Police Reviewing Officer's Use Of Taser On 12-Year-Old

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

School Bus Driver Calls For Police Help

POSTED: 12:23 pm EDT June 12, 2005

LORAIN, Ohio -- Police are reviewing an officer's use of a stun gun on a 12-year-old boy to break up a fight on a school bus.

The boy tried to take a CD case from another student and slapped him when he refused, according to a police report. The bus was bringing students home Thursday.

The driver called police after the bus monitor couldn't control the 12-year-old, the report states.

The police officer boarded the bus and stunned the boy after he head-butted her, according to the police report. Police Chief Cel Rivera said the Taser's prongs struck the boy's shirt and didn't hurt him, but the boy's guardian, Kiana Goodson, said the prongs left marks on his chest.

Goodson said police and the bus driver wouldn't let her go on the bus to calm the boy.

"I could see he was teed-off," Goodson said. "I saw him go after the other child, and I was yelling for him to quit hitting the kid, but he couldn't hear me over the noise from the crowd."

more: http://www.newsnet5.com/news/4598982/detail.html

[bluestateguy]

1. "Reviewing"

What that means is they are looking for an excuse or a way to cover up the whole thing.

I'm starting to wonder if people should carry tasers as self-defense---against police.

[merwin]

2. This is ridiculous! People were able to control crazy kids on buses

for years before this. Tasers ARE NOT NECESSARY, in ANY CASE against a child. EVER.

[Southsideirish]

3. We live in a police state, so nothing they do surprises me.

[acmavm]

4. I agree with the statement that tasers are unnecessary and that kids

used to be under control.

Now having said that, this kid is a piece of shit.

<snip>
"The boy tried to take a CD case from another student and slapped him when he refused..."

"The driver called police after the bus monitor couldn't control the 12-year-old..."

"The police officer boarded the bus and stunned the boy after he head-butted her..."

-MORE-

[JinFL]

5. Story Needs More Context

Unfortunately, the story leaves out a few details that might help put things into perspective - how big was the kid? (I've seen some pretty huge 12-year olds!) - how big was the police officer? (she may have been smaller than the kid for all we know, and I've seen some fairly small female cops - e.g., the 51-year old grandmother recently killed in the Atlanta courtroom). Can anyone suggest a better way for her to have handled the situation? What else was she to do after he head-butted her? Ask him nicely to stop doing that? At that point it seems that the taser was a lot less brutal than other tools at her disposal, say, a baton or pistol, right? Sounds to me like she did the right thing.

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

6. Okay, he was the fucking Hulk....

Why not pump a couple of 9mms into him?

Give me a break.

[noiretextatique]

8. tasers are not supposed to be used in this manner

unless you think this kid should have been shot with a gun for acting out on a bus. if not, tasering him was not "the right thing," because tasers are supposed to used instead of deadly force. if that PEACE officer couldn't handle the situation without force, she should have called for backup.

[noiretextatique]

7. he's a 12 year old kid

:wtf: he is not a "piece of shit." some of you act like children never fight or act out or treat each other cruelly, when you know damn well that some do.

[cestpaspossible]

9. The kid obviously deserved it, since the cop shocked him,

the cop must've been afraid for his life. After all, we shouldn't expect police officers to be able to subdue unruly children without resorting to possibly deadly force.

Electric shocks should be administered to anyone who doesn't instantly obey police orders.