Spousal Tasing Prompted By Gridiron Bet

NOVEMBER 5--A Wisconsin man was arrested early today after zapping his wife with a stun gun after winning a bet with her on last night’s "Monday Night Football" contest, police report.

According to a criminal complaint, John Grant, a 42-year-old Chicago Bears fan, and his wife Nicole, a Green Bay Packers backer, made a taser wager on the game at Lambeau Field. If the visiting Bears won, the couple agreed, John would be able to tase Nicole for three seconds.

When the Bears prevailed 27-20, Nicole was tased several times while the couple partied at the Sidelines Tap bar in Mayville, a city 50 miles northwest of Milwaukee.

While Nicole told cops that she had not agreed to the tasing, a cell phone video reviewed by officers showed that she was “standing still with her arms up and the male subject applies the Taser to her. In the video, Ms. Grant is seen laughing and it seemed apparent that Ms. Grant had consented.”

When asked if the tasing caused pain, Nicole told police, “Hell yeah it hurt.” She reported that while the electric device had “been used on the outside of her clothing…it caused burn marks on her buttocks.” She declined medical treatment, however.

After John agreed to allow a search of his semi-truck, a cop recovered a taser from a compartment above the windshield. During a police interview, John said that he bought “several Tasers at a truck stop in Virginia,” adding that he was unaware that it was illegal to possess the devices in Wisconsin without a permit.

John was arrested for possession of an electric weapon charge, a felony count carrying a maximum six-year prison term (and a fine of up to $10,000). He is scheduled for a December 4 Circuit Court hearing.

Police noted that Nicole and John each consented to Breathalyzer tests. Nicole’s blood alcohol level, .155, was nearly twice the .08 legal limit, while John’s was a bit lower, at .137. (4 pages)