TOLEDO, Ohio - July 25, 2008 - A minister claims security guards dragged him out of a Toledo, Ohio hospital and tasered and beat him because he told a joke.

Rev. Al Poisson said he was visiting the hospital to see a man who had been injured while Poisson was shopping with his 6-year-old grandson. According to the reverend, an innocent joke about the lack of a smile on a guard's face led to a beating.

Security cameras caught the incident on camera and show at least five officers surrounding a man laying on the floor and beating him.

"It wound up being an atrocious, unbelievable situation, to say the least," the 66-year-old minister said.

"They've cut about five minutes of this video out," Poisson said, describing the length of time he was kicked on the ground by one of the younger guards.

St. Vincent Mercy Medical Center issued a statement defending the guards' actions, which said "the response to the aggression was appropriate."

The hospital pressed charges against Poisson for assault that were eventually thrown out of court, Poisson said.

Poisson is filing a lawsuit with his lawyer, Steven Groth.

"We're going to use the American justice system, put this in front of a jury and let them decide what's appropriate," said Groth.