Public Enemy
by digby
They would have had to shoot him:
An “out of control” 10-year-old foster child was shocked with a Taser and arrested by sheriff’s deputies Monday in Pueblo West.
Capt. Jeff Teschner, head of patrol at the Pueblo County Sheriff’s Department, said Wednesday that the deputies involved were justified in their use of force.
[…]
Mondragon said that when deputies arrived, the boy ran away from them holding a 2-foot-long pipe.
“This lad, we have a long history of (him) running away. I don’t know what his entire psychological profile is, but obviously he has emotional distress,” Teschner said.
[…]
Teschner said that because of the tight quarters the boy was in, stunning the child with a Taser was a more effective way of arresting the youth rather than using pepper spray.
“They couldn’t get close enough to deploy pepper spray without putting themselves in danger,” Teschner said.
Myers deployed the Taser at the boy, who then dropped the pipe, and Mondragon arrested the boy… The boy was booked into Pueblo Youth Center on suspicion of menacing with a deadly weapon…
[…]
“It’s important to use best judgment and consideration anytime you deploy these devices, whether it’s an old person or a young person. We followed all our policies and procedures, and I think in this particular instance, (the Taser) was used in an appropriate effect,” Teschner said.
People can easily buy tasers for personal use. Does this mean that parents can use them on little kids who are having temper tantrums? It sure will make parenting a lot simpler.
Update: I keep reading that this was a brilliant move because nobody got hurt. And I guess except for the horribly painful electric shock that’s true.
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