Missouri Police Taser Injured Boy Up to 19 Times

[Paulie]

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KY 3 News' Sara Sheffield reports on an injured teen from Ozark, Missouri who was tasered up to 19 times by police.

Passing motorists called Ozark police out of concern for the teen as he walked along the busy overpass. When the police arrived, the young man was lying on the shoulder of the highway directly underneath the 30 foot high overpass with a broken back and foot.

Doctors believe 16-year-old Mace Hutchinson broke his back and heel after falling, as his injuries are consistent with such a fall. The boy's family does not understand why police would have tasered the the teen 19 times after he was so seriously injured.

All I can say is WOW. Obviously more information would be nice, but for some reason this particular story is not being picked up by any MSM. This is the only article about this that's floating around, from what I could find.

 

[Diuretic]

On the face of it, very disturbing (and that's an under-statement).

I trust there will be an independent inquiry.

 

[Paulie]

I should have said, it's the only VERSION of the story that's floating around. There are several sites carrying it, but it's the same article. I wonder why the MSM hasn't picked it up.

Did you watch the video at the Raw Story link? I'm at a loss for understanding why cops would need to subdue a kid that just fell 30 feet and broke his back and heel. They say he was talking about "kill cops", but shit, he could have just been mumbling incoherent bullshit from being so injured and out of it.

Like I said though, more info would certainly help.

 

[Diuretic]

Your confusion is understandable. I'm of the same mind from reading the report. I must admit to never having had to even think about deploying a Taser though (we have only a few issued to tactical personnel, there's no indication of if/when they would be issued more widely). My operational days finished a couple of years ago when the only options were OC spray/ASP baton or firearm. I hope the Taser isn't being used in lieu of the much safer (but ugly) wrestling with a person who was uncooperative.

 

[Paulie]

Your confusion is understandable. I'm of the same mind from reading the report. I must admit to never having had to even think about deploying a Taser though (we have only a few issued to tactical personnel, there's no indication of if/when they would be issued more widely). My operational days finished a couple of years ago when the only options were OC spray/ASP baton or firearm. I hope the Taser isn't being used in lieu of the much safer (but ugly) wrestling with a person who was uncooperative.

It seems that there are isolated incidents these days where it most certainly IS being used in lieu of.

How uncooperative can you be when you just broke your back from a 30 foot fall, though. I can't imagine you'd have much range of motion ANYWHERE in your body at that point, so I don't think there would be any words you could mutter that would require multiple tasings.

I'm waiting for Shogun to chime in, I'm sure he's heard more about this than msot of us.

 

[busara]

obviously, the boy was being attacked by bees. the police were trying to help, and all they had were tasers. in shocking the bees the boy got hit a few times, but it was hardly intentional.

 

[Ninja]

Man dies after cop hits him with Taser 9 times - CNN.com

Another recent Taser incident where a man died after being Tasered 9 times - 3 after he'd been handcuffed.

 

[Diuretic]

I'm old school but then I would be I suppose. As I said before Tasers are out of consideration. But I have piled in and gone the biff which is pretty ugly if you're not au fait with the fact that it needs probably four average built coppers to deal with one average built male that wants to kick you in the nuts rather than get chucked in the back of a police vehicle (and to an off-his-face twenties male kicking you in the nuts makes sense to hime at the time).

The sight of four "burly" (in the media reports coppers are always "burly") coppers struggling with a "slightly built individual" (anyone south of Mike Tyson qualifies as "slightly built) is disturbing to anyone who hasn't actually tried to subdue someone. Trust me, it's not easy, especially if you're not inclined to beat the shit out of them.

Having said that I do think that perhaps there should be more biff and less Taser and spray these days.

Call me a dinosaur but perhaps the old ways weren't so bad.

 

[Dirt McGirt]

I totally support the use of tasers. It's the people that use them incorrectly or abuse them that should get the blame. I'd rather get tased than shot anyday, bro.

 

[Ninja]

Sounds like Australian cops are a little different than what we have here in the States.

The CCPOA and the Brady Campaign run California's shadow government. If something like this happened here, the cop would get a medal. And a box of maple bars.

 

[Shogun]

I support tasers too. We had a similar issue this week:

Police review Taser use
Police review Taser use

[youtube]4V4ZQvRnllI[/youtube]


I fully support the use of tasers. The alternative, HAVING YOUR ASS BLOWN AWAY, is far more lethal. Cops don't ask for this goofy shit to occur. for instance, the dickweed above causes accidents along hwy 70 when the road had to be shut down... why? just because he was "suicidal" and having a bad day. I guarentfuckingtee he gets a lot happier about life after he sues the city for saving his own goddamn life for a couple million.

 

[Striker]

I'm old school but then I would be I suppose. As I said before Tasers are out of consideration. But I have piled in and gone the biff which is pretty ugly if you're not au fait with the fact that it needs probably four average built coppers to deal with one average built male that wants to kick you in the nuts rather than get chucked in the back of a police vehicle (and to an off-his-face twenties male kicking you in the nuts makes sense to hime at the time).

