Death after stun gun shock raises concerns

SACRAMENTO - For the fourth time since June, a Sacramento-area man has died after being shocked by a law enforcement officer with a Taser stun gun.

Timothy Michael Torres, 24, of Rancho Cordova was pronounced dead early Thursday at UC Davis Medical Center, following a struggle with six Sacramento County sheriff's deputies in front of the house where he lived with his parents, officials said.

The six deputies who had contact with Torres have been placed on administrative leave, as is customary in such cases, sheriff's spokesman Sgt. R.L. Davis said. Their names have not been released.

Increased police use of Taser stun guns nationwide has prompted scrutiny of the weapon's safety as an enforcement tool.