Ex-trooper who fired stun gun charged in boy's death on ATV

DETROIT -- A former Michigan State Police trooper has been charged with second-degree murder in the death of a Detroit teenager who crashed an all-terrain vehicle after being shot with the officer's stun gun. 

Mark Bessner had no "legal justification" to fire his Taser from his moving patrol car while trying to stop 15-year-old Damon Grimes, Wayne County prosecutor Kym Worthy said Wednesday.

Bessner "created a very high risk of death," Worthy said.

Damon was driving an ATV at 35 to 40 mph on a Detroit street when he crashed on Aug. 26. An autopsy revealed that remnants of a stun gun were in the boy's hair.

Besides second-degree murder, Mark Bessner is charged with involuntary manslaughter.

Bessner resigned as a state trooper shortly after the death.

Bessner's lawyer says he made a split-second decision to use a Taser when Damon refused to stop.

Since the teen's death, state police no longer conduct high-speed chases in Detroit unless they're investigating a major crime. 

A $50 million civil lawsuit is pending against Bessner, accusing him of excessive force, reports CBS Detroit.