Trial of Cotati man shocked by stun gun ends in mistrial (with video)

The trial of a Cotati man who was shocked with an electric stun gun after refusing to let police enter his home in May ended in a mistrial Tuesday.

James Wood, 34, was contesting a charge of obstructing an officer on the grounds that police had no right to force their way into his apartment.

Cotati police had been dispatched to Wood's home on May 10 to investigate a report of a domestic disturbance between Wood and his wife.

In an incident that was recorded with a cellphone video camera and widely shared on YouTube, officers kicked in Wood's door after they were refused entry and shot Wood with a stun gun when he moved toward an officer who was grabbing his wife's arm.

Prosecutors have said police were obliged to enter the apartment without a warrant to make sure Wood's wife was safe.

Wood's lawyer, Jeremy Fietz, said Tuesday that jurors told him that half the panel believed police did not have the right to enter the home.

It was unclear whether prosecutors would seek to try Wood again.