NJ man charged with child abuse after 'horseplay' with Taser

EGG HARBOR TOWNSHIP — Fooling around with a taser gun landed a 12-year-old boy in a hospital and a family friend charged with assault and child abuse.

Egg Harbor Township police Capt. Heath Per said Luis Surita Jr., 68, of Atlantic City, fired a Taser several times at his head during "horseplay" with the boy on Monday, shocking him into unconsciousness.

The boy was revived at Cooper University Hospital in Camden.

Surita was arrested and also charged with endangering the welfare of a child, unlawful possession of a weapon, and possession of a controlled dangerous substance. He was being held at the Atlantic County Justice Facility.

Are Tasers legal to own?

Possession of tasers and stun guns by a private citizen age 18 and over in New Jersey became legal in 2017. There is no application or licensing process required

The boy has since returned home but the long-term implications of the injury are unknown.

Tasers fire two barbed darts into a target attached to copper wires for rapid-fire electric current to travel through in order to deliver a shock that causes muscles to temporarily contract.

According to a 2018 ABC News report, there is a low probability a taser shock to the brain can cause a brain seizure especially if fired at close range.

Dan Alexander is a reporter for New Jersey 101.5. You can reach him at dan.alexander@townsquaremedia.com

Click here to contact an editor about feedback or a correction for this story.

Every NJ pizza joint Barstool's Dave Portnoy has reviewed

Dave Portnoy, commonly known as El Presidente, is the founder of Barstool Sports. Somewhere along the way, he decided to start reviewing local pizzerias, and the concept took off. Here is every New Jersey pizzeria Dave has stopped in, along with the score he gave them.