Posted on 11/18/2009 8:34:35 AM PST by JoeProBono
OZARK, Ark. -- Ozark police said they were called to a home where a mother asked for help with her unruly child, but the 10-year-old's father said he's outraged at the force police used against his daughter.
"I would like to say Ozark police Tased this little girl right here. Ten years old and [they] shot electricity through her body, and I want to know how the heck in God's green earth can they get away with this," said the girl's father, Anthony Medlock.
Medlock said his daughter was at her mother's house when Ozark police Officer Dustin Bradshaw shocked her in the back with a Taser and arrested her.
"If you can't pick the kid up and take her to your car, handcuff her, then I don't think you need to be an officer," Medlock said.
Medlock said his daughter does show signs of having emotional issues, but she "doesn't deserve to be treated like a dog. She's not a tiger."
According to a police report, the officer was called to the home by the mother and witnessed the child kicking and screaming.
The officer's statement said the girl's mother, Kelly Hamlert, told him to use a Taser on her if he needed to.
The officer did shock the girl after he said she kicked him in the groin.
"He had no other choice. He had to get the child under control," said Ozark police Chief Jim Noggle.
Noggle said the officer shocked the girl for about a second.
Ozark police said it is their policy to use a Taser on someone who is a threat to others, no matter their age.
Noggle said simply restraining the child could be harmful.
"Well, if he tried to restrain her, he might hurt her by restraining her. If you grab somebody, you can slip an arm out of joint. They can slip from you and fall on the ground," Noggle said.
"I don't know what kind of policy it is. I don't think it's right," Medlock said.
Medlock said this is not the first time the girl's mother has called police to take her daughter to a juvenile facility. He said he will now try to get custody of his daughter.
"She just wants somebody to love her, and I do," he said.
40/29 News checked with several other police agencies about their taser policies. The Fort Smith Police Department said it will only uses a Taser on a person 14 years old or older if they are a threat to someone.
Fort Smith Police said it's usually the discretion of each police department to make their own policies on using a Taser.
Noggle said no action is being taken against the Ozark officer who used the Taser on the girl, and he said her case will go before the juvenile court system.
The first mistake was in calling the police to deal with the child.
Sorry, I side with the cop.
They are there to deal with violent, dangerous situations.
If you don't have a violent, dangerous situation going on, you shouldn't invite the cops over.
The officer’s statement said the girl’s mother, Kelly Hamlert, told him to use a Taser on her if he needed to.
The officer did shock the girl after he said she kicked him in the groin.
Green light by Mom, then a kick to the groin. I can’t imagine it turning out any other way.
I might have used a taser on her too at that point, but what kind of idiot parent brood sow calls the cops to deal with a ten year old kid?
They should give the girl to the father, since the mother obviously can’t control her.
Given that the girl kicked the officer in the groin, I think the tasing was justified. But it’s also possible that the officer attempted to grab the girl without first trying to talk to her.
he fathered a child he left behind....he does not have custody, she has been in a juvenile facility before.....perhaps he should have thought about his love for her years ago.....sounds like she needs more than a little love. like a real family, say starting back to when she was born.
The more I get to know (some) kids, the better I like dogs.
So mommy calls the police to assist her with parenting and gets upset by the cops treatment of the nutcase she raised. Well isn’t THAT predictable as hell.
all bets are off if there’s a kick in the groin.
Cops don’t wear cups?
Mommy didn’t get upset about the tazing. She TOLD the officer to do it if he needed to.
It was the non-custodial father who seems to have the problem.
LOL!
It happens all the time all over the country; part of our nanny state culture, you see.
Had a friend of mine on the local sheriffs department that told me that she gets called out all the time by parents who can't control their children, including small children.
If your 10 year old is having a tantrum and kicks out at you, there are places in America where you would be arrested if you dared to even give the darling a swat on the behind. But you can call the cops and have your child tazered? Why not just issue tazers to parents and schools and let them use this new behaviour modification tool without inconveniencing the police.
Tazers were supposed to be an alternate to the use of potentially lethal force - a last resort before an officer pulled out a gun. They were never intended to eliminate the need for police officers to use physical force to restrain people who were merely unruly.
Can you imagine a judge ordering, as punishment, that a criminal be given a certain number of tazer shots? It would be struck down immediately as cruel and unusual punishment. Why then should the police be permitted to use this type of force unless there is a life-threatening situation that would ordinarily permit the use of a gun?
We don't know that he "left her behind" but we do know that he doesn't have custody. We also know that he is now trying to get custody. If is very possible that he wanted custody all along rather than "leaving her behind" but was denied by the family court system that all to often assumes the mother to be the better parent (when it certainly appears in this case that was a wrong assumption).
She apparently kicked the officer? Also note: some 10 year olds can be HUGE.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.