Taser gun used on 10-year-old girl who 'refused to take shower'

A police officer used a Taser stun gun to subdue a 10-year-old girl in her own home.

The officer had been called to the girl's home in Ozark, Arkansas, by her mother because she was behaving in an unruly manner and refusing to take a shower.

In a report on the incident the officer, Dustin Bradshaw, said the mother gave him permission to use the Taser.

When he arrived, the girl was curled up on the floor, screaming, and resisting as her mother tried to get her in the shower before bed.

"Her mother told me to take her if I needed to," the officer wrote.

The child was "violently kicking and verbally combative" when he tried to take her into custody and she kicked him in the groin.

He then delivered "a very brief drive stun to her back," the report said.

The girl's father, Anthony Medlock, who is divorced from her mother, said the girl showed signs of emotional problems but did not deserve to be "treated like an animal".

He said: "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.

"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. She doesn't deserve to be treated like a dog. She's not a tiger." Local Mayor Vernon McDaniel said the FBI should investigate.

He said: "People here feel like that he made a mistake in using a Taser, and maybe he did, but we will not know until we get an impartial investigation." The local Police Chief Jim Noggle said no disciplinary action was taken against Bradshaw.

"We didn't use the Taser to punish the child, just to bring the child under control so she wouldn't hurt herself or somebody else," he said.

He said if the officer tried to forcefully put the girl in handcuffs, he could have accidentally broken her arm or leg.

Mr Noggle said the girl will face disorderly conduct charges as a juvenile.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/

Favorite

0 members favorited this

Comment

You need to be a member of 12160 Social Network to add comments!

Join 12160 Social Network

Comment by Jeff on February 25, 2010 at 6:52am: No justification is right

Comment by Troy Billington on February 22, 2010 at 9:27pm: OK...so "When" has it become any department's policy to have an officer go by what parents say...versus following departmental policy regarding use of less-than-lethal force. What's next....mom says "junior's actin up officer..pop a cap in his a**" is THAT acceptable?!

I feel the other isssue here is Mom's inability to handle her own child. This is the kind of behavior to expect of children who's parents DIVORCE! Of course, I could have said how MOM need a visit from CPS....but, I'm not that cold...CPS is the last thing you or your children need involved in your Family's lives.

There's absolutely NO justification for 'tasing' instead of going hands on with a child!!
The Mother in this case (if she did in fact give consent for arrest/tasing, needs to take her and her child in for much needed counseling).

Comment by Jerry on February 22, 2010 at 7:54pm: To everyone who think I was serious in asking this question, I was being sarcastic!!!
The cop should have his balls tasered! And thrown in jail!!