Arkansas Officer Dustin Bradshaw Used Stun Gun on 10-year-old - Fired

On November 11, 2009 police were called to a home because a mother could not get her ten year old daughter to take a shower. Officer Bradshaw reported that the girl was "violently kicking and verbally combative" and that the girl kicked him in the groin when he tried to take her into custody. Bradshaw wrote, "Her mother told me to tase her if I needed to." And he goes on to say that he did in fact deliver, "A very brief drive stun to her back." Why was Arkansas Officer Dustin Bradshaw, who used stun gun on 10-year-old, fired?

Not for Tasing an unruly ten year old, he was fired for violating department policy for failing to use the camera attached to it [the stun gun]. Police Chief Jim Noggle wrote a memo to Ozark Mayor Vernon McDaniel who received notice of officer Dustin Bradshaw's firing on Monday morning.¹

The child was not injured, according to reports, but was taken to the Western Arkansas Youth Shelter in Cecil. There is a lot of questions that come to mind that raise red flags. Why would a mother need to call the police because a 10-year-old would not take a shower? More importantly, what kind of mother would tell a police officer to tase her ten year old child? Perhaps, that mom needs to be investigated too.

The officer may say it was the safest way to restrain an unruly ten year old girl who was "kicking violently" because he could have broken her arm trying to get the handcuffs on, but that does not make perfect sense. Why? Prior to the authorization and use of these stun guns what method would have been used to restrain a 10-year-old child?

Stun Guns, Tasers - How they work

"Stun guns fire sharp darts, with thin wires attached, which penetrate clothing or skin. A massive electric discharge then travels along the wires, totally incapacitating the subject and usually forcing them to fall heavily to the ground, with no control over their body movements."²

Are police officers abusing the use of stun guns

There has been "tazing" caught on video of various individuals, tazing has resulted in serious injury or even death; the use of stun guns by police officers is, in many cases, disturbing. The police use two main models of taser or stun guns. Both the M26 and X26 models have a Electro-Muscular Disruption (EMD) device. Police taser guns are capable of releasing up to 50,000 volts into a person on impact.³

Was a "very brief drive stun to her back" as described by officer Dustin Bradshaw, cruel and unusual punishment for an unruly 10-year-old. Was this a case of a police officer abusing the use of a stun gun?

Because Bradshaw knowingly failed to use the camera that attaches to the Taser, which makes it hard to tell what really happened that night, there is no way to see whether or not the child was so uncontrollable that officer Bradshaw had no other options available to restrain a ten year old girl. Maybe some back-up could have helped.

It does not matter whether or not the mother said to use the Taser, Bradshaw is a police officer, the ultimate decision to use a stun gun on a child was his. Did Bradshaw react out of anger? He did say that the 10-year-old had kicked him in the groin.

This incident is under investigation by the FBI and Arkansas State Police; which was requested by Ozark Mayor Vernon McDaniel and Chief of Police Jim Noggle. In any event, Arkansas Officer Dustin Bradshaw, who used Stun Gun on 10-year-old, has been fired.

Sources:
¹Ark. officer who used stun on girl, 10, fired - By Jill Zeeman Bleed, AP
² Don't aim stun guns at chest, police warned by weapon's manufacturer - CLA
³Police Abuse Use of Taser Guns Killing and Injuring Innocent Civilians - Lawfirms.com