Curtis Swabb Injured in Palo Alto Taser Incident at Stanford Shopping Center

Independent Auditor to Review the Taser Use That Left Curtis Anthony Swabb With a Fractured Neck at Stanford Shopping Center

PALO ALTO, CALIFORNIA (November 4, 2026) – A 63-year-old man identified as Curtis Swabb was injured in a police Taser incident at the Stanford Shopping Center in Palo Alto.

Santa Clara County officials are saying that the Taser incident occurred in the afternoon on Sunday, July 19. Curtis Swabb had been resting on a bench at the shopping center when a Palo Alto police officer and a mall security guard woke him and told him to leave, according to body camera footage released by the department.

An argument followed, and the video shows Swabb getting up and moving toward the officer, who warned him that he would be tased. As Swabb kept walking toward him outside the New Balance store, the officer fired the Taser into his chest, and Swabb fell face-first to the ground.

Swabb lay face down with his forehead bleeding for about three minutes until a second officer arrived, and paramedics were called. At the hospital, Curtis Swabb was treated for a fractured vertebra in his neck and a cut across his forehead, according to Palo Alto Online.

He has since been released. The department posted the footage on August 14 under a state law requiring release when police force causes great bodily injury, and the city’s police auditor will review the officer’s actions, the Palo Alto Daily Post reported.

Palo Alto’s independent police auditor, OIR Group, reviews every Taser deployment by the department. In a 2020 review of an earlier Taser arrest, the auditor suggested that holding the scene steady until backup arrived could have avoided firing the weapon at all, Palo Alto Online reported.

That finding raises the question of whether waiting for the second officer was considered here. The video is also at least the third release since late 2023 of Palo Alto police force that broke someone’s bone.

Liability for Palo Alto Taser Injuries

Under the Fourth Amendment, any force an officer uses must be objectively reasonable, judged by the seriousness of the suspected offense, whether the person posed an immediate threat, and whether they were resisting or fleeing. California’s use-of-force statute, Penal Code section 835a, declares that every person has a right to be free from excessive force by officers. It also directs that police force be evaluated carefully, reflecting its serious consequences. A city can face responsibility for injuries its officers cause on duty, and for training that falls short. Several factors usually shape whether a Taser deployment was justified:

• Threat level: Courts ask whether the person posed an immediate threat when the Taser was fired, not simply whether they ignored commands.
• Alternatives: Waiting for backup, creating distance, and continuing to talk can bear on whether the Taser was necessary.
• Fall risk: A Taser locks the muscles, so firing one at someone standing over pavement creates a foreseeable risk of an unbroken fall.
• Warnings: Courts consider whether the officer gave a clear warning and a fair chance to comply.
• Department policy: Training records and supervisor reviews show whether an agency prepared officers to use Tasers safely.

Federal courts in California have taken these questions seriously. In Bryan v. MacPherson, decided by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in 2010, an officer fired a Taser at an unarmed man during a seatbelt stop, and he fell face-first onto the pavement, fracturing four teeth. The court held that a Taser fired in dart mode is an intermediate, significant level of force that must be justified by the government’s interest, and that using it on someone posing no immediate threat can violate the Fourth Amendment. The officer received qualified immunity because the rule was not yet clearly established in 2005, but the decision put officers across the western states on notice. It remains a central reference point whenever a Taser leaves someone seriously hurt.

Why Falls Cause the Most Serious Taser Injuries

Most Taser deployments do not cause serious harm, but the worst injuries often come from the fall rather than the shock. A review of 1,201 Taser uses at six law enforcement agencies, led by researchers at Wake Forest University and published in 2009, found significant injuries in fewer than 1% of cases. Two of the three significant injuries, however, were head injuries from falls. A National Institute of Justice research summary likewise noted that falls after Taser exposure have caused serious head injuries, broken bones, and at least six deaths. Anyone hurt in such a fall should know what these injuries involve:

• Neck fractures: A broken cervical vertebra can threaten the spinal cord, so the neck should be stabilized and imaged before the person is moved.
• Head trauma: Facial cuts can mask a concussion or bleeding inside the skull that may not show symptoms for hours.
• Medical records: Emergency room notes, scans, and follow-up visits document both the injury and how it happened.
• Video evidence: Body camera, security, and bystander recordings can show distance, movements, and warnings before a Taser was fired.
• Long-term care: Spinal fractures can require bracing, surgery, or months of physical therapy.

Less-lethal weapons are meant to reduce harm, and their safety depends on when and where officers use them. Agencies that issue Tasers must train officers on fall risks and review every deployment that ends in injury. Independent oversight helps, but it does not replace the rights of the people who are hurt. Anyone injured by police force can ask whether that force was justified and seek accountability when it was not. They may also be entitled to compensation for medical care, lost income, and the disruption to their lives.

Investigating Taser Injuries in Palo Alto

We at Feher Law wish a full and speedy recovery to Curtis Swabb. We hope the auditor’s review brings real accountability and leads to safer practices that keep a tense exchange from ending with a broken neck. This incident raises serious safety concerns about firing Tasers at people standing over hard ground. Was there a safer way to bring this encounter to an end before the Taser was ever fired?

Have you or a loved one been hurt by a Taser or other police force in Palo Alto or elsewhere in Santa Clara County? People injured by force that went too far may be entitled to compensation for medical bills, lost wages, and the upheaval in their lives. Early accounts of these encounters often come from the same department whose officer used the force. Our team of safety advocates and accident investigators can help you learn what happened, from full body camera footage and mall security video to use-of-force reports and training records. We offer a free, independent investigation and answers to your legal questions, and we’re here for you around the clock at (424) 433-4412.