Police duo suspended after boy, 10, tasered

Two officers called to subdue a violent 10-year-old boy have been suspended after one used a stun gun on the child and another slapped him in the mouth.

The child suffered no significant injuries, but both officers were placed on paid administrative leave while police in Indiana investigate the confrontation.

Martinsville police chief Jon Davis said he believed the officers could have controlled the six and a half-stone boy without using force.

“I think they could have just restrained the young man,” he said at a news conference. “Just held him down. Might have ended the situation.”

The sheriff’s department has taken over the investigation, and the police department would hold an internal review of the incident, which happened on Tuesday, Mr Davis said.

Capt William Jennings, who has been a policeman for 36 years, and Officer Darren Johnson responded to a call to find the boy, who was not identified, hitting, kicking and spitting on a caretaker as she held him down at a day care centre, according to police reports. Another woman, identified as the boy’s guardian was also present.

The officers tried to restrain the boy, but he remained violent and kicked Officer Johnson, according to police. In a written report, the officer said he showed the child his Taser stun gun and pushed the button to display the zap of electricity. He warned he would use the gun if the boy did not settle down.

The boy then lunged at his guardian and Officer Johnson said he used his stun gun for one to two seconds. Capt Jennings’ report said the boy then calmed down.

The officers were not immediately available to comment on the case.

Tuesday’s incident was at least the fourth time in two years in which US police have used stun guns on children.

A police officer in Arkansas was sacked in November after using a stun gun on a 10-year-old girl – not for stunning the child, but for breaking department policy by failing to use a camera attached to the weapon.

Stun guns could be safely used on children, although the public may not find that acceptable, said Steve Tuttle, spokesman for Taser International.