deploys the Taser, causing the man's body to stiffen and fall face-first to the ground.
Video captured the man lying on the ground for approximately three minutes before an officer handcuffed him. Emergency medical services transported him to a hospital, where medical professionals diagnosed a fractured vertebra in his neck.
Following the incident, the man was charged with resisting arrest, trespassing, and drug possession. City Manager Ed Shikada informed the City Council on August 14 that the man had apologized for his conduct during the encounter.
The city's police auditor is scheduled to review the officer's use of force. The release of the Taser footage aligns with California's Assembly Bill 748, which mandates law enforcement agencies to release audio and video recordings within 45 days when the use of force by an officer results in significant bodily injury, such as broken bones. This requirement became effective in July 2019.
Palo Alto police have previously released footage under this law. In July 2025, the department released video from an incident where officers apprehended a man from a stolen bicycle, resulting in a broken wrist. In another case on December 23, 2023, officers fired a rubber bullet that injured the tip of a man’s finger; this individual had reportedly committed domestic violence before refusing to exit his residence.
