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Police Use of Stun Guns on Children Riles Parents(Officers Taser Boy, 6, and Girl, 12)
aolsvc.news.aol.com ^ | 11 12 04 | aolnews.com

Posted on 11/13/2004 1:40:34 PM PST by freepatriot32

MIAMI (Nov. 13) - Miami-Dade police have acknowledged using a stun gun on a second youngster just weeks after subduing a 55-pound first-grader with a 50,000-volt shock.

In the second instance, a 15-year-veteran officer used his Taser to immobilize a 12-year-old girl who was playing hooky from school.

Police Director Bobby Parker defended the decision to shock the 6-year-old boy on Oct. 20 because he was threatening to injure himself with a shard of glass he was holding, but he said Friday that he could not defend the decision to shock the fleeing girl, who was apparently drunk.

According to the incident report, officer William Nelson responded to a complaint that children were swimming in a pool, drinking alcohol and smoking cigars about 11 a.m. on Nov. 5.

Nelson said he noticed the girl was intoxicated and told her to get dressed so he could take her back to school.

"While walking the girl to the police car, she took off running through the parking lot," Nelson wrote in his report.

Nelson, 38, said he chased her and yelled several times for her to stop. Nelson said he pulled out the Taser and fired when the girl began to run into traffic. The electric probes hit the girl in the neck and lower back, immobilizing her with 50,000 volts.

Nelson said he fired "for my safety along with the girl's safety." Paramedics treated the girl, who went home with her mother.

Parker said department policy permits officers to use the Taser to apprehend someone, but he said he expected his officers to use better judgment, especially when police had no plans to arrest someone playing hooky.

The first incident had already exposed the department to more criticism for its use of Tasers, which it has begun distributing in greater numbers to officers.

"The police could have handled this better," said the 6-year-old boy's mother, Kathy Rojas. "They did not have to shoot him."

Parker said that, in light of the disclosure of the second incident, the department will review its policy.


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Editorial; Extended News; Front Page News; Government; News/Current Events; US: Florida
KEYWORDS: 12; 6; and; banglist; boy; childabuse; children; donutwatch; florida; girl; govwatch; guns; miami; of; officers; on; parents; police; policestate; riles; setbeeberonstune; state; stun; taser; use; when6yroldsgobad
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To: BludyRed

Actually, I was referring to the intoxicated, cigar-smoking 12 year old that was running from the officer and ready to dash across a busy intersection.


121 posted on 11/15/2004 7:08:21 AM PST by JesseHousman (Execute Mumia Abu-Jamal)
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To: BludyRed

Actually, I was referring to the intoxicated, cigar-smoking 12 year old that was running from the officer and ready to dash across a busy intersection. There were two stories I had posted the other day and this wasn't the one I wanted to link to.


122 posted on 11/15/2004 7:09:24 AM PST by JesseHousman (Execute Mumia Abu-Jamal)
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To: JesseHousman

JesseHousman writes:
>>Actually, I was referring to the intoxicated, cigar-smoking 12 year old that was running from the officer and ready to dash across a busy intersection. There were two stories I had posted the other day and this wasn't the one I wanted to link to.<<

No problem. I extracted what I wanted anyway. I also regret my error in attributing your post and link to freepatriot32 instead of you. I apologize to both of you.


123 posted on 11/15/2004 7:22:32 AM PST by BludyRed (NRA Certifed Instructor in Pistol and Personal Protection)
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To: BludyRed
40 people since 1999, a span of about 5 years, hmmm...

Just last week in Boston we had a girl killed by a pepper ball fired from a paintball gun. According to the NIJ, about 10 percent of officers were injured in the 2,479 use of force incidents in 1996-1997, and 38 percent of the suspects were injured, 1.5% with major injuries.

Data from 1995-1997 indicate that in that two-year period, there were 39 major injuries suffered by officers in use-of-force situations.

The Taser, while perhaps slightly more risky than sitting there and waiting for the kid to lose consciousness from exsanguination, ended the situation with no injury to the child or anyone else.

I'm dazzled that you bring up psychological effects of Taser, considering that every police officer must feel its effects personally as part of the training and certification process, and the obvious severe psychological effects being suffered by this six-year-old as he deliberately cut himself with a piece of glass.

The plot can't thicken by much, because the kid was at risk of death and now he's not.

124 posted on 11/15/2004 7:35:57 AM PST by mvpel (Michael Pelletier)
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To: freepatriot32

Everybody must get stunned.


125 posted on 11/15/2004 7:37:54 AM PST by evets (God bless president George W. Bush)
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To: cripplecreek
I don't like the idea of the cops using tasers on kids but I have some serious questions about the parents of the 6 year old to begin with.

Seriously. A 6-year-old threatening to do violence to himself. How sad is that?

126 posted on 11/15/2004 7:41:37 AM PST by Aquinasfan (Isaiah 22:22, Rev 3:7, Mat 16:19)
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To: mvpel

I don't mind working close....


127 posted on 11/18/2004 9:42:25 PM PST by KCCFMC
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To: sgtbono2002

Are you serious? Marrying a wife beater is your answer to this girl's problems? I just cannot believe you Americans - no wonder you're doing things like this to your own kids, it's only a short step from invading other countries (Iraq, Afghanistan) and killing children there...

Would you want your daughter to marry a wife beater? (Assuming you have one, and that's doubtful)


128 posted on 05/11/2005 8:59:09 PM PDT by Della
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To: Della

Marrying a wifebeater is not my answer to this girls problems , it is what will probably in her future if she continues drinking skipping school and ressisting arrest.

I do have a daughter, she is 35 years old married and has a lovely child she married a fine young man who treats her like a queen. She never skipped school she has never been drunk in her life and she has never at any time given any officer of the law any reason to taser her.

I must assume that in your country you encourage drinking by 12 year olds, skipping school ,and ressisting arrest since you are so anxious to condemn us for trying to prevent our kids from doing this. As for your comment about our invasion of Iraq I can opnly assume that you also approved of Saddam Hussein and his child rearing methods ,in which he took those kids from their parents and raised them as terrorists.

No you cant believe us Americans, Americans have the courage to see whats right and do something about it.
When we get done in Iraq we may be able to spare some people to help in the Sudan, while your country sits on its ass and cries about it but lacks the courage to do anything.


129 posted on 05/11/2005 9:27:14 PM PDT by sgtbono2002
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