Local police taser a 10 yr. old girl

[ozarkmom]

I don't know what to think about this. I wasn't there so I can't really judge. I'm angry with this little girls mother. I know everyone one including the arresting officer (this is a small community). I really feel like this girls mom just wants her gone. The mother called the police on her out of control 10 yr. old daughter and the local news cast I watched said she gave them permission to tazer the child if they needed to. They said the child kicked the officer in the groin and he tazered or is it tazed? her in the back . On the news her father (hasn't really been in the picture much) is in tears showing a picture of his 70 pound daughter and asking if a police officer cannot put a small child in the patrol car without a tazer is he fit to be a police officer. He also says he is going to try to gain custody of the child. There is an older sister who chose to move in with her dad( different father)a few months ago. I've seen this child throw her fits and I've always thought she needed someone to discipline her. I really think her mother is trying to get rid of her and keeps calling the police on her. Again I don't know what should be done but I hope there is a place where this child can be helped.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

You could reverse the statement of the father to say, a large police officer could do a lot of harm trying to tackle a 70lb girl.

 

[Jennasis]

That officer is living my dream...to able to taze innocent children willy-nilly...ah bliss.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

Wow! It doesn't seem appropriate given her age.

However--I don't think it is fair of the dad to make the comment about the officer. If you can't control a "suspect", you can't. There are some wiry young children out there that are difficult to handle and chances are, the family would have been upset had the officer opted to use "force" to get the child to cooperate.

(i.e. DH and I were at our wits end getting my 2.5 year old in a car seat. He is so strong, especially in the legs and it took BOTH of us and some maneuvering to get him fastened in--and he is only 2. Granted he is a boy and I dont know if that makes a difference, but I can't imagine him as a discipline issue at 10 and if he was, he likely would be difficult to force to do anything. Thankfully he is mostly cooperative even at 2.)

Don't know what should be done. Certainly not a happy circumstance for anyone involved

I'd be curious on what the Tazer policy is and would only want the officer reprimanded if he violated that policy. If a parent can provide permission--the officer shouldn't be in trouble IMHO. Then again, sounds like mom shouldn't really be a mom.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

That officer is living my dream...to able to taze innocent children willy-nilly...ah bliss.

Tazer aside---how exactly do we know this child is innocent?

 

[JessicaR]

Posting a link to the story.

http://www.kfsm.com/sns-ap-ar--girlshocked-ozark,0,2908917.story

 

[Jennasis]

Tazer aside---how exactly do we know this child is innocent?

Hmmmm? Oh...er..I dunno. But I want to taze innocent children willy-nilly.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

Hmmmm? Oh...er..I dunno. But I want to taze innocent children willy-nilly.

Ohhhh.......

I was thinking it was the other type of sarcasm.


Looks like this happened in Arkansas--home of corporal punishment in the public school system. It seems is she can get paddled at the school by the principal, it makes sense that the cops can taze if the parent provides permission.

 

[NHdisneylover]

I just read the link. What baffles me is what the child was being arrested for From the (admitedly short) article, it sounds as though the 10 year old was throwing one heck of a temper tantrum in her home. Porr behaviour--absolutely. Criminal--well, not from what is written.

 

[Magic Mom]

Maybe the officer thought it was safer to taze her than physically fight with her.

 

[Eeyore'sthebest]

Umm, I don't know what the girl did but I guarantee you that my 9 yo DD (almost 10) would also be kicking, crying, screaming and combative if I threatened her with going to jail. I can't imagine that mother is getting a mother of the year award any time soon.

 

[Eeyore'sthebest]

Looks like this happened in Arkansas--home of corporal punishment in the public school system. It seems is she can get paddled at the school by the principal, it makes sense that the cops can taze if the parent provides permission.

Remind me not to move to Arkansas. I thought of the other thread immediately when I opened the link.

 

[ozarkmom]

Ohhhh.......

I was thinking it was the other type of sarcasm.


Looks like this happened in Arkansas--home of corporal punishment in the public school system. It seems is she can get paddled at the school by the principal, it makes sense that the cops can taze if the parent provides permission.

Actually to the best of my knowledge this child has never had a spanking from anyone (maybe that's her problem). Yes Arkansas and a few other states still have corporal punishment but it's a rare occasion that our school ever uses it. Also parents can opt out. This child has zero discipline and when she is out of control at school they call her mother. Lately her mother's answer is to call the police.

 

[LisaR]

Dang! I wish I would have known this years ago when my DD was in the temper tantrum stage. I could have just called the police instead of trying to actually parent my kid.

 

[C.Ann]

Considering that people have died from the use of a tazer gun, I hardly think it's appropriate to use on a child who is having a temper tantrum.. The officer could have easily called for back up and I think two police officers would have been able to handle a 10 yr. old, 70 lb. child..

Should have used it on the mom instead for giving permission..

 

[LUCiD]

Wait, you can legally give the police permission to tazer 10-year-old!? *Calls the police on her lil sister*. Nah, just kidding. I wouldn't do that to my little sis! ^_^
All joking aside. She threw a temper tantrum. So? All kids, especially at her age, does. It's not entirely the kids fault anyway. From what I've heard so far, she's been spoiled. What do they expect? Right now, I'm REALLY miffed at the mother for arresting her very own ten-year-old daughter and giving the police permission to tazer the child. I'm on the father's side with this, give him the custody of the child. SHE should go to jail for child endangerment, not the kid.

 

[DawnCt1]

Tazer aside---how exactly do we know this child is innocent?

She may be guilty as sin, but I have worked on psychiatric units where we had to restrain even 10 year olds, without the use of a taser and we did it quite well. The dad has a point. Come with the amount of help you need.

 

[happygirl]

Maybe the officer thought it was safer to taze her than physically fight with her.

I agree with this.

 

[LUCiD]

Actually, tazering her is equivalent to physically harming her, maybe even worse. At least that's what I can tell after seeing and hearing various cases of people getting tazered.

 

[Magic Mom]

Actually, tazering her is equivalent to physically harming her, maybe even worse. At least that's what I can tell after seeing and hearing various cases of people getting tazered.

I'm not a taser expert, but a large male police officer with no training in restraining a child may have been fearful of seriously hurting a 10 year old girl in the process of restraining her and carrying her out, for instance breaking a bone. I can see how that that could be a concern when he made that split second decision. I prefer to give him the benefit of the doubt until I hear more.