We have previously discussed the increasing use of tasers by police in circumstances where other avenues were available, including cases involving young children (here and here and here and here and here and here) or the elderly (here and here and here and here). Now we have a case where two Indiana police officers tasered a 10-year-old, 94-pound boy at the Tender Teddies Day Care in Martinsville.
The officers from the Martinsville Police Department responded to a report of an unruly child at a home day care location. Such calls are not uncommon, particularly with so many children with emotional or developmental problems. However, after the police arrived, they introduced tasers at Tender Teddies Day Care as witnesses watched in horror. Even the Martinsville Police Chief Jon Davis has acknowledged that his officers could have avoided using a stun gun on a child and has put the two officers on administrative leave pending investigation.
It seems a prototypical case on the expansion of the use of tasers and stun guns. At one time, police would have restrained the child physically. Now, police seem to use tasers as a first response. Despite these controversies, police around the country seem to view the taser as a weapon to use in the face of people who disobey their orders or represent any type of physical threat, even a child. In some of these cases, the taser appears like an virtual punishment tool when citizens do not comply. There appears little interest in politicians to look at this question and curtailing the use of tasers in the country. The result is a fear from many citizens that they could be tasered if they challenge an officer’s orders or question his authority.
Officers do not taser a child at day care unless they have been trained or convinced that such weapons can be used whenever there is a potential for physical contact. The attitude shown in past controversies reflects a casual and arbitrary use of the weapons — a reflection of the view that such use of force is entirely discretionary with the officer. When lawsuits are brought in even the most egregious cases, citizens often find courts that are entirely unsympathetic or unwilling to review such conduct. The abuse of tasers is part of an expansion of police powers in the United States that is worrisome and threatens to create a general intimidation of the public. That threatens not just to change the relationship of citizens to their government but to create a chilling effect on those challenging police abuse.
Source: NY Daily News
Kudos: Michael Blott
How does authoritarian America expect children to be conditioned to live in the police state as adults without a few tasings? If we want a properly functioning police state where citizens don’t hesitate to obey government officials, the best way to indoctrinate the citizens is to start when they are young and being trained to be good citizens in government schools where order is maintained by the police.
I would be surprised if there isn’t a tasing quota for police officers dealing with juveniles. The politicians and bureaucrats have done their part by criminalizing the typical behavior of children and it is up to the police to ensure absolute compliance if these young citizens are expected to become obedient and compliant adults.
This is the home of the brave and land of the free that Americans have demanded through their votes. That we have an exceptional nation that boldly trains its young people to cherish the American Dream through negative reinforcement is a testament to our collective greatness in this glorious democracy. I hope we can all come together and agree that we can thank both Republicans and Democrats for making America the greatest nation that has ever existed in this universe.
USA! USA! USA!
…and now open your Lee Greenwood songbooks to page 1….
Let them know how you feel!
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Martinsville-Police-Department/247754288569177
Last sentence in the account: “Both officers were cleared of any criminal wrongdoing in the case.”
The slapper, who didn’t bother to include the slap or the tazering in his report, resigned. The tazer included both (slap and tazer) in his report. He was suspended for 45 days and given 2 years probation. I assume the probation was a work probation, not a criminal probation.
This is what happens when the legal system exploits “qualified immunity.”
tasing children
can’t we just put some gummi bears in an empty light socket
Here is an excerpt of a news story about a 95 year old man killed by taser and bean bag firearm weapon. Bean me up Scotty:
A 95-year-old man died after police Tasered him and struck him with bean-bag rounds when he confronted officers with a 12-inch butcher knife, a cane and a shoehorn Friday at an assisted living home in south suburban Park Forest.
Officers were called to the 100 block of Main Street in Park Forest at 8:42 p.m. Friday after John Warna became combative with a private ambulance company attempting to involuntarily transport him for medical treatment, Park Forest Police said. The facility is Victory Centre of Park Forest, a “supportive living” center for senior citizens, according to the company’s website.
Warna was pronounced dead at Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn at 2:30 a.m. Saturday, according to the Cook County Medical Examiner’s office.
He was threatening facility staff and paramedics with a metal cane and a two-foot metal shoehorn when officers arrived, police said.
He refused to drop the items when commanded and instead grabbed a 12-inch butcher knife, police said.
The officers attempted to use a Taser on Warna to no avail and then struck him with bean-bag rounds, which finally caused him to drop the knife, police said.
He was conscious and talking when he was hospitalized, police said. Warna died of blunt force trauma to the abdomen, according to an autopsy from the medical examiner’s office.
Al
I don’t know the specifics of the incident reported in that news article but in general terms Tasers are not to be used against the elderly. Both the training and Taser International’s guidelines prohibit it.
Al – the autopsy on the 95 yo man seems to indicate that the bean bag rounds which are lethal killed him, not the Taser.
The Show “Last Week Tonight” comes to mind.
And solving the problems of “The Last Decade Today” …
The parents need a Tasers For Tots program in their town. Each kid, ten years or older gets a taser on day one of school. Anything is fair game. No rules. Just like the cops. Tasers are harmless. Kids especially need these in Catholic schools where there are pedophile priests. And where nuns have rulers.
A Taser against a nun with a ruler is no match. Nun wins, hands down.
Shuler
That is kinda my point. Of course, be it a taser or a gun, if a citizen were to shoot another without some pretty solid justification, we’d be up on charges.
Police, not so much…
@Jeff Not everything is a conspiracy.
@Misha Read the article I linked.
Slow news day and travel.
What a joke, This happened four years ago, and you can’t be bothered to report on the outcome? Are the officers still suspended pending an investigation?
Now we have a case where two Indiana police officers tasered a 10-year-old, 94-pound boy at the Tender Teddies Day Care in Martinsville. That by the way is 4. That’s right. 4 years old. Interesting that you would bring this up as if it is a new case. Whats the motivation?
To madrocketscientist: Maybe because they realize the taser would be used a lot more than a gun. It’s telling!
At least there were some repercussions for the two officers involved. One of them actually slapped the kid after he had calmed down, precipitating another tantrum and the tasering.
http://www.theindychannel.com/news/officer-suspended-in-wake-of-stun-gun-incident
BTW, this incident happened four years ago.
I always find it amusing that most states will allow you (a citizen) to carry a firearm, but not a taser.
Of course, if it is not a lethal weapon then we all need them and need to carry them 24/7 and into church, town hall, and the taverns. We can start social clubs called Tase Me Bro and we can shoot any person who might need it. It won’t hurt them. Its not lethal. Those people who died after getting shot were gonna die that same day anyway. It was coincidental. Cops need bazookas too.
Nick,
Better Judo or Akido or the like. I’d rather a cop know how to bring a resister to heel than to just go about pummeling them.