PORTLAND — A 38-year-old man who’d just been found guilty of stealing a U-Haul truck lashed out at the prosecutor Thursday by punching him in the face in front of a stunned 12-person jury in a downtown Portland courtroom, witnesses say.

Ryan Wayne Perkins, who was seated steps away from Deputy District Attorney Kevin Demer, suddenly got up and punched Demer a few times in what appeared to be the face or upper body region, according to the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office and witnesses.

A deputy who was in the room drew his Taser but didn’t use it before handcuffing Perkins and whisking him from the room and back to jail, said sheriff’s spokesman Sgt. Brandon White.

“A taser was drawn, but Mr. Perkins complied with orders and that level of force was not necessary to take him into custody,” White said.

The incident was caught on courtroom surveillance video, but White said his office couldn’t release the video before the deputy’s use of force is reviewed by the sheriff’s office. White said the sheriff’s office considers drawing a Taser, even if it’s not discharged, a use of force.