Cop Tasers child on Career Day 'accidentally' for not washing cruiser

A representative from Taser International shows the companies latest X26 stun gun during the Police Federation Conference at Winter Gardens on May 16, 2007 in Blackpool, England.

Christopher Fulong/Getty Images

A New Mexico cop tasered a child on  "Career Day" during a safety demonstration on May 4. While the police officer said the incident was "accidental," the boy's mother filed a civil lawsuit days ago for the taser incident at Tularosa Elementary School.

"Cop tasers child on 'Career Day'" headlines stirred the local community when word got out the victim was a hapless kid. Salon reported on October 31 that Officer Christopher Webb, 44, the New Mexico Motor Police and Department of Public Safety (DPS) are at the center of a lawsuit over the incident.

Rachel Higgins filed a civil lawsuit on behalf of the child tasered by the police officer, according to a copy of the official court complaint. The boy is only referred to as "R.D." According to the lawsuit, Officer Webb was at Tularosa Elementary to demonstrate Taser safety to a group of children on the school's playground. At one point, the officer allegedly asked the group to wash his patrol car. However, the child tasered by the cop during "Career Day" jokingly indicated his lack of desire. That's when things went terribly wrong, according to the civil lawsuit. The report claims Officer Webbs said, "Let me show you what happens to people who do not listen to the police."

According to a citizen complaint written by his supervisor, Webb then fired his department-issue Taser X26 model, striking the 10-year-old boy in the chest. The two barbs delivered 50,000 volts into the child's less than 100 pound body. The shock knocked him out cold for a few moments. The New Mexico lawsuit claimed Officer Webb did not render proper medical treatment by taking the child to a hospital. Instead, he took "R.D." to the boy's room and had him cleaned up. His mother and a teacher later arrived.

Tasers like the one used by the cop during the "Career Day" event are considered non-lethal. However, there have been cases in which victims died as result of its use. Officer Web, who was suspended for three days following the incident, insists that it was an accident. At this time, there is no indication to believe otherwise. Still, the thought of a child being the victim is unsettling. However, the young boy could have died or been permanently injured by the reported "excessive force." The plaintiff in the lawsuit claims the child suffers from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PSTD) and has trouble sleeping on fears he may not wake up.

Source: Examiner.com 

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