Written by Janet
Two Martinsville Indiana police officers have been suspended after they were accused of using a Taser to subdue a 10-year-old. The mayor’s office released a statement saying that the officers responded Tuesday evening to a local day care on reports of a 10-year-old who was out of control.
The release said that the officers, trying to prevent the child from hurting other children, staff members and himself, slapped the boy and then used a Taser to subdue him. Officers had been called to the day care before about the same child.
The release further says, while the department will not condone the unnecessary treatment of any subject, regardless of age, in any apprehension situation, additional comments will not be made pending results of the final investigation.
Officials said the two officers have been suspended with pay and placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of an investigation by the Morgan County Sheriff’s Department.
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/ 04/01/2010Ind. chief: stun gun use on 10-year-old not needed
A central Indiana police chief says he believes two of his officers could have avoided using a stun gun on an unruly 10-year-old boy at a home day care.
Martinsville Police Chief Jon Davis says the two officers could have restrained the 94-pound boy after being called to the home to help control him on Tuesday .
Davis said Thursday that one officer slapped the boy in the face and the other used a hand-held stun gun to shock the child on the upper arm. The chief says the boy cried after being shocked but is now fine.
The department says that when the officers arrived the boy was out of control, hitting and kicking and refusing to listen to them. Both officers have been placed on administrative suspension.
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/ 08/03/2010Update on another case:
Lawsuit settled over Ill. deputy’s use of stun gun
A federal lawsuit that accused a southern Illinois sheriff’s deputy of zapping three children with a stun gun at an emergency youth shelter and threatening to sodomize one of them has been settled for $750,000, according to court documents.
http://channels.isp.netscape.com/news/story.jsp?floc=ne-us-12-l6&idq=/ff/story/0001%2F20100803%2F4070.htm&sc=1110
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/ 08/06/2010An accidental tasering from Britain:
IPCC takes no action after girl hit by Taser by mistake
The police watchdog has said it will take no action against officers after a 14-year-old girl was accidentally shot with a Taser in Nottinghamshire.
Police were called to Alexander Street, Stapleford, on Wednesday night amid reports of anti-social behaviour.
Officers were aiming at a 20-year-old man as they tried to arrest him but accidentally hit Jodie Gallagher.
The Independent Police Complaints Commission said the inquiry should be handled by Nottinghamshire Police.
A spokesman said it had completed its assessment of the incident and would not be having any further involvement.
He said: “The matter has been passed back to Nottinghamshire Police for them to continue any investigation.”
A Nottinghamshire Police spokeswoman said: “The IPCC has determined that this case should be investigated locally.
“Nottinghamshire Police will continue to investigate the circumstances of the discharge.”
Miss Gallagher and her family received an apology from the force following the incident.
BBC