Stun Gun Used On Handcuffed, 65-Pound, 13 Year Old Girl

[matcom]

<snip>

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- State Attorney Harry Shorstein said Wednesday that excessive force may have been used by police officers who used a stun gun on a 13-year-old girl who was being uncooperative after they took her into custody for fighting with her mother.

The 65-pound girl was handcuffed in the back of a patrol car Feb. 7 when she was shocked twice with a 50,000-volt Taser, according to a Sheriff's Office report. Police departments in Florida and nationwide have been criticized for their use of Taser guns, which some say have caused deaths.

Shorstein said he met with Sheriff John Rutherford and Undersheriff Frank Mackesy, who assured him an internal investigation was being conducted.

"I expressed my concern. They were generally defending the use of Tasers, even against smaller children," the prosecutor said.

"It's not the age, but the size of the child and the fact that she was handcuffed," Shorstein said.

Shorstein said an assistant state attorney called the case to his attention and thought it was a questionable use of a Taser.

http://www.wftv.com/irresistible/4246435/detail.html

[rfranklin]

1. These cops are pussies....

and should be publicly labeled as such.

[YellowRubberDuckie]

3. They're also lazy...

Having worked in a detention center where kids get aggressive and violent, we have never used such things. We rely on good ol' logic and physical restraint, and if they continue mouthing off after they've been restrained, we just let them yell. IF they continue fighting, we just hold them down. It's not difficult. It's a 65 pound girl! How freaking strong could be be compared to 200 pound + men!?
Duckie

[SheepyMcSheepster]

2. geeze, how did they ever subdue children before tazers? eom

[indepat]

4. Tasering a handcuffed 65 pound girl is questionable? How about ludicrous

and criminal.

[Allenberg]

5. WHAT THE FUCK?

[punpirate]

6. Wonder if WFTV is a...

... Fox station? "... which some say have caused deaths."

"Some say?" There have been two or three reported instances of death after a taser being used just in the last few weeks. As the use of tasers becomes more commonplace, so have misuse and deaths.

[ProgressiveConn]

7. Someone needs to go taser that cop. nt

[aden_nak]

8. If you can't handle a 65 pound 13 year old girl, you shouldn't be a cop.

Because you are obviously incapable of asserting even the slightest hint of authority without the use of force. The police neither exist to administer force nor should they consider it the first option when dealing with a situation, especially one as easily controlable as this. So if you're a cop, and you can justify the use of a taser on this girl, you're clearly unfit to wear the shield.

Not to mention the fact that you're a big ol' pussy.

[Bouncy Ball]

9. WHAT the FUCK is going on with the FUCKING TASERS????

Seriously. That's all I hear about anymore. What IS the major malfunction here, people?

You don't use a taser (TWICE, no less) on a 65 pound kid who is ALREADY HANDCUFFED.

My God. I remember watching Cops one time years ago and these police officers were having to try to arrest this guy who was about 6'5", well over 200 pounds (but not obese, just very thick and strong), NAKED, SWEATY and high as a fucking KITE on PCP. Which means he was incredibly violent, almost impervious to pain and mean as a motherfucker.

Yeah. And no clothes to help them to grab onto him. They were in a barber shop and that place got tore the hell up. By the time FIVE police officers got him cuffed and hog tied, all five were sweaty and bleeding and the guy they were arresting was cut all over and bleeding.

Now in THAT case, they might have needed a taser (though I'm not completely sure I agree with their use at all).

In THAT case, those cops had to fucking WORK to arrest that guy. And these guys taser a little 13 year old, already cuffed, twice. The guys who took down that huge ox on PCP would laugh their asses off at the cops who tasered this girl.

[Richard Steele]

17. I remember that episode of COPS.

The difference in that case:

Those Officers were on camera, and knew it.
I think they would have been justified in giving that guy a few whacks with a baton, but they played NICE for the TeeVee.

[Zenlitened]

10. A bit more from the article...

The girl was kicking AND screaming. With her handcuffed hands IN FRONT OF HER!

Of course she needed to be tasered. Twice. :crazy:

The girl was handcuffed and placed into a patrol car, but she managed to slide her cuffed arms to the front of her. Police said she refused requests to put her arms behind her back and began kicking and screaming.

An officer attempted to subdue the girl with a neck lock, but was unable to get control of her.

Officer G.A. Nelson then used his Taser on her. When she continued to fight, and she was stunned again, according to the police report. She then complied and placed her arms behind her back.

[redqueen]

11. Anyone know if anyone is compiling a list of these outrages?

If not, I'm fucking starting one today and sending it out as a LTTE.

Enough already.

[Blue Diadem]

14. I'd like to know how many children

have been tasered. Someone needs to keep track.

Our local news did a computer analysis since there was a recent death when the man was tasered 9 times. I noticed they didn't list any as children, only as female and male on the chart, men and women in the article. I'm curious if any were children or teens as the analysis only lists male and female. Every local station/newpaper should do an investigation to find out how often tasers are used and a breakdown of who it's been used on along with the age.





Here is a snip of WTOL's article located at:

http://www.wtol.com/Global/story.asp?S=3021195

Taser Popular in Toledo Police Arsenal
March 3, 2005, 07:48 AM EST

TOLEDO -- A News 11 investigation has uncovered new details about the Toledo Police Department, and its use of Taser devices. News 11 compiled 328 incident reports where Toledo Police officers used Tasers between September of 2003 to February 13, 2005. The results of that investigation show interesting patterns.

Tasers fire metal barbs attached by a wire that deliver 50,000 volts of electrical charge for five seconds. The idea is to temporarily immobilize suspects so that officers can gain control. The whole issue of Taser use surfaced in January with the death of prisoner Jeffery Turner. He died after being shocked 9 times by Toledo Police officers and Lucas County deputies. That death is currently under investigation.

In Toledo, officers have used Tasers 319 times against suspects. Of those, 95% were men, and 5% women. In only 7% of the cases, the suspects were armed. In 93% they were not armed. 65% were black, 11% Hispanic and 28% white. Officers also used a Taser on 9 dogs.





Detailed Look at News 11 Computer Analysis of Taser Events
March 2, 2005, 04:45 PM EST

http://www.wtol.com/Global/story.asp?S=3020477

Sex of People Shocked with Tasers

Incidents
% of Total

Male 303
95.0%

Female 16
5.0%





Race of People Shocked with Tasers

Incidents
% of Total

Black 213
64.9%

White 91
27.7%

Hispanic 11
3.4%

Arab 2
0.6%

Unknown 2
0.6%




Dogs 9
2.7%





Were the Suspects Armed?

Incidents
% of Total

Not Armed 288
92.9%

Armed 22
7.1%

[RagingInMiami]

15. This is like the third or fourth that have occurred in my home state

[Cyndee_Lou_Who]

12. Yes, that cop needs a tasering session!!

unfuckingreal!

[driver8]

13. Before the cops are issued Tasers, they should get a jolt so they

know what it feels like.

These cops have got to be the dumbest, laziest m-fers on the planet. They can't restrain a 65 pound girl??

They should be embarrassed to call themselves police officers.

[bif]

16. That's what they did to a friend's son

Who's a rookie cop. He knows what it feels like, and it wasn't pretty.

[cally]

18. The taser is ridiculous....but a 65 pound 13 year old girl

worries me. Very, very few healthy 13 year old girls are 65 pounds. I think she needs support, not violence.

My youngest was very small. We had to check in with the Doctor every six months for years. I know the weight and height charts too well. This is too small for almost all kids.