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Police use stun gun on 6-year-old boy
Officials: Child was cutting himself with glass
Friday, November 12, 2004 Posted: 2006 GMT (0406 HKT)
MIAMI, Florida (AP) -- Police used a stun gun on a 6-year-old boy in his principal's office because he was wielding a piece of glass and threatening to hurt himself, officials said Thursday.
The boy, who was not identified, was shocked with 50,000 volts on October 20 at Kelsey Pharr Elementary School.
Principal Maria Mason called 911 after the child broke a picture frame in her office and waved a piece of glass, holding a security guard back.
When two Miami-Dade County police officers and a school officer arrived, the boy had
already cut himself under his eye and on his hand.
The officers talked to the boy without success. When the boy cut his own leg, one officer shocked him with a Taser and another grabbed him to prevent him from falling, police said.
He was treated and taken to a hospital, where he was committed for psychiatric evaluation.
"By using the Taser, we were able to stop the situation, stop him from hurting himself," police spokesman Juan DelCastillo told The Miami Herald.
The case was under review.
Brandy, I read that one too, twice just to be sure, and I suspect I know who really should be seeing the psychiatrist.
Police use stun gun on 6-year-old boy
Officials: Child was cutting himself with glass
Friday, November 12, 2004 Posted: 2006 GMT (0406 HKT)
MIAMI, Florida (AP) -- Police used a stun gun on a 6-year-old boy in his principal's office because he was wielding a piece of glass and threatening to hurt himself, officials said Thursday.
The boy, who was not identified, was shocked with 50,000 volts on October 20 at Kelsey Pharr Elementary School.
Principal Maria Mason called 911 after the child broke a picture frame in her office and waved a piece of glass, holding a security guard back.
When two Miami-Dade County police officers and a school officer arrived, the boy had
already cut himself under his eye and on his hand.
The officers talked to the boy without success. When the boy cut his own leg, one officer shocked him with a Taser and another grabbed him to prevent him from falling, police said.
He was treated and taken to a hospital, where he was committed for psychiatric evaluation.
"By using the Taser, we were able to stop the situation, stop him from hurting himself," police spokesman Juan DelCastillo told The Miami Herald.
The case was under review.
I think they have slightly miss-read the situation - Mossburg Pump-action would be my weapon of choice. :evil
Naefearjustbeer
15-Nov-04, 15:05
I am struggeling to understand how a 6 year old needs to be zapped by the police? Surely the teachers could held the child whilst another adult gently removed the peice of glass?
in a situation like that was that not the best thing they could do with out hurting them self or other around, because as it says the boy had cut him self in three places eye, hand and leg so if he did not care about hurting him self i very much doubt if some one went near him that he was just gonna stand there he would be swinging the glass around at them. i know shocking some one probibly hurts like hell but it will go away after a while where as having a pice of glass sticking in you i would think is way more likely to kill you.
if it had been an
ADULT i would have understood ... but here we have a 6 year old child!
i mean think about it.. you have the principle who should be use to handling temper tantrums every day.. and the big bad police who face hardened criminals and viloent crimes... find it necessary to send 50,000 volts into a very small body.. now tell me what adult could not simply take it away from a child.. why didnt they call the childs parents?
wouldnt that be the first thing to do?
Think about this?
The police arrive and try nicely to talk the child into handing over the shard. The child agrees but only if the teacher steps forward to take it from him, seeing his chance to get the teacher. The teacher stands forward 'Come on Johnny hand that over' . The child promptly thrusts the glass deep into her throat.
Do gooders will now want to know why the police didnt use the proper procedure when confronted with an armed attacker. The teacher's family will want to know why the police and the education authority did not protect their family member.
Harsh though it seems, it might be the police dealt with the situation correctly?
ŠAmethyst
15-Nov-04, 21:17
I'm really agreeing with what you're saying here, brandy.
50,000 volts of electricity can be potentially lethal to any child, pregnant woman or older person.
I'm sure the police could have done something else.
It was wrong of them to call the police in. There are people working in a professional capacity who deal with children behaving like this all the time. They should have called them in.
Police don't know how to handle an child (who I presume was prbably upset at something) - they're trained in dealing with criminals.
ŠAmethyst
15-Nov-04, 21:22
"By using the Taser, we were able to stop the situation, stop him from hurting himself," police spokesman Juan DelCastillo told The Miami Herald.
That statement is totally untrue. If you think about it... The boy did manage to hurt himself. Crikey, was admitted to hospital for his injuries.
The case was under review.
