In a confrontation captured on videotape, an off-duty police officer fired a stun gun to stop a defiant father from taking home his newborn baby, sending both crashing to the floor.

Now the man says the baby girl has health problems.

"I've got to wonder what kind of moron would Tase an adult holding a baby," said George Kirkham, a former police officer and criminologist at the University of California-Berkeley. "It doesn't take rocket science to realize the baby is going to fall."

In a statement, The Woman's Hospital of Texas said security was called in April when William Lewis, 30, became hostile and uncooperative toward staff members, who were trying to find out his relationship to the infant when they saw him trying to leave the hospital.

Mr. Lewis said he and his wife felt mistreated by staff and decided to leave. But according to the hospital, neither he nor the child's mother, Jacqueline Gray, had indicated they wanted to be discharged.

Mr. Lewis was charged with endangering a child but was not indicted. He also has been charged with threatening the security officer.

Mr. Lewis, who gave the video to The Associated Press, said his daughter landed on her head, but that cannot be seen on the video. He said the baby seems injured since the episode.

"She shakes a lot and cries a lot," Mr. Lewis said, noting doctors have performed several MRIs on the child, Karla. "She's not real responsive. Something is definitely wrong with my daughter."

Child Protective Services has custody of the baby because of a history of domestic violence between Mr. Lewis and his wife. Agency spokeswoman Estella Olguin said the infant doesn't appear to be suffering any ill effects.