Are idiot cops with tasers in some sort of competition with one another? I think the new record for stupidity belongs to Dustin Bradshaw, the Arkansas police officer who zapped and arrested a 10-year-old girl for throwing a fit.
Get this: The mother called police because her child was throwing a fit about showering before going to bed. When the officer arrived, the girl was kicking and screaming on the floor and the mother suggested that she should be tasered. Instead of saying something like “I don’t have time for this crap lady” and calling out child protective services, the officer picked up the girl and carried her into the living room. At that point the girl was reported to be “kicking violently” and one of those kicks struck the officer square in the balls. The officer then proceeded to taser the girl in the back, handcuff her and drag her off to the Western Arkansas Youth Shelter.
If that wasn’t bad enough, Officer Bradshaw was suspended for a week without pay, not because he tased the girl, but because he failed to use the camera attachment to record the incident. The girl, on the other hand, will face disorderly conduct charges as a juvenile over the incident. Seriously, what is it going to take before law enforcement officials decide to rein in police abuse of tasers? Or can cops just go around tasering babies and puppies at will? [AP via True Crime Report via Digg Image via Flickr]
Paul Preston
Saturday, November 21, 2009 at 7:04 PMi think its acceptable for the brat to be tasered, I think this story positions the reader to think its barbaric and cruel. but it seems hyped to me.
guestly
Wednesday, February 24, 2010 at 3:03 AMuhhh. taser? on a kid? that’s sick.
She needed her a** beat is what she needed. She also needs a father or a mother with a backbone. How simple is that? The ironic and disgusting consequence of today’s world is the cop would likely have been prosecuted more harshly, had he spanked her…….
joe
Saturday, November 21, 2009 at 11:17 PMYeah i think that this lesson would be good for the girl and that the writer has too much of a bias in the writing of this article.
Khuntza
Saturday, November 21, 2009 at 11:34 PM^ Are you for real? of course “this story positions the reader to think its barbaric and cruel”.. because it is..
In what situation exactly do you think its ok to taser a little girl? Where is the line drawn.. She could have been killed..
If the mother can’t handle her own child and felt the need to call the police then the child should be taken away.. not physically harmed.. that is an issue with the parent not the child..
You two should be tasered for the simple fact that you think this is acceptable..
matt
Monday, November 23, 2009 at 10:22 AMteens cutting the ears and tails off of innocent animals just because they were “board” is cruel.
Stupid “oh won’t somebody PLEASE think of the children!!” people have lead to some kids being the most irresponsible monsters I’ve ever seen.
Obviously this is extreme and another example of over enthusiastic taser usage on someone who did not require any violence to deal with (seriously, because her mum said to do it? what if her mum said to shoot her??).
But I have no sympathy. when you have kids who think they are well with in their right to have their parents arrested because they took his xbox away as punishment, clearly some of them need to be taken down a peg. Bring back the cane.
Derrick
Sunday, November 22, 2009 at 12:27 AMWhy not taser both the parent and the child?
Lee
Sunday, November 22, 2009 at 7:31 AMThe police should have tasered the mother.
What the hell was she thinking calling the police for a child throwing a tantrum – she should have given the child a whack herself!
jonathan
Sunday, November 22, 2009 at 10:34 AMThe mother should be tasered for calling the police in the first place.
Awex
Sunday, November 22, 2009 at 11:07 AMMan. That is one great police officer.
Jay
Sunday, November 22, 2009 at 1:59 PMOf course this is directly related to society and, in some places, the law saying you can no longer smack your child. The kids know it. They play on it. If the law is going to prevent parents from disciplining their child then I guess it’s up to them now to dole out the punishment.
Bennish
Sunday, November 22, 2009 at 2:04 PMSo, some of you are saying it was okay to taser her?? Would it also be okay to use pepper spray?
Give me a f*&$ing break.
Sean
Sunday, November 22, 2009 at 11:17 PMYour tax dollars at work.
Chadi
Monday, November 23, 2009 at 4:33 AMHey why taser child having a tantrum when here in Australia we got kids doing illegal stuff and the police does nothing just because they are kids…
Kids do know they are getting away with it and thats why smacking needs to be reintroduced not by parents but at schools too, I schools really needs it badly as you wouldn’t believe the amount of disrespect the teachers get at schools, and yet its the same nothing can be done just because they are kids.
Dazz
Monday, November 23, 2009 at 8:13 AM“Violence begets violence” – in what instance is it “ok” to taser a child throwing a tantrum. I would argue there is no instance in which ‘tasering’ is justified at all except in self defence. This story is a sad comment on society’s values, and indeed the values on display in some of the comments are rather disturbing. I can speak from experience that physical violence to a child engenders disrespect and hate and does nothing to curb bad behaviour. A regime of carrots and sticks – which is simply teaching the individual that good behaviour has its rewards while bad behaviour leads to withdrawal of rights and priveliges, is infinitley more effective.
Frogztar
Monday, November 23, 2009 at 9:15 AMMy hero… *wipes tear from eye*
Mike Anthony
Monday, November 23, 2009 at 3:14 PMHonestly, how do you expect kids like her to grow up and act in a mature way if all they are taught as children is that to get their way all they have to do is scream and kick?
Now at an early age she’s been taught an important life lesson and I bet has a healthy respect for police officers.
P. Groves
Friday, November 27, 2009 at 1:34 PMWow! It’s staggering to hear people try and justify the tasering of a 10 YEAR OLD!! I really can’t beleive there is actually people alive who find this acceptable!? Either I’ve missed the sarcasim inyour posts or some of the people posting here, represent the depths of society! absolutely flabbergasted!!
Matt
Tuesday, January 19, 2010 at 10:14 AMIf the woman was fed up enough to call the cops then this girl probably misbehaved a lot. I think she deserved it. Some kids need a good ass kicking to teach them some respect for authority. My parents did it to me, and their parents did it to them and we’ve turned out just fine.
Jamal
Tuesday, January 19, 2010 at 11:36 AMI think that’s damn hilarious and I only wish there were footage on youtube of the whole thing.
ron
Saturday, September 4, 2010 at 1:35 PMtasers are way to bad they need to just use the 9mm
less paperwork