Police Taser Puts 14 Year Old Boy In Cardiac Arrest

[matcom]

<snip>

A 14-year-old boy went into cardiac arrest after police used a stun gun to subdue him, authorities said Tuesday.

More than a day after the Monday morning incident, the boy remained unconscious at Children's Memorial Hospital, Cook County Public Guardian Robert Harris said. Harris questioned why police used a Taser on the boy, a ward of the state who was living at a residential treatment center on the North Side.

"It's crazy stuff,'' he said.

But Chicago Police spokesman Dave Bayless said the boy lurched at an officer after a violent outburst at the center, in which he attacked three people and broke three windows. The boy has been charged with three counts of aggravated battery to protected employees and one count of aggravated assault.

Police said it was the first time anyone in the city had gone into cardiac arrest after being hit by the Taser electronic gun, which shoots wire barbs that give shocks of 50,000 volts of electricity.

Bayless said police planned to review research on the safety of the guns, which the department has used since last year. Nationwide more than 80 people have died after receiving the shocks, according to published reports.

The boy has been a ward of the state since 1999 and has lived at the North Side center run by Ulich Children's Advantage Network since June 2003. Ulich officials said the incident was under investigation and would not comment.

http://www.suntimes.com/output/news/cst-nws-taser09.html

[ladjf]

1. School officials in Jacksonville, FL. should reconsider their

plan to use 1.8 million dollars worth of TASERS in their schools next year. A dead student or two might irritate some parents. They might further investigate for any hidden financial ties between the TASER company and those officials who are advocating the purchase.

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

2. Let's see...

An udiagnosed cardiac insufficiency, a jolt of DC voltage to the right part of the torso...

Makes sense to me. Look for more of this sort of thing.

[Solon]

3. This is getting fucking ridiculous....

I assume the kid was unarmed, if so, the officer had NO RIGHT to pull a "less than lethal" aka, lethal weapon out to restrain him. How is this any different than pulling his gun out on an unarmed suspect and shooting him in the chest? Just that you have a 70/30 chance with a taser, verses the 10/90 chance with a gun?

[Susang]

5. You are right, this is ridiculous

Apparently TASERs are now the weapon of choice for the lazy and the inept. I wonder how many of these stories are out there that we haven't been told about?

[Solon]

6. Hell when I was a camp counselor at summer camp...

for the County, I had to learn how to restrain kids that got into fights and shit like that. Hell even then, some of those 14 year olds were bigger than me, and I still was able to restrain them just fine. I was 18, he was on some meds to keep him from BITING other kids. What the hell is it with these cops, I mean, seriously, how fucking lazy can you get. BTW: Just a tip, NEVER, and I do mean NEVER try to get a job at a day camp or summer camp for Public Parks. Parents just dump the 'troubled' kids in there because they don't know how to raise them, fucking stupid asses. :grr:

[underpants]

4. CLEAR!

Sorry couldn't resist.

This is getting way out of hand.