The Associated Press
PEMBROKE PINES, Fla. (AP) - A police officer used a Taser stun gun on a 12-year-old special-needs student who tried to stab another pupil with a pencil on their school bus.
The attack took place on the bus on Dec. 10, forcing the driver to pull over on its way to the Whispering Pines School for special-needs children, Pembroke Pines police Cmdr. David Golt said.
Police found the 12-year-old, 142-pound boy sitting alone in the back of the bus. One officer tried to calm him down, but the boy kicked and threatened the officer, Golt said.
Another officer then pulled out her 50,000-volt M-26 Taser and shot the boy once.
Golt said the department in suburban Broward County determined the officer was within agency guidelines in using the Taser.
“We’re always concerned when an incident arises to the level that we have to use the Taser,” Golt said. “The concern is not about actually using the Taser, but that it was an incident that our officer had to use some kind of escalated force.”
The boy, who wasn’t identified because of his age, was charged with several offenses, including aggravated assault and resisting a police officer with violence. He was released from custody.
A Miami-Dade County police officer used a Taser on a 12-year-old girl who was caught skipping class Nov. 5. Officials said the officer faces disciplinary action for inappropriately using his Taser.
In October, a Miami-Dade schools security officer used a Taser on a 6-year-old-boy. The boy was holding a shard of glass and had cut himself.
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