By Mike Rush
South St. Louis County (KSDK) - A police officer tased a 12-year-old girl inside a Victoria's Secret Wednesday afternoon at South County Center.
Police say the officer came into the Victoria's Secret looking for the teenager's mom, who had warrants for her arrest. But it was the teen who got tased.
"This one goes in my chest. It was stuck in there so she had to keep on pulling trying to pull it out," said Dejamon Baker, as she pointed to a small wound on her chest.
Baker has a matching wound on her stomach.
"I had fell on the floor and I couldn't control myself I just kept on shaking and stuff," said the girl.
Baker, her mother Charlene Bratton, and some other relatives were in the Victoria's Secret.
Bratton had just tried on some shorts and was about to buy them when she says a St. Louis County officer came looking for her. Bratton had warrants, she says, for numerous unresolved traffic tickets.
"He said, put your hands behind your back. I said for what. Next thing you know he tackled me down on the ground," said Bratton.
Baker said, "I was just crying. I guess he got mad because I was crying or something, then he just took it out and just tased me."
A police spokesman says the officer stated the girl was physically getting involved and would not back away, but Dejamon and her mother deny that.
"He should have had enough control to tell her to get back instead of pulling out his gun, I guess he was nervous or whatever, and tasing people," said Bratton.
The police spokesman says he believes the officer's actions were justified, but he admits it's a unique situation. (what the fuck does unique mean)
He suggests the mother report the incident to internal affairs to have in investigated.
The mother says that's what she plans to do.
KSDK
video at source
South St. Louis County (KSDK) - A police officer tased a 12-year-old girl inside a Victoria's Secret Wednesday afternoon at South County Center.
Police say the officer came into the Victoria's Secret looking for the teenager's mom, who had warrants for her arrest. But it was the teen who got tased.
"This one goes in my chest. It was stuck in there so she had to keep on pulling trying to pull it out," said Dejamon Baker, as she pointed to a small wound on her chest.
Baker has a matching wound on her stomach.
"I had fell on the floor and I couldn't control myself I just kept on shaking and stuff," said the girl.
Baker, her mother Charlene Bratton, and some other relatives were in the Victoria's Secret.
Bratton had just tried on some shorts and was about to buy them when she says a St. Louis County officer came looking for her. Bratton had warrants, she says, for numerous unresolved traffic tickets.
"He said, put your hands behind your back. I said for what. Next thing you know he tackled me down on the ground," said Bratton.
Baker said, "I was just crying. I guess he got mad because I was crying or something, then he just took it out and just tased me."
A police spokesman says the officer stated the girl was physically getting involved and would not back away, but Dejamon and her mother deny that.
"He should have had enough control to tell her to get back instead of pulling out his gun, I guess he was nervous or whatever, and tasing people," said Bratton.
The police spokesman says he believes the officer's actions were justified, but he admits it's a unique situation. (what the fuck does unique mean)
He suggests the mother report the incident to internal affairs to have in investigated.
The mother says that's what she plans to do.
KSDK
video at source
Is it just me or are police really getting tazer/spray happy? Like what happened to conflict resolution conflict management, and not going off like you HAVE to use all the arsenal you've got.
She's TWELVE. for the love of fuck, how is it even possible you need to subdue a 12 year old with a taser?
Ugh. I don't have a default "fuck the police" mentality but seriously i hold them to a better standard than this trigger happy bullshit.
( to be fair most of my interactions with police have been exceptional but one trigger happy goon can really cast a bad light and that needs addressing.)
All this means is that cops can be 'justified' in tazing people for the fuck of it, and get off by saying, "Well, they didn't die, so job well done!"
In a word, yes.