Police officer shoots 10-year-old boy with Taser for refusing to clean patrol car

http://rt.com/usa/news/taser-boy-playground-webb-611/

If the allegations are true this is a very troubling incident. The results of the "investigation" will be interesting.

I really like the top comment on the page. The commenter claims that both sides should be investigated and reported on, not just the one; and he also says, "It was only an accident." I'm sorry, but we shouldn't be accidentally tasing children!

Defendant Webb, the complaint suggests, responded by pointing his Taser at R.D. and saying, 'Let me show you what happens to people who do not listen to the police.'" The officer then allegedly fired two barbs from the device at the child’s chest, penetrating his shirt.

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I'm not able to see how this 10 year old boy's "contempt of cop" constituted a threat to "officer safety". Oh, wait, it didn't? So what we have here is a case of some ego tripping, jack booted, badge wearing thug of an adult ASSAULTING a minor?! But, but, the cops are our FRIENDS!!! /sarcasm




Bet he doesn't get jail time for this.

OC for ME said:

http://rt.com/usa/news/taser-boy-playground-webb-611/

If the allegations are true this is a very troubling incident. The results of the "investigation" will be interesting.

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Troubling? That's a diplomatic way of putting it.

The story sounds kinda fishy to me. A cop just up and tasering a kid for not cleaning his patrol car? Naw. Even the bad cops are rarely that bad. I suspect something is being omitted from either the complaint or the news story.

Nonetheless, I am hard pressed to imagine anything that would justify a cop tasering a ten year old unless the kid pulled a knife on him or something. The cop better have a really good explanation that is supported by witness.

The Rest of the Story

Citizen said:

Troubling? That's a diplomatic way of putting it.

The story sounds kinda fishy to me. A cop just up and tasering a kid for not cleaning his patrol car? Naw. Even the bad cops are rarely that bad. I suspect something is being omitted from either the complaint or the news story.

Nonetheless, I am hard pressed to imagine anything that would justify a cop tasering a ten year old unless the kid pulled a knife on him or something. The cop better have a really good explanation that is supported by witness.

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Does sound like we're hearing one side of the story. I also wondered why local newspapers and TV hadn't picked up on it.

After a little poking around, here's the lawsuit:
http://www.thesmokinggun.com/file/10-year-old-tasered?page=5

and the officer's side of the story:
http://www.thesmokinggun.com/file/10-year-old-tasered?page=1

(Use the red "Next" arrow to page through.) The officer received a three-day suspension, according to the article. Sounds a little light, given what I know. As the saying goes, "Stupid oughta hurt". Here's the fairly detailed story:
http://www.thesmokinggun.com/documents/cop-tasers-kid-687452

Three day suspension? Too little or too much, it does not matter. The fact that a suspension was issued is very telling, and could be instrumental in the pursuit of a civil action win for R.D.

It is just a little to common for a cop to say I accidentally did this or that, and I thought I did that or this. Nope, the cops version is just a story as is R.D.'s. What will be interesting is the eye witness accounts of the incident. A bunch 3rd/4th graders can have very good, and detailed memories of "traumatic" events.

Though, friend or not, I am told by my mother that I would have likely laughed at the incident when I was at that age.

My mother had a great deal of trouble with me, but I think she enjoyed it. - Mark Twain

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There are zillions of people who want to be cops ... so I would have just kicked this cop out on the curb and say "find a new profession, idiot!"

RT

You woudn't see this kind of a story on CNN unless it was manipulated to their standards. That's why Russian Times had to take up the story.

OC for ME said:

My mother had a great deal of trouble with me, but I think she enjoyed it. - Mark Twain

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Twain also tells the anecdote of a visit to his mom in her twilight years. She was sick in bed. She mentioned the time he caught measles as a young boy and how it made her fearful.

"Afraid I would die?", he asked.

"Afraid you would live", she replied.