South Carolina deputy under fire after tasing handcuffed man

COLUMBIA, SC -- A sheriff's deputy in South Carolina is under fire for allegedly using a stun gun on a handcuffed man.

The suspect, Charles Lang, Jr., 25, was arrested for disorderly conduct this past Sunday at a gas station in Columbia, and the incident was captured by surveillance cameras.

Now the Richland County Sheriff's Department is trying to determine whether the officer used excessive force in apprehending the man.

The surveillance video reveals that the officer gave clear warning to the suspect before shocking him with a taser.

"As you look at the video, it's one of those things where you want to know what happened," Richland Police Lieutenant Curtis Wilson said. "You want to know why this suspect was handcuffed and also tased."

In many cases, common standard is that tasers can only be used when a subject is actively resisting police. But even for legal experts, that's a term difficult to define.

"The fact that someone is in handcuffs doesn't prevent them from resisting," said Seth Stoughton, a former police officer and an assistant Professor of Law at USC. "In this video, I would not be worried about that person getting away. There's no real signs that he's trying to run."

The incident remains under investigation.