An officer used a Taser gun on a 10-year-old girl after she refused to take a shower. The police had been called in after her mother had complained that she was behaving in an unruly manner and refusing to take a shower.
She then proceeded to give the officer permission to taser the girl.
Reported in the Telegraph, it's alleged that the officer arrived to discover the girl curled up on the floor, screaming. He wrote that "Her mother told me to take her if I needed to".
The girl was "violently kicking and verbally combative" when he tried to take her into custody.
He then used the stun gun on her back for a brief moment.
The girl's father has admitted that the little girl was experiencing emotional problems, but felt that "treating her like an animal" was a step too far.
He suggested that the officer wasn't capable of his job if he was unable to pick the girl up, handcuff her and put her in the car.
The local Mayor, Vernon McDaniel, has also stepped in and suggested that the FBI need to investigate. He went on to say that an investigation will determine whether or not it was a mistake to taser the girl. The local police Chief has stated that no disciplinary action will be taken against the officer.
He defended the officers actions by suggesting that handcuffing a child could lead to broken arms or legs, but a taser is simply used to bring the child under control.
The girl will now face disorderly conduct charges as a juvenile. There's something very odd about a situation where a 10-year-old faces charges, and the officer with a weapon doesn't face any consequences.
Do you think police would ever be justified in using a Taser on a child?