Police Officer Uses Taser On 10-Year-Old Girl

Police Officer Uses Taser On 10-Year-Old Girl

www.4029tv.com

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 arrest

(visit the link for the full news article)

I don't get this at all.

How can anyone justify using that kind of force on a ten year old child?

Apparently the policy of the Ozark police is to tazer anyone who they deem a threat, regardless of their age.

So a 10 year old needs to be tazered in order to be overpowered and arrested?

What's worse is that the childs mother told the officer to go ahead and do it if he needed to.

No wonder the childs father is outraged.

All I can say is that the police must recruit pretty small officers in Ozark if they worry about attacks by 10 year old girls.

I am truly sickened and appaled by this.

www.4029tv.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

i feel like puking
this is disgusting

these are "heroes"?????

we can't look at cops as heroes any longer
tasering a 10yr old girl is not heroism

yes there's good cops out there
but damn these good cops do absolutely nothing about the bad cops

and stupid mother too
calling the cops because she can't handle her daughter?

[edit on 18-11-2009 by ModernAcademia]

It's not the worst I have come across but it certainly is idiotic of the cop to do that. Unless ofcourse the child was attempting suicide, threatning with a knife or weapon or any such action which could have resulted in bodily harm...there was no need to tase.

I agree. This is ridiculous. Anyway, just thought I'd let you guys know there's already a thread on this one...

www.abovetopsecret.com...

Emotionally disturbed children, even at age 10 yrs can indeed be difficult to physically handle. Having acknowledged that however, the use of a taser on a 10 yr old is indicative of inadequate training on the part of the police.

Why was there only one officer sent; especially when this was not the first time they were called? Where was the liaison with the professionals who work with children with emotiona/behavioural problems?

Using a taser is just too easy.

all i can say is if this was my little one, i would be in jail and there would be some cops with some missing front teeth.

That is just insaine, sure they can be a hand full, but where are the limits.
Think of the after effects this child is going to have in the future from this.
Just wrong.

Originally posted by wayno
Using a taser is just too easy.

Yes. It's simplistic thinking, like taking a pill solves everything. Why bother with having to make other choices, when you can "simply" do one thing?

What's next...Mother's Little Taser for when a child becomes unruly in the cereal aisle, crying and thrashing about on the floor. Why that child could endanger someone! Teacher's LIttle Taser for unruly kindergartners. Move over Arnold Swartzenegger, make room for a real Kindergarten Cop!

What the hell ever happened to take down techniques?

And now an opposing view from a father of two little boys with the oldest being 9. I would ask that you respond without being ignorant or rude as I will show you the same respect.

That being said, I have no problems with this child being tased. I don't know if you read the whole story but here is the portion that showed me it was warranted.

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.

The police officer received permission from the parent who was on the scene and saw what was going on. The child was out of control and attacked/injured the police officer. The officer did the right thing and prevented the child, officer and mother from being further injured. What would have happened if he tried to detain her and she knocked her head against the wall, table, chair? The mother would have been the first to say, "I told him to tase her to get her under control. I don't know why he wrestled her instead."

Sorry ladies and gents. He did the right thing. Sucks she was 10 but maybe this is what the family (and child) needed to have happen so she didn't turn out to be one of those 16/17 year old brats thinking they can get away with tantrums. She needs help as does the family. Given the circumstances, I would say my child got what she deserved.

S/F for you.

2nd line to convey my appreciation.

reply to post by budski


You will find it probably happens alot.

People who join police for some reason, are just scum.

Originally posted by andy1033
reply to post by budski

 

You will find it probably happens alot.

People who join police for some reason, are just scum.

Well, that couldn't be a more open-minded post. My uncle is an AZ State Trooper and I have had the pleasure to be around them. Of course there are a-holes in the group who abuse their power to some degree but no more then those in the IRS who audit their neighbors for having a dog shot in their yard, Council members who choose to enforce/look the other way because of personal feelings, doctors who may treat a hostile patient differently then a non-hostile patient, etc... Do we say that doctors are scum? I'm not saying it's right but you can't label an entire group as "scum" because of the few bad apples. That's beyond ignorant. Are SOME cops, IRS agents, council members, doctors scum, yep.

reply to post by Roadblockx


I covered that in the OP - it sounded to me like the mother just couldn't be bothered.

it was the father who rightly kicked up a stink about this.

I have kids and there is very little difficult to control about a ten year old - certainly not to the extent that they need to be tasered.

A teenager would be a different matter.

This just smacks of lazy policing - and worse than that, it's official policy to taser someone regardless of their age.s


[edit on 18/11/2009 by budski]

I was about to post this. Thank searches.

Being in this line of work, I've often defended law enforcement for some of the stories that I've seen on unnecessary taser or use of force issues.

For the life of me, I cannot wrap my head around a 10 year old girl needing a taser blast.

This officer, regardless of the mom's directions should have been able to subdue a 10 year old girl, without much force at all.

I'm not sure how the officers are trained, down there. Maybe my years of martial arts, and hand to hand violent encounters with actual criminals, would have stumped me, if I was trying to handle a 10 year old girl.

I just don't get it.
He should be fired. period. And I hope his groin still hurts. haha.

There is already a thread on this topic here.

Please contribute any further questions and/or comments to the above linked thread.

Thank you.

Thread Closed.