Taser International Inc said on Friday it has sued Gannett Co Inc, accusing the publisher of USA Today of libel over its stories about Taser's stun guns. The company said the lawsuit, filed in an Arizona state court, targets a USA Today article on June 3 which it said misrepresented the electrical output of Taser weapons and in photographs compared them with electric chairs, lightening and electric train tracks.
A representative for Gannett, which is also the parent company of the Arizona Republic newspaper, said the company had not yet seen the complaint and declined comment.
Taser, based in Scottsdale, Arizona, accused Gannett of publishing a series of misleading articles about its products, which disable victims with a 50,000-volt shock.
"Over the course of this biased campaign, more than $1 billion dollars of shareholder value has been erased," Taser Chief Executive Rick Smith said in a statement.
He said the company believes that some law enforcement agencies delayed buying the stun guns based on the coverage.
Taser, whose stun guns have sparked an ongoing controversy about their safety, in April reported that its first-quarter profit slumped as many police departments put off orders for the guns. Human rights group Amnesty International has alleged the guns have caused more than 70 deaths.
Taser has said the weapons are safe and help prevent deaths because they can replace guns in some situations.
Taser shares, which have lost 11.5 percent over the past month and 68 percent so far this year, were up 12 cents, or 1.2 percent, at $10.16 in morning trading on Nasdaq. The shares reached a record high of more than $33.00 in December.
Gannett shares were up 65 cents, or 0.9 percent, at $71.79.