The sight of four "burly" (in the media reports coppers are always "burly") coppers struggling with a "slightly built individual" (anyone south of Mike Tyson qualifies as "slightly built) is disturbing to anyone who hasn't actually tried to subdue someone. Trust me, it's not easy, especially if you're not inclined to beat the shit out of them.

Having said that I do think that perhaps there should be more biff and less Taser and spray these days.

Call me a dinosaur but perhaps the old ways weren't so bad.

I like the way you think. I also don't want to see you get hurt.

Tasers scare the shit outta me because I had open heart surgery a few years ago and while I would never resist arrest if I knew I was wrong, I am thick-headed and will fight if I think I'm right. Which means, if I decide the police are wrong and I KNOW I'm not gonna win, but I at least want to get one good lick in, a Taser could kill me.

I know, I know, thats a screwed up train of thought but I'm a stubborn assed German and in my younger days I HAVE set a prior precedent. (That was one LONG elevator ride .) In the end, I was glad to get to the jailhouse floor.Took days to pull that billy outta my ass.

Anyway, I guess there is a place for Tasers but they should be used rarely.

Stay safe out there.

 

[AllieBaba]

Everyone should have a taser. My son has one. I remember a friend of mine (who was 16) had one in 1987. He tasered a locust with it in Phoenix.

Cops will abuse anything you give them that gives them power over others. Well, I shoudl say SOME cops. They abused the choke hold until it went the way of the dodo; it will happen with the taser, too.

how the heck did the kid break his BACK??? Though I have seen a cop wearing military boots stand on the back of someone who was out of control...one foot between his shoulder blades, one on his head, and prepare to taser. I'd think that would do it.

 

[doeton]

how the heck did the kid break his BACK??? .

ah, perhaps falling off the 30 foot overpass?

 

[AllieBaba]

Ouch. That could do it, too.

 

[Diuretic]

Sounds like Australian cops are a little different than what we have here in the States.

The CCPOA and the Brady Campaign run California's shadow government. If something like this happened here, the cop would get a medal. And a box of maple bars.

CCPOA - from memory that's the Correctional officers union isn't it? I read about them when I was in Tx one year attending a collective bargaining training course. They've got a very interesting way of garnering political influence.

Copper culture is pretty much the same in most countries I've been to but there are significant differences. I think Americans are more into law enforcement whereas the Brits are more into community policing and policing by consent and I think Aus sits somewhere in the middle.

 

[Diuretic]

I like the way you think. I also don't want to see you get hurt.

Tasers scare the shit outta me because I had open heart surgery a few years ago and while I would never resist arrest if I knew I was wrong, I am thick-headed and will fight if I think I'm right. Which means, if I decide the police are wrong and I KNOW I'm not gonna win, but I at least want to get one good lick in, a Taser could kill me.

I know, I know, thats a screwed up train of thought but I'm a stubborn assed German and in my younger days I HAVE set a prior precedent. (That was one LONG elevator ride .) In the end, I was glad to get to the jailhouse floor.Took days to pull that billy outta my ass.

Anyway, I guess there is a place for Tasers but they should be used rarely.

Stay safe out there.

Much appreciated.

I take your point. I have been in some truly bad fights (one night in an outback town I worked at with five other blokes I had two uniform shirts ripped off me and bloodstains ruined a pair of pants, I ended up working the shift in a tee shirt and jeans ). But fighting for me meant I could choose how hard I hit (usually as hard as possible) but importantly where I hit (certain places are off limits). So I knew I wouldn't damage someone accidentally (eg no punch in the guts, what if someone has an ulcer or something?)

From what I've seen so far (and we do have Tasers but they are only issued to tactical members thus far, we may see them on restricted general issue but I'm not holding my breath) the Taser which is meant to be used somewhere between oc spray and a firearm, is being deployed too early. It's still okay to go hands on I believe. I know here that the younger members are using spray instead of going hands on and if that behaviour is replicated with the Taser - that is being used instead of grappling hands on - we're going to have exactly the same problem as has occurred in the States and in Canada.

 

[editec]

NEWSFLASH

Cops often make innocent mistakes.

NEWSFLASH

Some cops are sadistic bullies and somewhat taken by the power society vested in them and apt to abuse that power.

NEWSFLASH

They usually get away with it.

Welcome to the world.

 

[Diuretic]

Yep.

And breaking the silence thing is important. It's difficult but it's a socially worthwhile goal.

But the really interesting thing about that is that it goes beyond cops and the "blue wall of silence". It requires societal change and that makes many people very cranky.

 

[Striker]

NEWSFLASH

Cops often make innocent mistakes.

NEWSFLASH

Some cops are sadistic bullies and somewhat taken by the power society vested in them and apt to abuse that power.

NEWSFLASH

They usually get away with it.

Welcome to the world.

Yep.

And breaking the silence thing is important. It's difficult but it's a socially worthwhile goal.

But the really interesting thing about that is that it goes beyond cops and the "blue wall of silence". It requires societal change and that makes many people very cranky.

Good points.