The Associated Press
CINCINNATI, Ohio (AP) - The mother of a 14-year-old who was arrested for allegedly assaulting a police officer says police went too far when they used a Taser gun to subdue her son.
“They were out of order,” said Joeanna Hicks, 32. “Not only did he get shot with a Taser, he got beat up. The problem was not even with him.”
Police have not identified the teen they say was shot in the shoulder with a Taser on Monday night. He was not injured but was taken to Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center as a precaution, officials said.
Police use of the Taser - a weapon that fires two barbs that deliver a 50,000-volt jolt meant to temporarily immobilize a suspect - has come under increased scrutiny nationally over alleged health hazards.
Amnesty International released a report last month saying at least 74 people have died in the United States and Canada in the past four years after being shot with Tasers. The manufacturer, Taser International of Scottsdale, Ariz., rebutted the report, saying other health conditions caused the deaths.
In Cincinnati, police officials credit the use of Tasers for a substantial decrease in injuries to officers and suspects. The use of the Taser on Monday was in accordance with the department’s policies and procedures and state law, according to a use of force report.
During the attempted arrest of another person, the teen became disorderly and grabbed two police officers, causing them to tumble down steps, according to the police report. After two warnings, police fired the Taser, their reports say.
Hicks and her lawyer dispute the police version of events. They say officers yanked the teen out of a house, and threw him down the stairs.
After the teen was released from the hospital, he was arrested and jailed. He appeared before a Hamilton County Juvenile Court magistrate Tuesday on two counts of assault on a police officer and one count of obstruction of official business.
The teen denied the charges and was released to his mother. He will remain under house arrest until a Jan. 21 court hearing.
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