Only because it's not the first case of a kid being shocked with 50,000 volts!
http://www.wjla.com/news/stories/1104/187373.html
I agree it sounds rough handed but the police have to take split second decisions for the best outcome that results in the least injury to ALL parties. The fact remains is that the police were called and they acted how they saw best
Only a police discipline enquiry will decide if they acted suitably
50000volts can be lethal to anyone, but a slap across the chops can be as well...
George Brims
15-Nov-04, 21:55
Technical point - it's not the voltage that kills you, it's the current. 50,000 volts from a big power transformer or the lines on pylons will supply a huge current, but the Taser device is designed to limit the current it supplies, to a level that will incapacitate and not kill.
However - it was designed for an adult torso, so I am not sure they were anywhere near wise using it on a small child. It could conceivably have triggered a fatal heart attack. Anyway they seem to have got away with it on that count. Lets just hope the kid can be helped.
2little2late
15-Nov-04, 23:01
Had the boy bled to death the police would have been criticised for not doing enough. They stop him killing himself and still get critcised for saving his life.
...the child broke a picture frame in her office and waved a piece of glass, holding a security guard back.
When two Miami-Dade County police officers and a school officer arrived, the boy had
already cut himself under his eye and on his hand.
The officers talked to the boy without success. When the boy cut his own leg, one officer shocked him with a Taser and another grabbed him to prevent him from falling, police said...
Errr, this is a six year old who obviously understood the principle of using a sharp object to threaten others with and do harm to himself.
It only takes a wound in the right place (consider the height of a six yr old and the location of arteries in the lower body) and someone could easily have suffered severe blood loss or even death if they had attempted to intervene with what was obviously a severely disturbed child. A six year old having a tantrum can be a handful to try and control without the additional problem of that six year old having a extremely sharp pointy weapon.
I dare say the police could have waited for a SWAT team to arrive with the equipment to enable them to approach the kid in safety (riot shields to approach and corner the kid) but when he started to slice himself open they probably had a split second to respond and the Tazer is the least lethal option open to them.
Until you have to take split second life or death decisions as they did, I don't think you should sit in judgement with the only facts available being the ones from a newspaper.
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John Traill
15-Nov-04, 23:58
"By using the Taser, we were able to stop the situation, stop him from hurting himself," police spokesman Juan DelCastillo told The Miami Herald.
That statement is totally untrue. If you think about it... The boy did manage to hurt himself. Crikey, was admitted to hospital for his injuries.
It's not "totally untrue". He was hurting himself and they stopped him. They didn't claim they prevented him being injured.
JT
Sorry but I didn't realise Rambo was only 6 years old!
Sorry but I didn't realise Rambo was only 6 years old!
He certainly spoke like one.....
http://hometown.aol.co.uk/MadPict/images/flaminmad.gifMadPict
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There is in fact enough current in a "dead" 1.5 volt battery to kill you, and possibly a few others if its wired into you/them correctly.
In this situation however, I would have used 2 HP7 batteries and dunted both the boy and his teacher in the heid with them along with the phrase "what do you think you're playing at eh???". Certainly worked when we were at school.
Also, this thread is called "what is the world coming to?" but i think it should be called "what in the world is the US coming to?" Re-electing Bush and electrocuting 6 year old kids that they can't control. Or should that be electing 6 year olds they cant control and re-electrocuting Bush? The word "nutters" keeps trying to get out but that would be a tad rude towards anyone who is actually mentally ill (or psychiatrically challenged if you prefer).
And, of course, it couldn't possibly happen here! I wish I had a fiver for every time I'd heard that rubbish spouted. Watch and Wait, it will never happen here, after all, we do everything right because we are perfect!
Naefearjustbeer
16-Nov-04, 02:27
It is a sign of the times allright. It is all down to respect. When I was 6 I am pretty damm sure that if a teacher/parent/policeman asked me to give them a bit of broken glass I happened to have. It would of been handed over pretty smart because my parents taught me respect and they respected me and the things I did. These days some kids think they can do as they please without repercusion and the parents are not much better. What sort of parenting did this child have? They should bring back the strap.
This is the "I know my Rights" Society writ large!
And, of course, it couldn't possibly happen here! I wish I had a fiver for every time I'd heard that rubbish spouted. Watch and Wait, it will never happen here, after all, we do everything right because we are perfect!
No - It couldn't happen here!?!?
The worst thing that can happen in this country is when the police armed response unit opens fire and kills you for carrying a wrapped table-leg at a jaunty angle and having a Scottish accent. (It's okay if there are two policemen 'cos then the stories can match up)Then, all their colleagues can protest when the "marksmen" are suspended (on full pay) [disgust]
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