US police use stun gun on pregnant woman

A policeman in the US forced a pregnant woman to the ground and used a stun gun on her when she refused to answer questions.

The incident is the latest controversy in the US over the use of the guns, which have also been used on an 82-year-old woman in Chicago and a university student in Florida who refused to give up the microphone during a debate.

In the latest case in Trotwood, Ohio, the pregnant woman went to the police department to ask officers to take custody of her year-old son.

The woman told the officer she was “tired of playing games” with the baby’s father, refused to answer questions, became frustrated and tried to leave with the child.

The officer feared allowing her to leave could jeopardise the child, and he decided to detain her to get more information.

He said the officer grabbed the woman, got the child away from her and forced her to the ground. When she resisted being handcuffed and tried to get away, the officer used the stun gun on her.

The woman wore a heavy coat and did not tell the officer she was pregnant.

She was arrested for obstruction and resisting arrest. When she arrived at the jail, it was discovered that she was pregnant, and an officer took her to the hospital.

The condition of her and her unborn baby was not known.

The FBI is investigating the arrest and the police department is conducting its own inquiry to determine whether excessive force was used.

A report by the Bureau of Justice Statistics last month said arrest-related deaths involving stun guns are rising. From 2003-2005, there were 36 , with a jump from three cases in 2003 to 24 in 2005.