Tasing Children is Becoming the Norm
Officials: Deputy Shocks Girl, 11, With Taser At Elementary School
Girl, Deputy Taken To HospitalPOSTED: 10:34 am EDT March 27, 2008
UPDATED: 5:57 am EDT March 28, 2008ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — An Orange County sheriff’s deputy on Thursday shocked an 11-year-old girl with a Taser gun at an elementary school after the girl punched her in the face, authorities said.
The altercation happened during announcements at Moss Park Elementary School, located at 9301 N. Shore Golf Club Blvd. in Orlando, Orange County school officials said.
According to the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, the girl, identified as Thaliamar Jiminez by Local 6 News, pushed another student into oncoming traffic, and the student who was pushed reported the incident to a teacher.
The teacher approached Jiminez, but the 11-year-old ignored the teacher and walked to her homeroom class, according to the sheriff’s office.
The homeroom teacher also tried to talk to Jiminez, who became agitated and began to shove her desk and chair, Orange County sheriff’s deputies said. Jiminez was asked to go to the office but refused and yelled and spit at the teachers, deputies said.
The school resource officer, Orange County sheriff’s Deputy Donna Hudepohl was called to remove Jiminez, who pushed Hudepohl and punched her in the face, causing her nose to bleed, according to the sheriff’s office.
Hudepohl attempted to secure Jiminez, but she continued to fight, so Hudepohl shocked her with her Taser gun, the sheriff’s office said.
Get punched in the face by an 11-year old child; electrocute her. Perfectly logical….right?
There are several instances of this happening. Even to a child as young as 6.
A web site that has a page dedicated to incidences of tasers being used on children states the following facts and quotes from people who have been tased:
According to Amnesty International, Tasers have been responsible for 220 deaths in America from 2001-2007.
That’s an average of about 31 deaths per year. Yet, tasers have been deemed as safe by the company, Taser International, that makes them according to their own personal research.
The United Nations has deemed Taser use a form of torture.
Well, it’s not surprising that in our country we knowingly and willingly continue to use a form of torture on our citizens. Not surprising at all.
All taser use needs to either stop completely or much stricter guidelines need to be enacted. In my opinion, police officers have been way too quick to resort to using their tasers. I think they need to exhaust every possible alternative before they cause injury or harm to someone. But now it seems like instead of thinking of alternatives they see the problem and break out the taser gun to get it done and over with.
Leave a Reply