Summerville Police Deploy Taser on Alston Middle Student
Police say female student punched and kicked student resource officer.
A school resource officer deployed a Taser on an allegedly combative Alston Middle School student Thursday during school hours, according to WISTV.com.
Citing the incident report, WISTV.com reported the female student allegedly punched the officer in the face and kicked him in the groin after he attempted to restrain her for disorderly conduct.
The TV news reported:
When the student failed to heed his command, the officer said he fired "one cycle" from the stun gun and the 8th grader fell to the floor. The student was taken for medical treatment following the incident. She was charged with disturbing schools and released to her mother.
According to Dorchester County School District Two, the officer is a trained, Summerville Police officer. District spokeswoman Pat Raynor said the incident is a "student situation" and not an officer situation.
"It was not done lightly. Many, many efforts were made (to calm the student)," Raynor said. "(The officer) was trying to calm the student down ... They were afraid the student would harm them ... It became obvious that she was totally out of control and the concern was that she would harm herself or others."
Edited 3:15 Dec. 14 to add information from the district.
Tom Utley
11:28 am on Friday, December 14, 2012
So, you're telling me that a grown man couldn't subdue an 8th grade girl without using a potentially deadly taser weapon?
I don't think the girl should have punched him of course, but we don't really know the full story of the altercation. Either way - a taser? Really? On an 8th grade girl?
Lindsay Street
12:03 pm on Friday, December 14, 2012
Tom, you Utleys run big, so subduing anyone of normal size is easy for you. Most 8th graders are bigger than me, and if I were in the policeman's shoes, I bet I'd feel justified in using non-lethal force to protect myself or to aid in doing my job.
But, like you said, we don't know the full story, and I'm certainly not here to take sides. Just wanted to point out that not all of us are capable of subduing an 8th grade girl ;)
Tom Utley
12:54 pm on Friday, December 14, 2012
That is a valid point, haha.
But, I do believe Police Officers are given extensive training on hand to hand combat, or at least I thought they were. You would think and adult, trained to do so, could handle an 8th grader without using electrocution.
stanley seigler
1:58 pm on Friday, December 14, 2012
re: A school resource officer v. Police Officer
are they one and the same...in any event training programs for resource officers must be reviewed and revised as necessary...ie, a teaching moment...the incident could have resulted in more serious injury....
but they do grow em big these days...a kick in the groin!! sounds like student was better trained than the officer...
OTOH
i would have tased the student as punishment...just kidding, i think!
Lindsay Street
3:14 pm on Friday, December 14, 2012
Stanley, in Dorchester County School District Two, our school resource officers are trained law enforcement. The officer in question is a trained SPD officer. I will update the story to clarify that point.
maizenbluedoc
10:01 am on Saturday, December 15, 2012
Again, blame the police officer, not the perpetrator. That is one thing that is wrong in today's society, people are not held responsible for their actions. If the police officer had used strong-arm tactics to subdue the woman, he would be considered a "bully". We don't know the specifics of the incident, but I will assume the officer did the right thing unless proven otherwise.
Kaye Fox
8:23 am on Sunday, December 16, 2012
Lindsey, Stanley and Maizenbluedoc, I think you are all right. I am sure there is more to the story yet to come.
Josie
9:58 am on Wednesday, December 26, 2012
Good for him. School was not like this when I grew up. What is wrong with today's society and the children of it. Maizenbluedoc, it is strange that people in today's world blame anyone who is trying to subdue the chaos that is so rampant. No one even realizes right from wrong anymore.